Emacs Keyboard Design 18

The design is settling in.

keyboard-layout-18.png

  • Don’t try to use the keyboard to teach the user what is possible on that computer using that keyboard. For me this manifested in the form of trying to cram a lot of symbols and idea in each key. It was confusing; you have to know what you are doing before you get there, more or less. The idea of columns and position 1/2/3 are too literal. There isn’t enough space to read the symbols. It just doesn’t work for me.
    • Only use 4 symbols for the top and 1 for the front
    • Whenever letters have a lower and upper case, only including one letter in that column. It will be obvious to the user. I will free-up space on the keyboard.
    • Provide modifiers for what you will/would expect coming to keyboard
      • Greek
      • APL
      • Function (Fn)
        • Important because colors distinguish intent
        • Volume
        • Page Up and Page down. It is obvious that you would use function for this if you’ve ever used a laptop.
      • Symbol
        • This is the only other thing I’ve got, Emoticons and maybe Mathematical symbols that aren’t on the APL keyboard
  • Moved Greek letters to front freeing up space for APL keys
    • Didn’t add them set, unsure of the APL2 keyset
      • this seems to be it at least for Dyalog
    • APL symbols are two per key, need the space
    • Just want this on the keyboard
  • Like colors on the keyboard so pulled colors from Solarized
  • Don’t use ISO symbols for modifiers, nobody will know them
    • Set it up using general terms, Alt and Gui
    • Type out Emacs modifiers
  • Added APL example for E
    • Place 4 in the left middle
    • APL symbols on right top and bottom
    • Maximize space use for readability
  • Difference between symbol and APL key not obvious
  • Like macros, key choices must be evidence based for good results

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