NationStates Jolt Archive

Hello players, I use German letters a lot, which includes ß, the sharp letter S and it is associated greatly with Germany. So much is the trouble of typing them in a UK keyboard that yesterday I got one of the new programmable keyboards so I could create the letter ß and in one keystroke without having to press Alt+0223.

I hear about people having different layouts so I wonder who's programmed a keyboard to do tedious tasks so easily?

Cheerß, oops, cheers.

What a non-thread. :p

Sorry, I might have got the title wrong, but it would be interesting to see what macros gamers use on their keyboards to accomplish otherwise tedious tasks.

well, i found typing on a French keyboard infuriating. if you can touch type, it really messes with your head :P

but no, i haven't customised any keys like that, but i do create shortcuts in my programs all the time - i try not to use the mouse if i can help it. in Photoshop its my own customised keyboard shortcuts all the way. i'm waiting for a keyboard that's just a touchscreen LCD (or e-ink, even better) and totally customisable. i want a completely different layout for Photoshop, say, as compared to PuTTY or word processing

well, i found typing on a French keyboard infuriating. if you can touch type, it really messes with your head :P

but no, i haven't customised any keys like that, but i do create shortcuts in my programs all the time - i try not to use the mouse if i can help it. in Photoshop its my own customised keyboard shortcuts all the way. i'm waiting for a keyboard that's just a touchscreen LCD (or e-ink, even better) and totally customisable. i want a completely different layout for Photoshop, say, as compared to PuTTY or word processing

The problem with these suggestions is that the tactile feedback sucks. Possibly the closest thing so far is the Optimus keyboard (http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/), which only has the slight problem of price (and no Linux support).

Edit: If it ever comes out, the Tactus (http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/), by the same company, is close to what you're envisioning.

So much is the trouble of typing them in a UK keyboard that yesterday I got one of the new programmable keyboards so I could create the letter ß and in one keystroke without having to press Alt+0223.

I still use the old-fashioned ALT+225 ß.
Also: ALT+132 ä, ALT+148 ö, ALT+129 ü, ALT+142 Ä, ALT+153 Ö, ALT+154 Ü .

Btw: I could really use a programmable keyboard, because the italian layout doesn't feature curly brackets. Even writing CSS is a copy-and-paste nightmare.

I use Alt+164 for ñ and Alt+165 for Ñ. I need it, 'cause that letter is in my surname. :D

Cheers everyone for the replies. I feel much more ready to program the remaining S-keys. "Ü" may be next on my list.

He, luckily my keyboard has the ß and all of the Umlaute (äöü).

Ever once in a while I switch it to the English preset (e.g. when a game needs a "y" for yes but I'd have to press "z" instead among others).

Heck, I didn't even know there were programmable keyboards. Viel Erfolg damit!

He, luckily my keyboard has the ß and all of the Umlaute (äöü).


You know, the italian layout is so sucky that we don't even have all the letters we need. Example: no accented capitalised vowels (the capitalised à,é,è,ì,ò,ù). But we have the ç (which is not used in italian). Damn.

Uh......um....*insert ignorant American comment here* :p

You know, the italian layout is so sucky that we don't even have all the letters we need. Example: no accented capitalised vowels (the capitalised à,é,è,ì,ò,ù). But we have the ç (which is not used in italian). Damn.
:confused: Perhaps that's a French keyboard? :p

:confused: Perhaps that's a French keyboard? :p

Nope. It's the standard italian layout. Meh.

Nope. It's the standard italian layout. Meh.
I just have to be thankful my language does not use accents anymore... *looks at above post* oh, we have that ñ, given to us by the Spaniards. :(

You know, the italian layout is so sucky that we don't even have all the letters we need. Example: no accented capitalised vowels (the capitalised à,é,è,ì,ò,ù). But we have the ç (which is not used in italian). Damn.
Uhm - whenever I'd want an accented capitalized vowel I press whichever accent I need (´ or `) and then Shift plus the vowel. Seems to work just fine.

I somehow get the impression that the Italian keyboard is as botched as your country's politics sometimes appear to be?!?

(Talking about the accent-key... People who constantly use those two `´ instead of the real apostrophe ' - those people should have keys removed their keyboards!!!!!)

Uhm - whenever I'd want an accented capitalized vowel I press whichever accent I need (´ or `) and then Shift plus the vowel. Seems to work just fine.

I somehow get the impression that the Italian keyboard is as botched as your country's politics sometimes appear to be?!?

Hm. Seeing how he has a "ç" on his keyboard, maybe Italians just get French keyboards? And the French don't do accents on capital letters, do they? (I might be remembering wrong, though - it's been 18 years since my last French class... (egads))

Hm. Seeing how he has a "ç" on his keyboard, maybe Italians just get French keyboards? And the French don't do accents on capital letters, do they? (I might be remembering wrong, though - it's been 18 years since my last French class... (egads))

/wave!

Hm. Seeing how he has a "ç" on his keyboard, maybe Italians just get French keyboards? And the French don't do accents on capital letters, do they? (I might be remembering wrong, though - it's been 18 years since my last French class... (egads))
I think they sometimes do: Saint-Étienne (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-%C3%89tienne), Étang de Berre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Étang_de_Berre). :wink:

EDIT: though...
Diacritics are often omitted on capital letters, mainly for technical reasons and it is widely believed that they are not required. However both the Académie française and the Office québécois de la langue française reject this usage and confirm that "in French, the accent has full orthographic value", except for acronyms but not for abbreviations (e.g. CEE, ALENA, but É.-U.).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_alphabet

The problem with these suggestions is that the tactile feedback sucks. Possibly the closest thing so far is the Optimus keyboard (http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/), which only has the slight problem of price (and no Linux support).

Edit: If it ever comes out, the Tactus (http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/), by the same company, is close to what you're envisioning.

I already want the Optimus, but I'd seriously consider selling a kidney for the Tactus, if it ever becomes available.

Well, actually it's one of those SideWinder X6s (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/gaming/productdetails.aspx?pid=102) I now use any anyway it is inevitable that I have to use the following characters regularly:

ü (S2)
Ü (S8)

...because one of my friends name has a surname of Müller.

The streets of Berlin have the ßs in them too, and I haven't seen a shortage of Øs in the north of Europe.

Everyone learn American standard qwerty. that is all.

When I gave FFX a firm stare, all the birds in the racing contest ignored me and pecked the trainer to death, letting me finally beat 0:0:0. Does that count?

Sounds like more of a easter egg than a glitch. Besides the myth "one size fits all" can't be true because one person I know well uses QWERTZ whilst one would be more used to AZERTY, like the French.

In Germany it is also known as a Quertzu.

so I could create the letter ß and in one keystroke without having to press Alt+0223.

Wait, so you have to hold down Alt and type a four digit number? I just hold down the right Alt key and press the s: ß. Most other special characters can be produced in similar ways, sometimes after a few guesses.

Just select the right keyboard type in your operating system configuration, IIRC it is called US international or something like that. Programmable keyboards? Silly! Just use a programmable computer ;) .

Good point made because it covers a lot of keys. It doesn't do Greek though as I use that for math equations: Maybe the Five Scripts layout?

Well, actually it's one of those SideWinder X6s (http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/gaming/productdetails.aspx?pid=102) I now use any anyway it is inevitable that I have to use the following characters regularly:

ü (S2)
Ü (S8)

...because one of my friends name has a surname of Müller.

The streets of Berlin have the ßs in them too, and I haven't seen a shortage of Øs in the north of Europe.
You could always just write "ss" instead of "ß" and "ue" instead of "ü". <<
If you write the address in all caps, the "ss" will even be grammatically correct, whee.

Hm. Seeing how he has a "ç" on his keyboard, maybe Italians just get French keyboards? And the French don't do accents on capital letters, do they? (I might be remembering wrong, though - it's been 18 years since my last French class... (egads))
Oh yeez, don't even remind me of French class.
Everyone learn American standard qwerty. that is all.
Once everyone who uses querty manages to spell their words right, you may restate that demand. But not before. That is all!
Sounds like more of a easter egg than a glitch. Besides the myth "one size fits all" can't be true because one person I know well uses QWERTZ whilst one would be more used to AZERTY, like the French.
Reminds me of one baseball cap I got. Didn't fit. Then I read the label. Didn't say "One size fits all" but "One size fits most". Guess I'm special. :tongue:
In Germany it is also known as a Quertzu.
Tür zu? Quarzen?
You could always just write "ss" instead of "ß" and "ue" instead of "ü". <<
True, but only short vowels are to be followed by "ss". Like "Fluss". "Fuß" is supposed to be spelled with "ß".
If you write the address in all caps, the "ss" will even be grammatically correct, whee.
Oh, for crying out loud - don't you just hate it when everything is written in capitals but the "ß"? That is so wrong!

True, but only short vowels are to be followed by "ss". Like "Fluss". "Fuß" is supposed to be spelled with "ß".
Which is why I added that second sentence:
If you write the address in all caps, the "ss" will even be grammatically correct, whee.
DUH. ;)

It is indeed a debatable subject. The Große (capital) Eszett is a Unicode character as "U+1E9E LATIN CAPITAL LETTER SHARP S" yet there has never been a definite consensus of such.

It is indeed a debatable subject. The Große (capital) Eszett is a Unicode character as "U+1E9E LATIN CAPITAL LETTER SHARP S" yet there has never been a definite consensus of such.
According to the German wiki entry on "ß" (I never knew there even was one!) the official German orthographic rules do not allow for using "ß" as a capital letter - basically because it just isn't one, so they're saying that if you want to express it as a capital letter there first needs to be an agreement on the introduction of a new character for that purpose.

The only "acceptable" (if not official) practical exemption to that is in names, where in official documents they sometimes insist on keeping the "ß" even in an all-caps spelling.

It looks horrible, though.

Programmable keyboard?

Heck, my keyboars is still good ol' DIN keyboard with no winkeys (Keytronic from mid nineties).


Of course, I can also type äöåôîýñéèàõáïãò...etc... with it, without resorting to alt codes. :tongue:

Since my currency is § I needed a Mac.

The problem with these suggestions is that the tactile feedback sucks. Possibly the closest thing so far is the Optimus keyboard (http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/), which only has the slight problem of price (and no Linux support).

Edit: If it ever comes out, the Tactus (http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/), by the same company, is close to what you're envisioning.

No, the problem is the price: 1692.31 US$ !!!

Edit: If it ever comes out, the Tactus (http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus-tactus/), by the same company, is close to what you're envisioning.
that's epic. i want it :D