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    Colemak and shortcuts, especially in Visual Studio

    • Started by Dugzor
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    • Registered: 13-Aug-2013
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    13-Aug-2013 17:48:30#1 Colemak and shortcuts, especially in Visual Studio

    HI,

    So about 18 months ago I started using Colemak as a layout, instead of QWERTY. and i found it really great, the finger comfort was great, and it just felt loads better. I was doing a job then that required a lot of typing reports so the transition was ok as i went cold turkey and used it every day for hours.

    I then started a new job almost a year ago as s developer and then my job turned into more thinking and short bursts of coding, with heavy shortcut use. I've been coding using Visual studio for a few years and am familiar with the shortcuts in QWERTY, is there a way around having to relearn them all for the new key positions (that i have not changed on the keyboard as it is a work one)? I know some are the same, ctrl x, c, v etc, but the shortcuts in Visual studio are so numerous that pretty much every key has a function or 2 assigned to it so it becomes a challenge!

    I'm just curious to see if there is a way that anyone has found or any tips, or if it's just a case of sucking it up and relearning the shortcuts from scratch as after a few days at the new job I had to swtich back to QWERTY. Now i'm more onfident in my position and skills i can afford to play with things like layouts again.

    Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.

    Duggy

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    13-Aug-2013 18:41:29#2 Re: Colemak and shortcuts, especially in Visual Studio

    Related:

    On OSX there is a Dvorak/Qwerty layout,  when pressing the command key the layout flips back to Qwerty.  Useful for some Qwerty shortcuts that you are wedded to.

    I found a project trying to get similar functionality under Windows and Linux:

    https://code.google.com/p/dvorak-qwerty/

    You might be able adapt what's there or take a similar approach.  There are  some members here that are familiar with building modifier layouts.

    I had a similar issue when moving over from Qwerty with Vim, all the shortcuts differed.  I decided to just go with Dvorak in the end, it's easier for me to learn the shortcuts mnemonically and just type them out.  It might be a pain at first but I think it's ultimately more portable.  I worry that if I were to try and map two layouts my brain could flip out.

    Having said that, Colemak at least does share a fair few of Qwerty's shortcuts, so it might be a little easier on the brain flipping between Colemak and Qwerty for the shortcuts at least.

    I'd get frustrated having to heavily customise my environment when moving between machines.   It's bad enough switching layout.

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    13-Aug-2013 19:06:05#3 Re: Colemak and shortcuts, especially in Visual Studio

    Heh, most of us probably use vim/evil for comfort.  If your position is secure enough, it may be worth learning.  Naturally, there are many approaches to remapping (and that's as easy as a .vimrc), but the approach that doesn't emphasizes mnemonic shortcut use, much like "talking" to the editor, which is the same in any layout.

    I'm generally against remapping something to agree with QWERTY positions, or indeed a layer that turns the keyboard to QWERTY "just for" the command keys.  I feel it introduces too many confusing variables, in short.  Programs like dvorak-qwerty would affect all future applications (you'd have to learn all future shortcuts in QWERTY, not just the present ones).

    I haven't had to learn shortcuts for the entire keyboard (fortunately, I was limited to mainly the left side, whose remapping is more than worth its improvement) so I can't comment too much about that.  What definitely not to do is coding sprints, however; clearly those would involve reverting to muscle memory.  You have to take it slow.

    Last edited by lalop (13-Aug-2013 22:16:45)

    Tarmak Transitional Layouts (QWERTY -> Colemak)
    Amphetype (lalop edition)

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    14-Aug-2013 17:44:09#4 Re: Colemak and shortcuts, especially in Visual Studio

    hi Guys, thanks for your responses.

    I think i'm in the frame of mind that i'll have to suck it up and relearn the shortcuts. when i originally started i tried switching to and fro all the time and it got really confusing and was a real challenge. I guess i was hoping that there was a fix all solution but I think i knew deep down that there wasn't! Having read those links (thanks both) it seems quite common to have that problem if switching between the layouts.

    I have restarted today, so hopefully all will go well, i'm having trouble with remote desktop sessions as the script to remap the keys can't run on those as they are client servers. nothing i can do about that. So maybe i'll have to keep both qwerty and colemak going. eek. I'll favour colemak as most of my work is local, but i'll have to keep qwerty semi active for remote working i think. i hadn't even thought about that until i tried it out today.

    Thanks again for the insight and advice. :)

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    14-Aug-2013 21:00:39#5 Re: Colemak and shortcuts, especially in Visual Studio

    Didn't someone suggest that the remote desktop plugin for Chrome, let's you keep your local layout for the remote session without tweaking the remote?

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    15-Aug-2013 17:24:49#6 Re: Colemak and shortcuts, especially in Visual Studio

    Hey, thsnks for the pointer, i'll go and check that out. :)

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