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    The patorjk keyboard analyzer

    • Started by stevep99
    • 5 Replies:
    • Reputation: 117
    • From: UK
    • Registered: 14-Apr-2014
    • Posts: 975

    I notice that this analyzer is referred to quite often whenever people are discussing or trying to promote their own special layout. It's almost the default go-to analyzer.

    It's nicely presented and all, but how are the scores actually calculated? The about page doesn't really explain.

    If you put Mod-DH in to, it scores pretty much identically to Colemak, results are here. Even more bizarrely, Programmer Dvorak is deemed best of all (at least on the Alice corpus)!

    I'm guessing it has a very simple algorithm based on distance from home positions, ignoring the fact that some keys are easier than others. I don't know how it treats other factors like bigrams, finger balance, rolls, etc, although it does create some reports on these.

    I know scoring systems are subjective, but still.... although this tool is useful for generating charts and graphics, I think its overall score calculation is pretty useless.

    Last edited by stevep99 (28-Feb-2018 18:07:19)

    Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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    • From: New York, New York
    • Registered: 22-Nov-2008
    • Posts: 129

    I agree Programmer Dvorak is noticeably inferior compared to the vanilla Colemak and variants.

    A great layout but that extra oomph from Colemak in rolls and rhythm is not quantified.

    Scores do not capture a feeling.

    Last edited by juice43 (01-Mar-2018 04:41:37)

    Colemak typist

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    • Registered: 08-Oct-2017
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    Yeah, what keyboard comes out on top is just a function of the scoring system used, so if the scoring system doesn't agree with us what makes a good keyboard it will not really give any results that makes any sense.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 5,343

    That analyzer is one of the go-to ones yes, but it's actually a bit old now. And any analyzer is bound to be quite subjective and error-prone.

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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    • Reputation: 117
    • From: UK
    • Registered: 14-Apr-2014
    • Posts: 975

    Yeah, but I wish the model being used was fully described, so at least the results could be interpreted in context.

    Last edited by stevep99 (01-Mar-2018 18:02:19)

    Using Colemak-DH with Seniply.

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 5,343

    Pat himself has been known to answer his messages helpfully. So maybe if you pester him about it he'll explain?

    *** Learn Colemak in 2–5 steps with Tarmak! ***
    *** Check out my Big Bag of Keyboard Tricks for Win/Linux/TMK... ***

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