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    Port Qwerty (Arabic) to Colemak

    • Started by laciferin
    • 2 Replies:
    • Reputation: 0
    • Registered: 15-Nov-2023
    • Posts: 3
    15-Nov-2023 09:07:51#1 Port Qwerty (Arabic) to Colemak

    The qwerty version of arabic layout is very similar to english due to similarities in pronunciations of letters.

    I want to port the arabic (qwerty) to colemak.

    [View 1](https://user-images.githubusercontent.c … 30494d.png)

    [View 2-Shift key pressed](https://user-images.githubusercontent.c … 85d5ff.png)


    Its been 3 years I have been using colemak (english). I am starting to type in arabic in 2023 and I don't want to rewire my muscle memory back and forth with qwerty and colemak.

    Community Support:

    1. I need assistance getting the proper source codes of colemak[with caps->backspace] layout for unix system
    2. port it to arabic
    3. validate it
    4. Extend support for windows
    5. release stable version

    Cheers,
    I am Hiro. [Connect with me over](https://bit.ly/m/laciferin)

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    • From: Viken, Norway
    • Registered: 13-Dec-2006
    • Posts: 5,345
    15-Nov-2023 11:52:19#2 Re: Port Qwerty (Arabic) to Colemak

    Greetings! I've worked on an Arabic Colemak version for Windows using EPKL, but it'll be different from standard Arabic QWERTY. But some will probably want your version too, and mine won't be easily convertible to XKB.

    You have the source for the Colemak layout for Linux, it's in the xkb-data package. XKB isn't straightforward, so I hope you know some of it already?

    For Windows, use MSKLC. It's not that hard to convert the QWERTY layout, you just have to have it installed and use MSKLC to get an editable copy. Then, save that as a .klc file and edit the scan codes. If you only use the GUI editor, it'll be more work than editing the file directly and you also won't get the VK codes right, so edit the file in an editor and just change scan codes for each key.

    *** 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: 23
    • From: Belgium
    • Registered: 26-Feb-2008
    • Posts: 480
    16-Nov-2023 16:37:19#3 Re: Port Qwerty (Arabic) to Colemak

    For example standard Greek and Georgian keyboard layouts are similarly based on a phonetic Qwerty mapping, and thus can be reshuffled to Colemak.
    For Linux XKB, I created a sed script to do just that: https://forum.colemak.com/topic/1458-lo … p2/#p21198
    Of course some layouts will need further language-specific tweaks, but it's a base to get started.  Similar logic could be applied to Windows PKL mappings.

    FWIW, I'm using a phonetic Colemak layout for Russian (Rulemak) on regular basis and it works like a charm, I can type on it mostly without thinking.

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