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    Test typing with different layouts without learning them first!

    • Started by vVv
    • 4 Replies:
    • Reputation: 1
    • Registered: 22-Aug-2008
    • Posts: 36

    Without changing your keyboard layout, write some meaningful text as though you are using the other layout. For example, write "this" with Colemak layout installed, but as though you are using QWERTY. This produces "ghur". The resulting gibberish can be used to try how the other layout feels (use it in your favorite typing program). I recommend using a short text with many common words.

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    • Registered: 22-Aug-2008
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    In Linux you can easily produce the practice text with tr. Use the following command format:
    tr   LayoutToTry   YourCurrentLayout   <inputFile.txt   >outputFile.txt

    Special characters must be escaped with \. inputFile.txt should contain a normal text.

    Here are the layouts for Colemak, Dvorak, and QWERTY without the numbers, the characters on the number keys, and the characters `~\|

    Colemak:
    \\-\=qwfpgjluy\;\[\]arstdhneio\'zxcvbkm,./_\+QWFPGJLUY:\{\}ARSTDHNEIO\"ZXCVBKM\<\>\?

    Dvorak:
    \[\]\',.pyfgcrl/\=aoeuidhtns\\-\;qjkxbmwvz\{\}\"\<\>PYFGCRL\?\+AOEUIDHTNS_:QJKXBMWVZ

    QWERTY:
    \\-\=qwertyuiop\[\]asdfghjkl\;\'zxcvbnm,./_\+QWERTYUIOP\{\}ASDFGHJKL:\"ZXCVBNM\<\>\?

    For Colemak <> QWERTY translations only:
    Colemak: fpgjluy\;rstdneiokFPGJLUY:RSTDNEIOK
    QWERTY:  ertyuiopsdfgjkl\;nERTYUIOPSDFGJKL:N


    EXAMPLES:

    Try Dvorak (for Colemak users):
    tr  \[\]\',.pyfgcrl/\=aoeuidhtns\\-\;qjkxbmwvz\{\}\"\<\>PYFGCRL\?\+AOEUIDHTNS_:QJKXBMWVZ  \\-\=qwfpgjluy\;\[\]arstdhneio\'zxcvbkm,./_\+QWFPGJLUY:\{\}ARSTDHNEIO\"ZXCVBKM\<\>\?  <inputFile.txt >outputFile.txt

    Try Colemak (for QWERTY users):
    tr  fpgjluy\;rstdneiokFPGJLUY:RSTDNEIOK   ertyuiopsdfgjkl\;nERTYUIOPSDFGJKL:N   <inputFile.txt >outputFile.txt

    Try Dvorak (for QWERTY users):
    tr  \[\]\',.pyfgcrl/\=aoeuidhtns\\-\;qjkxbmwvz\{\}\"\<\>PYFGCRL\?\+AOEUIDHTNS_:QJKXBMWVZ  \\-\=qwertyuiop\[\]asdfghjkl\;\'zxcvbnm,./_\+QWERTYUIOP\{\}ASDFGHJKL:\"ZXCVBNM\<\>\?  <inputFile.txt >outputFile.txt

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    • Registered: 22-Aug-2008
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    Here are some sample texts.

      Normal text (some of the most common words):

    the and you that was for are with his they one have this from had but some what there can out other were all your when use word how said each she which their time will way about many then them would write like these her long make thing see him two has look more day could come did most know first every good where


      Colemak users: Try Dvorak
    ens aih grt enae ,ao jry ays ,den ndo ensg ris na.s endo jyrm nah kte orms ,nae ensys uai rte rensy ,sys a;; grty ,nsi tos ,ryh nr, oadh saun ons ,ndun ensdy edms ,d;; ,ag akrte maig ensi ensm ,rt;h ,ydes ;dvs ensos nsy ;ril mavs endil oss ndm e,r nao ;rrv mrys hag urt;h urms hdh mroe vir, jdyoe s.syg lrrh ,nsys

      Colemak users: Try QWERTY
    ghf aks jyl ghag war typ apf wugh hur ghfj ykf havf ghur tpym has blg rymf whag ghfpf cak ylg yghfp wfpf aii jylp whfk lrf wyps hyw raus fach rhf whuch ghfup gumf wuii waj abylg makj ghfk ghfm wylis wpugf iuef ghfrf hfp iykd maef ghukd rff hum gwy har iyye mypf saj cylis cymf sus myrg ekyw tuprg fvfpj dyys whfpf


      QWERTY users: Try Colemak
    fhk ajg o;i fhaf wad e;s ask wlfh hld fhko ;jk havk fhld es;m hag bif d;mk whaf fhksk caj ;if ;fhks wksk auu o;is whkj idk w;sg h;w dalg kach dhk whlch fhkls flmk wluu wao ab;if majo fhkj fhkm w;iug wslfk ulnk fhkdk hks u;jt mank fhljt dkk hlm fw; had u;;n m;sk gao c;iug c;mk glg m;df nj;w elsdf kvkso t;;g whksk

      QWERTY users: Try Dvorak
    kjd alh tsf kjak ,a; yso aod ,gkj jg; kjdt sld ja.d kjg; yosm jah nfk ;smd ,jak kjdod ial sfk skjdo ,dod app tsfo ,jdl f;d ,soh js, ;agh daij ;jd ,jgij kjdgo kgmd ,gpp ,at ansfk malt kjdl kjdm ,sfph ,ogkd pgvd kjd;d jdo pslu mavd kjglu ;dd jgm k,s ja; pssv msod hat isfph ismd hgh ms;k vls, ygo;k d.dot ussh ,jdod


      Dvorak users: Try Colemak
    udt ahi rsc udau ,ae .so aot ,nud dne udtr sht dakt udne .osm dai xcu esmt ,dau udtot jah scu sudto ,tot agg rsco ,dth cet ,soi ds, eani tajd edt ,dnjd udtno unmt ,ngg ,ar axscu mahr udth udtm ,scgi ,onut gnbt udtet dto gshy mabt udnhy ett dnm u,s dae gssb msot iar jscgi jsmt ini mseu bhs, .noeu tktor yssi ,dtot

      Dvorak users: Try QWERTY
    yd. abe frg yday ,ao urp ap. ,cyd dco yd.f rb. dak. ydco uprm dae xgy orm. ,day yd.p. jab rgy ryd.p ,.p. ann frgp ,d.b go. ,rpe dr, oace .ajd od. ,dcjd yd.cp ycm. ,cnn ,af axrgy mabf yd.b yd.m ,rgne ,pcy. nct. yd.o. d.p nrbi mat. ydcbi o.. dcm y,r dao nrrt mrp. eaf jrgne jrm. ece mroy tbr, ucpoy .k.pf irre ,d.p.

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    • Registered: 08-Mar-2008
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    I've found that typing gibberish is slow. When learning to type, I learn by words (or at least common digraphs). That gibberish slows me down, because I have to think about each letter individually instead of doing it all in one motion. Still, I can see the potential benefit to your idea.

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    • Registered: 22-Aug-2008
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    I know typing gibberish is slow, but it's way faster than typing with a new layout, and you won't lose your speed and accuracy (at least not nearly as much) as you do when learning different layouts just to find out if you like them. People should be told to pay attention to how comfortable the required finger movements are, not how fast they can type gibberish. Using this method I can easily see how ridiculous QWERTY is compared to Colemak. Now we have to find some QWERTY users to try Colemak using this method and see what they will say. It may help persuade more people to switch.

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