AutoHotkey Community

jonny · Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2952 Location: Minnesota

One-handed typing as a theory has been floating around for a long time. In fact, the first prototypes of the mouse were tested while using a one-handed keyboard, which usually mirrors both sides onto one. For more information on one-handed typing and the Half-qwerty layout I used for this, visit this link. There are already programs that do this, but I have yet to find a free one. Of course, if you really like this, you might consider a half-qwerty keyboard, a true half-keyboard, or a more exotic (and more proprietary) Frogpad.

What this script does is it remaps the spacebar to be a modifier. When space is held, the keyboard is inverted, with the line of symmetry between g and h. Thus, e would become i, b would become n, p would become q, and so on. If the spacebar is depressed and released without pressing any other keys, a single space is sent. Modifier keys such as shift or control can be used in conjuction with Half-qwerty.

Chris · Site Admin Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 10667

Looks great. Might be especially useful for players of flight sims who want to type messages without crashing the plane Smile

cr33p · Joined: 21 Oct 2004 Posts: 5 Location: Fort Bragg, NC

Xlnt! I've been looking for a one-handed keyboard for some time - gotta prep the one-handed typing for when our next son arrives in January, so's I can still chat and hold the baby at the same time, heh.

Awesome to see this accomplished in AHK :] Now, where to turn for tutorials and drills on how to actually learn how to type faster than two words a minute ...

Incidentally, how difficult would it be to remap this setup to use only the number pad, as seen here: http://www.fourtytwo.de/one-hand/one-hand.html - cause that's just pretty sexy.

jonny · Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2952 Location: Minnesota

I actually have heard of this before, but it didn't come to my mind as I was making this because I have a laptop. The numpad is almost impossible to use since it takes up half of the keyboard if it's activated. However, I do have a spare keyboard I can plug in if I need, which I do quite often. I'll see if I can whip something up. (As soon as I figure the logistics out. The page is somewhat confusing)

Guest · Posted: Wed Nov 17, 2004 6:27 am Post subject:

jonny · Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2952 Location: Minnesota

Thank you VERY much, guest. Heh. That system was confusing to say the least, and it's three-letter combos and quoting were driving me crazy. The script should be up sometime today. I'll release it first with only the defined combos, then I may add some of my own, to bring it closer to the regular keyboard functionality. (One area that old numpad method didn't lack in)

Watcher · Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 60

I am typing this one handed as we speak, I find it strange that I already seem to know the fingering.

I am going to try to use this exclusively for a while and give it an honest try, thanks for writing it!

Watcher · Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 60

I'm working on this part of your code:

Watcher · Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 60

Unless there is a way to determine how long the space has been pressed that I have yet too find, I would say this is about all I can do with this script. I have had, and am still having a blast with it. Yea, I'm easily entertained. Shocked

Here is the final version of the script.

jonny · Joined: 13 Nov 2004 Posts: 2952 Location: Minnesota

Thanks for sharing, Watcher! I'll give it a go.

vorchatwo · Guest

Why not just open your Keymap prog in:
start/programs/accessories/system tools
Then just double-click the text you want and hit the copy button.
It will copy it to the clipboard where you can paste it anywhere, in some instances it will put it directly into a prog (I think) such as Word.
Now if someone would write a program similar to Keymap but also include a clickable spot for us to customize. I.e. have 10 or so "letters" that can be customized to put out an entire word (like yes, no, the, etc), that would rock. Then all you would need to do is to click the letter or custom letter, hit copy, and paste it into what ever you want. Heck, a good programmer might be able to make the letters/strings show up (as it MIGHT with Word) in other programs like ICQ, AOL IM, etc.
If I knew how to write a font file it would be easy to just have your own font file (which is what the keymap prog works off from, i believe) and get rid of the keys you dont need. You just would have the customizable "letters" to use.
thats all, c-ya's

P.S. Check out the mouse stroke program called StrokeIt, it helps alot.

Watcher · Joined: 27 Dec 2004 Posts: 60

Assistive Tech · Guest

I was wondering if you could insert a onscreen keyboard that reflects the key-layout while the spacebar was pressed?

i.e. http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/scripts/KeyboardOnScreen.htm

Thanks,

Assistive Tech

Chris · Site Admin Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 10667

Do you mean show the on-screen keyboard while spacebar is pressed and hide it when space bar is released?

If you add the following two lines near the bottom of the script, that is close to a complete solution (the window appears upon startup but goes away the first time you release the space bar):

~space::Gui, Show
~space up::Gui, Hide

As a possibly better alternative, you could make Win+Space a hotkey to hide/show the keyboard by adding the following line right above K_ShowHide:
#Space::
k_ShowHide: ; << This line is already present.
(but you should remove the ~space hotkeys if you use the above method)

Assistive Tech · Guest

No. Actually reverse. So the keyboard keys switch position. i.e. F switches to J and G to H.

Assistive Tech