Genkeyboard

Generates keyboard layouts for various languages targetting a variety of input backends.

Solves what problem?

If you have multiple programs that can handle custom keyboard layouts, genkeyboard will be able to generate the same keyboard layout in many different formats for these programs.

Genkeyboard can also be used to help make writing your keyboard layout easier by using tools in the rust programming language rather than writing everything by hand.

What does that mean?

Genkeyboard fundamentally does two things:

1. Generate a mapping from a sequence of input letters to an output string
   • ie: generate an input method for a language
2. Take this mapping and output it in the format of a common keyboard layout config
   • ie: save the input method as a config for your favourite keyboard layout program
   • OR: save it as a list for reference
   • OR: save it as a diagram for visual reference

Example

The following example generates a greek polytonic keyboard layout that works with emacs.

genkeyboard generate --layout greek --format emacs-quail

Usage

Each of the following subheaders is a subcommand in genkeyboard, alternatively try genkeyboard --help for more information.

generate

Generates a keyboard layout in the specified format and prints it to the console (or saves it to a file)

Arguments

Go in the format: generate <OPTIONAL> <REQUIRED>

REQUIRED

--layout <LAYOUT>
--format <FORMAT>

OPTIONAL

-o / --output-file <PATH>
--subgraph <SUBGRAPH NAME> 

automaton

The automaton can be used to test a keyboard layout

Arguments

Go in the format: automaton <OPTIONAL> <REQUIRED> <SUBCOMMAND>

REQUIRED

--layout <LAYOUT>

OPTIONAL

--subgraph <SUBGRAPH NAME>

SUBCOMMAND

repl - run an interactive automaton that takes in input strings and returns mappings
test - test one string on the automaton
codegen - output the automaton DFA as a javascript array

list-subgraphs

Lists all the available sections in a keyboard layout.

Arguments

REQUIRED

--layout <LAYOUT>

Note

• The names of sections can be used as arguments to generate and automaton commands.
• Isolating subgraphs is useful for debugging or trying only certain parts of the keyboard layout at a time.
• Use --subgraph in combination with generate --format graph-viz to see a diagram of one section of the keyboard alone.

list-layouts

Lists the available keyboard layouts that can be generated by the program.

Currently supported layouts

• greek: Polytonic greek, phonetic layout.
• latin: Adds macrons and breve marks.

list-formats

List the available output formats that can be generate by the program

Currently supported formats

• list: A human-readable mapping
• emacs-quail: An emacs-compatible keyboard layout
• vim-fn: A vim function which toggles the keyboard layout
• graph-viz: Export to Graphviz definitions to preview the layout visually

Extending Genkeyboard layouts and formats

This is by no means comprehensive and is only intended to give some intuition to those who are interested.

Adding a new layouts

• see src/kbdlayout/latin.rs for an example.

in general...

• Start in src/kbdlayout/<MYLAYOUT>.rs
• Make a function which takes in a keyboard: &mut KbdWriter
• Set the metadata of your new keyboard layout
• Create various mapping sections called KbdMaps and write these sections to keyboard

making it accessible by command line args

• Add a new enum entry <MYLAYOUT> to the Layout enum in src/kbdlayout/mod.rs
• In src/main.rs make the match statement on args.layout call your new layout function.

Adding a new format

• see src/kbdwriter/list.rs for an example.

in general...

• Start in src/kbdwriter/<MYFORMAT>.rs
• Create a new struct with a RefCell to a KbdWriter
• Implement Display for the struct and use the KbdWriter
  • Print the metadata in a suitable way for your format
  • Print each mapping section in a suitable way for your format

making it accessible by command line args

• Add a new enum entry <MYFORMAT> to the Format enum in src/kbdwriter/mod.rs
• In src/main.rs make the match statement on args.format format with your new struct.

License

• GPL 3.0 or later
• See LICENSE