Here is version 1.1a (Mac) of my Unicode keyboard “French with diacritics.” The Windows version (1.1) is available here.

Installation

1. Click on the following link to download the keyboard: Français diacrité 1.1a Mac.
2. Open the archive and put its files in your Library/Keyboard Layouts folder, and restart your session.
3. In the menus bar, click on apple > System Preferences > International > Input menu, and check “Français diacrité” (I advise you to check “Display Input menu in menu bar” too).

Usage

1. In your word processor (e.g. TextEdit), place the cursor where you want to input text with this keyboard.
2. Click on the menubar language icon, and choose “Français diacrité”
3. Once you’re done using this keyboard, click on the menubar language icon and choose “French.”

Functions

Alphabet

The alphabet and other common characters are located on the same keys as a regular French keyboard.

Diacritics

Diacritics work in the same way as the circumflex accent on the French keyboard: type the accent, then the character that will receive it. Numerous diacritics are available; they are placed in a mnemotechnical way on a French keyboard:

Diacritics above

• circonflexe : touche ^ (ex: “^ i” → î)
• tréma : touche MAJ+^ (ex: “MAJ+^ i” → ï)
• aigu : touche é (ex: “é i” → í)
• grave : touche è (ex: “è i” → ì)
• macron : touche à (ex: “à i” → ī)
• brève : touche ù (ex: “ù i” → ĭ)
• tilde : touche ALT+é (ex: “ALT+é i” → ĩ)
• crochet : touche ALT+è (ex: “ALT+è i” → ỉ)
• caron : touche ALT+^ (ex: “ALT+^ i” → ǐ)
• rond : touche ALT+MAJ+@ (ex: “ALT+MAJ+@ a” → å)
• point : touche ALT+MAJ+; (ex: “ALT+MAJ+; t” → ṫ)

Diacritics below

• cédille : touche ç (ex: “ç t” → ţ)
• circonflexe souscrit : touche ALT+ç (ex: “ALT+ç t” → ṱ)
• brève (lunule) : touche ALT+ù (ex: “ALT+ù h” → ḫ)
• rond : touche ALT+@ (ex: “ALT+@ a” → ḁ)
• virgule : touche ALT+, (ex: “ALT+, t” → ț)
• point : touche ALT+; (ex: “ALT+; t” → ṭ)
• macron : touche ALT+: (ex: “ALT+: t” → ṯ)

Composite Characters

The Unicode system does feature all possible combinations.

Some fonts (notably Charis SIL) overcome this problem by offering smart diacritics positioning even when existing combination is lacking. It suffices to type the letter followed by the desired diacritical mark (pressing the SPACE key to place it below the preceding letter).

I can then add another diacritical mark in the same way.

Such a feature requires the use of a “smart” font such as Charis SIL and a compatible software (which should not be a problem on a recent computer).

Other characters

The keyboard additionally offers numerous characters used for transcriptions, critical editions, and so on.

Phonetics

• demi-anneau à droite (aleph) : touche ` (→ ʾ)
• demi-anneau à gauche (ayin) : touche MAJ+` (→ ʿ)
• coup de glotte : touche ALT+` (→ ʔ)
• coup de glotte réfléchi : touche ALT+MAJ+` (→ ʕ)
• epsilon latin (≠ grec) : touche ALT+& (→ ɛ) [pour la majuscule, combiner avec la touche MAJ]
• æ : touche ALT+a [idem]
• ej : touche ALT+z (→ ʒ) [idem]
• shwa : touche ALT+e (→ ə) [idem]
• thorn : touche ALT+t (→ þ) [idem]
• yogh : touche ALT+y (→ ȝ) [idem]
• œ : touche ALT+i [idem]
• o ouvert : touche ALT+o (→ ɔ) [idem]
• esh : touche ALT+s (→ ʃ) [idem]
• ed : touche ALT+d (→ ð) [idem]
• gamma latin (≠ grec) : touche ALT+g (→ ɣ) [idem]
• h barré : touche ALT+h (→ ħ) [idem]
• l sanglé : touche ALT+l (→ ɬ)
• lej : touche ALT+MAJ+l (→ ɮ)

Subscripts

• chiffres : taper ALT+n puis le chiffre voulu (ex: “ALT+n MAJ+&” → ₁)

Superscripts

• chiffres : taper ALT+MAJ+n puis le chiffre voulu (ex: “ALT+MAJ+n MAJ+&” → ¹)
• coup de glotte : touche ALT+f (→ ˀ)
• coup de glotte réfléchi : touche ALT+MAJ+f (→ ˁ)
• r : touche ALT+r (→ ʳ)
• r culbuté : touche ALT+MAJ+r (→ ʴ)
• j : touche ALT+j (→ ʲ)
• h : touche ALT+k (→ ʰ)
• w : touche ALT+w (→ ʷ)
• y : touche ALT+MAJ+j (→ ʸ)
• h crosse : touche ALT+MAJ+k (→ ʱ)

Symbols

• Diamètre (≈ ensemble vide minuscule) : touche ALT+q (→ ⌀)
• Ensemble vide (≈ diamètre majuscule) : touche ALT+MAJ+q (→ ∅)
• Multiplication : touche ALT+MAJ+$ (→ ×)
• Tiret insécable : touche ALT+à (→ ‑)
• Point de coupure de mot : touche ALT+§ (→ ‧)
• Prime : touche ALT+MAJ+’ (→ ′)
• Seconde : touche ALT+MAJ+” (→ ″)
• Crochet ouvert gauche : touche ALT+< (→ 〈)
• Crochet ouvert droit : touche ALT+MAJ+< (→ 〉)
• Demi-crochet haut gauche : touche ALT+MAJ+§ (→ ⸢)
• Demi-crochet haut droit : touche ALT+MAJ+à (→ ⸣)
• Demi-crochet bas gauche : touche ALT+MAJ+è (→ ⸤)
• Demi-crochet bas droit : touche ALT+MAJ+ç (→ ⸥)
• Cercle en pointillé : touche ALT+MAJ+! (→ ◌)

Changelog

• 1.1a : correction d’un oubli (^ + s = ŝ)
• 1.1 : remplacement des plafonds (2308, 2309) et planchers (230A, 230B) par des demi-crochets (2E22, 2E23, 2E24, 2E25). Peu de polices gratuites contiennent ces caractères, signalons néanmoins Aegean, ou la police shareware Code2000.

If you have any suggestions to improve this keyboard, just let me know!

This entry was posted on Monday, April 6th, 2009 at 23:23 and is filed under Information Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.