Here is version 1.7 (Windows) of my Unicode keyboard “French AZERTY.” The Mac version is available here.

This keyboard extends the classical French AZERTY keyboard with numerous diacritics and symbols, which is useful for other latin-based languages (such as German, Polish, Hungarian, Esperanto…), typography, phonetics, and translitteration (including Indo-European and Semitic languages).

Installation

1. Click on the following link to download the keyboard: Clavier français AZERTY Windows
2. Open the downloaded archive, run “setup” and wait during installation.
3. A message lets you know that the keyboard has been installed. Restart your computer.

Usage

1. In your word processor, place the cursor where you want to input text with this keyboard.
2. Click on the taskbar keyboard icon. It should be at the right of the “FR” siglum:
3. Click on the keyboard named “Français AZERTY”
4. You can now input text using this keyboard.
5. Once you’re done using this keyboard, click on the taskbar icon again and choose the “French” keyboard.

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 ALTGR+é (ex: “ALTGR+é i” → ĩ)
• crochet : touche ALTGR+è (ex: “ALTGR+è i” → ỉ)
• caron : touche ALTGR+^ (ex: “ALTGR+^ i” → ǐ)
• rond : touche ALTGR+MAJ+* (ex: “ALTGR+MAJ+* a” → å)
• point : touche ALTGR+MAJ+; (ex: “ALTGR+MAJ+; t” → ṫ)
• double aigu : touche ALTGR+MAJ+é (ex: “ALTGR+MAJ+é u” → ű)

Diacritics below

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

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.

Other dead keys

• lettres barrées : touche ALTGR+b (ex: “ALT+b o” → ø)
• petites majuscules : touche ALTGR+MAJ+m (ex: “ALTGR+MAJ+m t” → ᴛ)
• lettres gothiques : touche ALTGR+g (ex: “ALTGR+g MAJ+c” → ℭ) [remarque : d’autres lettres gothiques sont disponibles dans le système Unicode mais ne peuvent être intégrées au clavier]
• indices : touche ALTGR+n (ex: “ALTGR+n 1” → ₁)
• exposants : touche ALTGR+MAJ+n (ex: “ALTGR+n 1” → ¹)

Phonetics

• demi-anneau à droite (aleph) : touche ² (→ ʾ)
• demi-anneau à gauche (ayin) : touche MAJ+² (→ ʿ)
• coup de glotte : touche ALTGR+² (→ ʔ)
• coup de glotte réfléchi : touche ALTGR+MAJ+² (→ ʕ)
• epsilon latin (≠ grec) : touche ALTGR+& (→ ɛ) [pour la majuscule, combiner avec la touche MAJ]
• æ : touche ALTGR+a [idem]
• ej : touche ALTGR+z (→ ʒ) [idem]
• shwa : touche ALTGR+e (→ ə) [idem]
• thorn : touche ALTGR+t (→ þ) [idem]
• yogh : touche ALTGR+y (→ ȝ) [idem]
• œ : touche ALTGR+i [idem]
• o ouvert : touche ALTGR+o (→ ɔ) [idem]
• esh : touche ALTGR+s (→ ʃ) [idem]
• ed : touche ALTGR+d (→ ð) [idem]
• gamma latin (≠ grec) : touche ALTGR+g (→ ɣ) [idem]
• h barré : touche ALTGR+h (→ ħ) [idem]
• eszett : touche ALTGR+b (→ ß) [idem ; notez que c’est aussi une touche morte, il faut donc appuyer sur espace pour avoir le eszett]
• l sanglé : touche ALTGR+l (→ ɬ)
• j sans point : touche ALTGR+j (→ ȷ)
• i sans point : touche ALTGR+k (→ ı)

Symbols and punctuation

• Diamètre (≈ ensemble vide minuscule) : touche ALTGR+q (→ ⌀)
• Ensemble vide (≈ diamètre majuscule) : touche ALTGR+MAJ+q (→ ∅)
• Multiplication : touche ALTGR+MAJ+$ (→ ×)
• Racine : touche ALTGR+MAJ+ù (→ √)
• Tiret insécable : touche ALTGR+MAJ+_ (→ ‑)
• Point de coupure de mot : touche ALTGR+! (→ ‧)
• Environ égal : touche ALTGR+x (→ ≈)
• Différent de : touche ALTGR+MAJ+= (→ ≠)
• Prime : touche ALTGR+MAJ+' (→ ′)
• Seconde : touche ALTGR+MAJ+" (→ ″)
• Crochet ouvert gauche : touche ALTGR+< (→ 〈)
• Crochet ouvert droit : touche ALTGR+MAJ+< (→ 〉)
• Demi-crochet haut gauche : touche ALTGR+MAJ+( (→ ⸢)
• Demi-crochet haut droit : touche ALTGR+MAJ+) (→ ⸣)
• Demi-crochet bas gauche : touche ALTGR+MAJ+- (→ ⸤)
• Demi-crochet bas droit : touche ALTGR+MAJ+è (→ ⸥)
• Cercle en pointillé : touche ALTGR+MAJ+à (→ ◌)
• Point d’exclamation inversé : touche ALTGR+! (→ ¡)
• Barre verticale : touche ALTGR+MAJ+l (→ |)
• Barres parallèles : touche ALTGR+MAJ+x (→ ∥)
• Version samaritaine : touche ALTGR+G $ (→ ⅏)
• Espace ponctuation : touche MAJ+espace
• Espace insécable : touche ALTGR+espace
• Espace sans chasse : touche ALTGR+MAJ+espace
• Point de conduite simple : touche ALTGR+p

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