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Unicode Diacritics System Keyboard

Windows System Keyboard for Unicode Diacritic Fonts

Contributor(s): Than Grove

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This dynamic link library (.dll) provides a system-wide keyboard for entering diacritics. It works only in Windows 2000 and above. Because keyboards are associated with specific languages in Windows and Tibetan is not yet one of the available options, the keyboard replaces the Icelandic system keyboard. This download contains all the instructions necessary for installing and using the keyboard, the necessary files for installation, and a backup of the Icelandic system keyboard. By installing this keyboard, one will be able to enter diacritics in most, if not all, software run on that machine. Some minor conflicts occur with software shortcut keys, which are rectified through a few simple steps. The entry method follows the paradigm of simultaneously pressing the Ctrl and Alt keys along with the diacritic key and then pressing the letter that is the base of the diacritic. The diacritic keys are assign in mnemonic way for easy memorization. For example, Ctrl+Alt+m will place a macron over the next letter typed, such as 'a'. By choosing this keyboard, as the user's default keyboard, one is able to effortlessly enter diacritics in all Unicode-capable programs on that machine. The user will need to have selected a Unicode font, such as Arial Unicode MS, that contains the following character sets: Basic Latin, Latin 1-Supplement, Latin Extended A, and Latin Extended Additional. The range of available diacritics is listed on the THL's Unicode Diacritics Chart, as well as in the keyboard's documentation. Since Arial Unicode MS is no longer available for free download, another alternative is the Gentium Font distributed by SIL.

Unicode Diacritics Keyboard For Windows 2000+

(If you have not downloaded the installation .zip file, this must first be downloaded here.)

This zip file contains everything you need to install and activate a Unicode diacritics keyboard. The zip contains the following files:

• kbdictib.dll - This is the dll for the new keyboard which makes use of the Icelandic language slot in Windows. Hence, "ic" in the name.
• kbdictib.reg - This is a Registry Entry for the new keyboard. Running it registers the new keyboard with Windows
• stdkbic.reg - This is a Registry Entry that switches the keyboard back to standard English.
• Tib Keyboard Documentation - Is this file.

Installation

This procedure assumes that the user is also the administrator of the system. If this is the not the case, you need to have or get administrative access to the machine on which you want to install this. It works only in Windows 2000 and XP.

Windows 2000

• Unzip all files from the zip.
• In Windows 2000, choose the Start menu choose Settings and then Keyboards.
• Choose the Input Locales tab and click Add.
• Add Icelandic with layout Icelandic. Click OK to both message windows.
• Go to Folder Options and uncheck "Hide System Files" and "Hide Extensions"
• Place the kbdictib.dll in your system32 folder (i.e., C:winntsystem32)
• Double click on the kbdictib.reg file.
• Click "Yes" and "OK"
• Restart your computer.
• In the right lower corner, icon bar, a blue square with 'IS" should appear. If it shows 'EN', click on it and choose Icelandic.

If the computer is on a network and the user is different from the administrator. Steps 1 through 4 should be done under the user's logon, steps 5 through 9 as administrator, and then the user should logon after restarting the computer.

Windows XP

• Unzip all files from the zip.
• Choose Start > Control Panel > Regional and Language Options.
• Choose the "Language" tab > Details > Add.
• Add Icelandic with layout Icelandic. Click OK to both message windows.
• Go to the root directory on your hard-drive (e.g., C:) and open the Windows folder. Click on Show Files.
• Open the System32 folder. A message will appear saying the files in this folder are hidden. Choose Show Content.
• Place the kbdictib.dll in your system32 folder.
• Double click on the kbdictib.reg file. In XP, this file appears without its extension as "kbdictib".
• Click "Yes" and "OK".
• Restart your computer.
• In the right lower corner, icon bar, a blue square with 'IS' should appear. If it shows 'EN', click on it and choose Icelandic.

If the computer is on a network and the user is different from the administrator. Steps 1 through 4 should be done under the user's logon, steps 5 through 10 as administrator, and then the user should logon after restarting the computer.

Note: Because Ctrl+Alt is used for short-cut strokes by many programs, there may be situations where the program overrides the keyboard. In these cases, the program's short-cut keys should be turned off using the options command. Two known instances occur with Microsoft Word, where Ctrl+Alt+m is used for inserting annotations and Ctrl+Alt+. is a shortcut for the ellipsis (…). To resolve these conflicts, choose Tools Menu, and Customize. Click the Keyboard button, and in the resulting window, choose the category Insert and the command Insert Annotation, the current key should be listed as Ctrl+Alt+m. Select this and click Remove. Then, in the same window, choose Common Symbols category and Ellipsis command and delete the Ctrl+Alt+. listing for current keys. The same basic principle applies if other conflicts are found to occur.

Using the Keyboard

Diacritics are now available anywhere within windows. The chart below lays out the keystrokes used to obtain each diacritic mark. These have been assigned using mneumonic stroke, e.g. right Ctrl+Alt+m for macron, right Ctrl+Alt+. for dot below, etc. To view this table properly, one should have a Unicode font (preferably Arial Unicode MS).

Provided for unrestricted use by the Tibetan and Himalayan Library