Tamilnadu Government Recommendations On Use Of Tamil Typerwriter Keyboard

 

Recommendations on use of Tamil Typewriter Keyboard:

The Government of Tamil Nadu in their letter No. 1039/MIE.2/99-1 dated 24.01.2000 have issued the following recommendations regarding the use of Tamil Typewriter Keyboard configuration in computers:

The present layout and sequencing of mechanical typewriter (Remington) Keyboard is to be maintained excepting the replacement of the sign "" with the sign "ý " so as to make the letter "ý " available for typing and to ensure an easy transition to the existing users. The recommended standard typewriter keyboard layout is at Annexure-I. Its key sequence is at Annexure-II.

It has been found that all the developers have been consistent in placing most of the keys in the identical position. The placings differ only in very few positions, mainly the positions, which are made vacant due to Tamil script reform. Specifying the characters for these positions also will bring in uniformity. In the Conventional typewriter keyboard, many of the punctuation marks which are Found in the computer keyboard are missing. Providing all these punctuation Marks also in the typewriter keyboard layout has been felt to be very useful to The conventional typist. It is possible to provide for these symbols, as an optional feature, without affecting the normal typing sequence. This can be achieved by providing the letter Capital A as the escape sequence. Since no Tamil letter is positioned in A, this is independent of the working of the Standard typewriter keyboard.

Accordingly, an extended typewriter keyboard layout using capital A as escape Key is at Annexure-III. The key sequence for the proposed extended keyboard Layout is at Annexure-IV.