let's design the programmer's numpad (lemmy.world)

submitted 11 months ago by LordShrek@lemmy.world to c/programming@lemmy.ml

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i'm going to design and build a "programmer's numpad", because I'm sick of awkward hand movements for writing brackets with numbers and commas and spaces etc. here's the first draft. make your modifications here: http://www.keyboard-layout-editor.com/#/ i'm thinking of adding another column, putting something between the numbers and the plus/minus.

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[-] Cybermass@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I feel like it's too tall, the ergonomic are off. Any alternative versions?

Edit: to add onto this if there's space for a small shift key that would probably be a good addition

[-] psud@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Pinkie on the shift, hit the square bracket with your thumb

Right shift is nearby if you prefer hand stretches over using both hands

[-] Celivalg@iusearchlinux.fyi 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I would remove the numlock and put it out of the way, you don't need that key when typing and it takes up a spot where something more important could be like &, $, !, ?, #, ~ > < % ^

[-] LordShrek@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

agreed. i kind of neglected those characters initially but will add them now

[-] huginn@feddit.it 3 points 11 months ago

My modifier layer for my left hand is:

{ } ( ) %
& | : ; $
< > [ ] #

[-] janWilejan@kbin.social 2 points 11 months ago

give it hexadecimal input. something like https://ipv6buddy.com/

[-] LordShrek@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

aahh, now that would be interesting. i've always liked that all the letters of hex happen to be on lefthand side of keyboard anyway. instead of adding new keys i think i'd rather have A-F be shift of 0-5

[-] Hello_there@kbin.social 2 points 11 months ago

Where's the copy and paste key?
You're a programmer, be efficient!
Why press two buttons when one button do trick?

[-] Voli@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago

Macro it boiii

[-] LordShrek@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

fair point. recall that this is the first draft. i'll post the second draft today.

[-] socialpankakemix@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

I would put the zero in the middle and have the period and comma on either side.

[-] LordShrek@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

here's the markup:

[{a:7},"`\n~",{a:4},"(\n",")","\\\n|"],
[{a:7},",",{a:4},"[\n{","]\n}","="],
["Num Lock","/","*","-",{x:0.25,f:4,w:14,h:5,d:true},""],
[{f:3},"7\nHome","8\n↑","9\nPgUp",{h:2},"+"],
["4\n←","5","6\n→"],
["1\nEnd","2\n↓","3\nPgDn",{h:2},"Enter"],
["0\nIns",",",".\nDel"],
[{w:2},"Space", ";\n:"]

[-] heals@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago

My one concern with this idea is that it requires a lot of wrist/arm movement away from the home row and main area of the keyboard.

You have all of the major programming symbols on here - which is great - but also implies that you'd remove your right hand from it's main position in the right half of the keyboard to reach to the number pad, then move back, find the home row, keep typing, repeat, etc.

That feels a lot more clunky and unnecessary than pressing alt-gr/shift/option+key on most regular layouts IMO.

(This isn't meant to be a harsh criticism, I love the idea to make a more useful numerpad but given where a number pad is located it doesn't feel like it would help typing efficiency for coding at all)

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