InScript Typing
Encyclopedia
InScript is the standard keyboard for Indian script
s. It is a touch typing
keyboard layout
for computer. This keyboard layout is standardized by Government of India
for inputting Indic
text. It was developed by C-DAC, an India based software company. This is the standard keyboard for 12 Indian scripts including Devanagari
, Bengali
, Gujarati
, Gurmukhi, Kannada
, Malayalam
, Oriya
, Tamil
and Telugu
etc.
InScript keyboard is inbuilt in most of the major operating system
s including Windows (2000
, XP
, Vista
), Linux
and Mac OS
. It is also available in some mobile phone
s. It is available in Windows Mobile
5.x and 6.0, 6.1 via Eyron's Hindi Support.
InScript has common layout for all the Indian scripts. Most Indic scripts
are derived from Brahmi
, therefore their alphabetic order is the same. On the basis of this property InScript keyboard layout scheme was developed. A person who knows InScript typing in one script can type in any other Indic script using dictation even without knowledge of that script.
extended keys as well as to add certain matras which were felt to be lacking. The last revision to the BIS document was made in 1992, after which the document has not undergone any revision. This was partly because very few new characters were added to the ISCII
code-set and these if at all were handled by extending and generating out the character by the use of the nukta. The BIS document specifically mentions such characters. Hence the InScript keyboards were felt to be self-sufficient. With the advent of Unicode
, a few new characters were added to each code-page; characters for which the BIS document had not made any provision. In addition Unicode introduced the concept of ZWJ and ZWNJ, as well as that of normalization.
These new features had marked repercussions on storage as well as inputting and an urgent need was felt for a revision whereby each new character introduced in Unicode would be accommodated on the keyboard and a uniform manner of entering data as well as storing data would be devised. With this urgent requirement in mind, CDAC
GIST involved in the initiative all major players: IBM
, Microsoft
and RedHat Linux and hence in 2008, a joint meeting was organized between CDAC GIST and senior representatives of these multi-nationals to devise a common and uniform strategy for inputting and equally important for storage. This would enable the creation of one single keyboard and more importantly one single storage, essential for all high-end NLP
. A task-force was created with two major briefs:
Writing system
A writing system is a symbolic system used to represent elements or statements expressible in language.-General properties:Writing systems are distinguished from other possible symbolic communication systems in that the reader must usually understand something of the associated spoken language to...
s. It is a touch typing
Touch typing
Touch typing is typing without using the sense of sight to find the keys. Specifically, a touch typist will know their location on the keyboard through muscle memory. Touch typing typically involves placing the eight fingers in a horizontal row along the middle of the keyboard and having them...
keyboard layout
Keyboard layout
A keyboard layout is any specific mechanical, visual, or functional arrangement of the keys, legends, or key–meaning associations of a computer, typewriter, or other typographic keyboard....
for computer. This keyboard layout is standardized by Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
for inputting Indic
Indic
Indic can refer to:* Indo-Aryan languages* Indic scripts* Related to the Indian Subcontinent* of or related to India ; see Indica...
text. It was developed by C-DAC, an India based software company. This is the standard keyboard for 12 Indian scripts including Devanagari
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
, Bengali
Bengali script
The Bengali alphabet is the writing system for the Bengali language. The script with variations is used for Assamese and is basis for Meitei, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Kokborok, Garo and Mundari alphabets. All these languages are spoken in the eastern region of South Asia. Historically, the script has...
, Gujarati
Gujarati script
The Gujarati script , which like all Nāgarī writing systems is strictly speaking an abugida rather than an alphabet, is used to write the Gujarati and Kutchi languages...
, Gurmukhi, Kannada
Kannada script
The Kannada script is an alphasyllabary of the Brahmic family, used primarily to write the Kannada language, one of the Dravidian languages of southern India and also Sanskrit in the past. The Telugu script is derived from Old Kannada, and resembles Kannada script...
, Malayalam
Malayalam script
The Malayalam script is a Brahmic script used commonly to write the Malayalam language—which is the principal language of the Indian state of Kerala, spoken by 36 million people in the world. Like many other Indic scripts, it is an abugida, or a writing system that is partially “alphabetic” and...
, Oriya
Oriya script
The Oriya script or Utkala Lipi or Utkalakshara is used to write the Oriya language, and can be used for several other Indian languages, for example, Sanskrit.- History :...
, Tamil
Tamil script
The Tamil script is a script that is used to write the Tamil language as well as other minority languages such as Badaga, Irulas, and Paniya...
and Telugu
Telugu script
Telugu script, an abugida from the Brahmic family of scripts, is used to write the Telugu language, a language found in the South-Central Indian state of Andhra Pradesh as well as several other neighboring states. The Telugu script is derived from the Bhattiprolu script...
etc.
InScript keyboard is inbuilt in most of the major operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s including Windows (2000
Windows 2000
Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, business desktops, laptops, and servers. Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing on 15 December 1999 and launched to retail on 17 February 2000. It is the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the...
, XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
), Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
and Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
. It is also available in some mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s. It is available in Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
5.x and 6.0, 6.1 via Eyron's Hindi Support.
Keyboard layout
Brahmic family of scripts
The Brahmic or Indic scripts are a family of abugida writing systems. They are used throughout South Asia , Southeast Asia, and parts of Central and East Asia, and are descended from the Brāhmī script of the ancient Indian subcontinent...
are derived from Brahmi
Brāhmī script
Brāhmī is the modern name given to the oldest members of the Brahmic family of scripts. The best-known Brāhmī inscriptions are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka in north-central India, dated to the 3rd century BCE. These are traditionally considered to be early known examples of Brāhmī writing...
, therefore their alphabetic order is the same. On the basis of this property InScript keyboard layout scheme was developed. A person who knows InScript typing in one script can type in any other Indic script using dictation even without knowledge of that script.
History
The first InScript keyboard was standardized in 1986 under the auspices of the DOE (Department of Electronics at the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology). It was subsequently revised in 1988 by a DOE committee and modifications were made to accommodate nuktaNukta
Nukta is a generic term for the diacritic mark in several Brahmic scripts, like Devanagari that is used to represent sounds from other languages by being applied to an existing character. The word nukta, originates from the Arabic word nuqta ....
extended keys as well as to add certain matras which were felt to be lacking. The last revision to the BIS document was made in 1992, after which the document has not undergone any revision. This was partly because very few new characters were added to the ISCII
ISCII
Indian Standard Code for Information Interchange is a coding scheme for representing various writing systems of India. It encodes the main Indic scripts and a Roman transliteration. The supported scripts are: Assamese, Bengali , Devanagari, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya , Tamil,...
code-set and these if at all were handled by extending and generating out the character by the use of the nukta. The BIS document specifically mentions such characters. Hence the InScript keyboards were felt to be self-sufficient. With the advent of Unicode
Unicode
Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
, a few new characters were added to each code-page; characters for which the BIS document had not made any provision. In addition Unicode introduced the concept of ZWJ and ZWNJ, as well as that of normalization.
These new features had marked repercussions on storage as well as inputting and an urgent need was felt for a revision whereby each new character introduced in Unicode would be accommodated on the keyboard and a uniform manner of entering data as well as storing data would be devised. With this urgent requirement in mind, CDAC
CDAC
CDAC may refer to:*Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada*Canadian American Railroad*Centre for Development of Advanced Computing* Chinese Development Assistance Council, a self-help and non-profit organization set up by the Chinese community in Singapore to help the lower-income group and...
GIST involved in the initiative all major players: IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and RedHat Linux and hence in 2008, a joint meeting was organized between CDAC GIST and senior representatives of these multi-nationals to devise a common and uniform strategy for inputting and equally important for storage. This would enable the creation of one single keyboard and more importantly one single storage, essential for all high-end NLP
NLP
- Artificial intelligence :* Natural language processing, a field of computer science and linguistics concerned with the interactions between computers and human languages- Medicine and biology :...
. A task-force was created with two major briefs:
- Evolve a design policy which would retain the major features of the existing Inscript keyboard.
- Accommodate on the keyboard every character proposed in Unicode 5.1 and also ensure that the design could accommodate all future additions. This resulted in a document by thejoint deliberations of all these companies described as proposal for “Enhanced InScript keyboard layout 5.1”.
External links
- InScript Keyboard Overlay
- InScript Keyboard Original Layout (PDF)
- TVS Devanagari Bilingual keyboards with details of keyboard layout, installation instructions for Windows/Linux, shops and online purchase
- TVS Devanagari Bilingual keyboards, company website
- Typing Devanagari text using Hindi Traditional keyboard
- Sparsh: Inscript Hindi typing tutor by Balendu Sharma Dadhich
- Aasaan Hindi Typing Tutor - A Hindi InScript Interactive Tutor Mirror
- Balendu Sharma Dadhich on Why Hindi users must adopt Inscript
- Uninagari - An online Hindi InScript typewriter
- TouchNagari - An online InScript Hindi keyboard for touchscreen devices
- Hindi article on Sarvagya wiki about InScript
- Telugu Typing in Inscript layout
- Clip fontClip fontClip fonts or split fonts are outline fonts that assign glyphs representing partial characters of the Indian scripts, especially Devanagari, at code positions intended for characters of the Latin script. Clip fonts are also a technique in use in India to produce complex glyphs for which no...