medhA keyboard-layout is a small program which maps Devanagari letters to your conventional keyboard to make you able to write Sanskrit, Hindi, etc. in Devanagari script.
I developed it with MSKLC (Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator). DevanAgarI letters are kept according to sound. That means Sanskrit letter similar to an English letter in sound is mapped on the same key. As for example, ‘?’ is kept with ‘a’,’ ?’ with ‘b’, and so on. Again ‘?’ and ‘?’ both are similar to‘d’ in sound, so they are kept on the same key. So is the case with ‘?’, ‘?’, and ‘b’; ‘?’, ‘?’, and ‘k’; and so on. Even after completion of this process I had letters left in my bag. So, I kept them elsewhere according to frequency of use. When two letters were kept on same key, even then, frequently used or more similar one was kept directly and less used or less similar letter was kept back. Thanks to Sanskrit for not having distinction of small and capital letters.
Keeping letters according to sound is the key to make the keyboard easy to use. How? Here is the answer. Even after mapping Devanagari characters to keyboard, the main problem is that we do not see them on keys and this makes their use difficult. So, we have to remember their position. And this is a big problem, if we have no clue of mapping style. Mapping according to sound makes the way easy. Those, who use Sanskrit and English both, are familiar with sounds of both languages. So, after knowing the method adapted during mapping, it’s not difficult for them to remember the position of letters. Again, for help I have kept pictures of keyboard mapped with letters. One picture shows letters which can be used directly and the other one shows those which need switching with ‘shift’ key.
In English keyboard capital and small letters of English are put on the same key. To use them, we have to switch between them, either with ‘shift’ key or ‘caps lock’ key. So we do with Sanskrit letters kept on the same key. One can be used directly and to use the other you have to switch in the same way.
COMPATIBILITY
This version is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and Windows 10.
SOFTWARE-FORMAT AND DOWNLOADING
This keyboard is compressed in .iso format and kept on my Google-group(which is dead now). So, when you press the link to download it, you will reach another page and after you confirm to continue, you will be able to download. If it fails, or opens a page with unorganized text, then go back, right click and ‘save the linked content’. (This is not relevent now as the software is in .exe format. And the Downlad Link is below this post.)
HOW TO INSTALL ?
You can extract .iso file with WinRAR, Power Iso, 7z, etc. Double click ‘setup.exe’ from extracted folder and wait for confirmation of successful installation. Install any Unicode font if you do not have, as ‘sanskrit2003’. (This has changed. A double click on .exe file installs keyboard for you. Easier than before !!)
ACTIVATING AND USING KEYBOARD
In ‘Vista’,
Open MS Office or any such software. Press ‘left shift key’ and ‘left alt key’ together. Now, type in devanAgarI.
In XP,
You have to activate Unicode-support first.
- Go to ‘Control Panel’ > ‘Date,Time, Language, and Regional Options’ .
- Click on ‘language’ tab.
- Check ‘install files for complex script and right to left languages’.
- Press ‘Details’ button.
- ‘Add’ keyboard or languages, choose Hindi or Sanskrit or any language which can be written in DevanAgarI.
- Then from ‘layout’, choose ‘Sanskrit2003’.
- Then OK.
- Check that English or your desired keyboard is default.
- There in ‘preferences’ press ‘language bar’ button.
- Choose your desired options.
Come out and start using keyboard in the same way as ‘Vista’. You will need to change font to ‘desired Unicode font’ in ‘notepad’, ‘word’.
You may check above steps with snaps here and here.
For more help or improvements you are welcome to leave comments.
Older links removed.
Download Newer Version of medhA HERE.
