let's design the programmer's numpad

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.

19 comments

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
- Pinkie on the shift, hit the square bracket with your thumb
  Right shift is nearby if you prefer hand stretches over using both hands

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 &, $, !, ?, #, ~ > < % ^
- agreed. i kind of neglected those characters initially but will add them now

My modifier layer for my left hand is:
undefined

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

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

Where's the copy and paste key?
You're a programmer, be efficient!
Why press two buttons when one button do trick?
- fair point. recall that this is the first draft. i'll post the second draft today.
- Macro it boiii

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

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)

here's the markup:

 undefined

    
[{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:"]

19 comments