# A Unicode keyboard?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252>\
**Category:** Offtopic\
**Created:** [December 4, 2020, 1:45pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252 "2020-12-04T13:45:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![johnh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/johnh/32/3615_2.png) [@johnh](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/johnh)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 1:45pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252/1 "2020-12-04T13:45:54Z")

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Many years ago I used Latex extensively and so had the ‘muscle memory’ for \ character sequences.  
I am using Julia this afternoon and I can see how the muscle memory for \ pm TAB and characters like this can be attained.  
However I had an idle though - in old times there were APL keyboards with the funny symbols for that language. I guess a Unicode keyboard would be enormous and there are different ranks (\*) of Unicode.  
Is there a utility which maybe present an on-screen panel of characters to choose from using a mouse?

A search reveals this keyboard. I now must have one…

> **[Unicode keyboard](http://www.photologic.ca/unicode_keyboard.htm)**
>
> This is a real physical Unicode keyboard that works beside your normal keyboard. It provides a large amount of hotkeys to type the Unicode keystroke sequence to your work application.

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**Author:** ![BeastyBlacksmith](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/beastyblacksmith/32/4741_2.png) [@BeastyBlacksmith](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/BeastyBlacksmith)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252/2 "2020-12-04T14:03:11Z")

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Not already available, but you might be interested in [https://www.nemeio.com/](https://www.nemeio.com/)

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**Author:** ![johnh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/johnh/32/3615_2.png) [@johnh](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/johnh)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 2:11pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252/3 "2020-12-04T14:11:00Z")

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@BeastyBlacksmith Oooooh… that looks a good idea (it is a large e-ink screen with keys on top)  
However 200 Euros buys a 40% discount. So this thing could cost 500 Euros? That seems very high.

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**Author:** ![Tamas\_Papp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/tamas_papp/32/25949_2.png) [@Tamas\_Papp](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Tamas_Papp)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252/4 "2020-12-04T14:46:40Z")

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I routinely use about 100–150 Unicode symbols (in addition to ASCII), mostly Greek letters and math operators. I find it much simpler to remember the `\` sequence since I already use it for LaTeX, and just set up Emacs to complete/replace these. I don’t think I would be touch-typing if I had to remember where eg \varphi is — instead, I would spend 5 minutes finding it on the keyboard.

I even replaced my Android launcher with

[https://github.com/fAndreuzzi/TUI-ConsoleLauncher](https://github.com/fAndreuzzi/TUI-ConsoleLauncher)

so I can just type app names.

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**Author:** ![stephenll](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stephenll/32/28751_2.png) [@stephenll](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stephenll)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 3:41pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252/5 "2020-12-04T15:41:11Z")

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Another option could be using the Elgato Stream Deck. [https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/stream-deck-xl](https://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/stream-deck-xl)

You are not limited to only have 15 or 32 buttons, but can easily create pages of buttons.

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**Author:** ![klaff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/klaff/32/7637_2.png) [@klaff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/klaff)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 4:03pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252/6 "2020-12-04T16:03:33Z")

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In a similar vein I would like to be able to to` \alpha<tab>` across Windows applications because I keep going to the REPL or Pluto to type `μm` or similar and then copy/paste back to Teams, Outlook, etc.

I didn’t find exactly what I wanted but I did add a Greek keyboard which can be switched in and out by `<left-shift><alt>` key combo or an icon on the taskbar. It doesn’t get me the math operators or set stuff though.

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**Author:** ![rafael.guerra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/rafael.guerra/32/216610_2.png) [@rafael.guerra](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/rafael.guerra)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 5:35pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/a-unicode-keyboard/51252/7 "2020-12-04T17:35:12Z")

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In Windows 10, by pressing **Windows key** + semicolon ( **;** ) or period ( **.** ) a small window pops up that allows selecting and entering Greek letters and other symbols directly into the application in focus (REPL or other).