Use thumb-shift , not makeshift ! - A better input method for Arabic -

1. Use thumb-shift, not makeshift!- A better input method for Arabic - Nobuki Sugita

2. Arabic writing system • Written from right to left • Distinctive characters • Phonetic alphabet • Consonants are important (vowels can be omitted) وأضافت رايس أنها ملتزمة بالتوصل

3. Arabic input method

4. What’s the problem? • Some characters placed very far • How are consonants placed? Are they easy to type? • Vowel marks packed on the left side • Alif and laam alif ligature takes 8 positions • >>>>Difficult to use and get used to?

5. Japanese input method • What are the challenges? • Too many characters • Two schools of thought • Roman alphabet – kana input • Kana input (JIS keyboard layout) • Pros and cons of each method • Ease of learning • Ease of use

6. An alternative approach • The key to success – activating your thumb • 3*3*5*2=90 www.vtama.com/shopu/ souldout/f_fkb211/

7. Basic ideas of thumb-shift • Simultaneous hit of thumb-shift key (right or left) and character key • Each character key is conjugated in three ways • Flexible and rational layout of characters • Making use of software based control Ex. Right hand index finger home key (J)

8. What has thumb-shift accomplished? • Simultaneous hit with thumb is physiologically more natural than shift with little finger • 30 most accessible keys are conjugated to 90 key positions – all the kana characters are accommodated • Less finger moves as a result of more rational character layout • Consideration for memorization – use of phonological and orthographic rules

9. Advantage of thumb-shift (1) • Faster typing and easier learning http://www.ykanda.jp/oyayubi/oasys01.txt

10. Advantage of thumb-shift (2) • Less key strokes http://nicola.sunicom.co.jp/thumb4_1.html

11. Advantage of thumb-shift (3) • Less finger travel – less fatigue • …as a rule of thumb… http://homepage3.nifty.com/gicchon/sub18.htm

12. Can we use thumb-shift for Arabic? • 90 key positions can accommodate many characters • Consonants (28)＋2 are placed without shift and based on frequency of use • 3 types of 3 vowels can be placed on the home row, different types of a same vowel is placed on the same finger • Getting help from orthographic rules

13. Basic design for layout

14. Consonants • 28+2=30 characters are placed on unshifted keys, based on frequency of use • Corpus data is necessary to concretize the layout – orthodox methodology can be used

15. Vowel marks • a, i, u on index, middle and ring finger, home position • 3 types (short, long and tanwiin) are differentiated by (1) right or left, and (2) same hand or cross shift • shadda+short vowel is treated similarly

16. Punctuation marks • Use lower row • 20 available key positions are probably enough • Upper row is reserved for characters

17. Upper row • Tentatively reserved: may be used, for example, … • Extended consonant characters in Persian, Urdu • One stroke input of some ligatures • Instruction to application, such as Ctrl+C • 20 key positions are enough

18. Possible advantages • Consonants are input without shift, on rational layout based on frequency of use – less finger moves • Regular layout of vowel marks – easy to remember • Writing method (whether you write vowels or not) does not drastically alter ease of use

19. Future works for realization • Concretize key layout based on corpus data analysis • Implementation on major operating systems – past experience of emulation software can be utilized • Evaluation based on real use experience • Social recognition, such as standardization (official or de facto) – participation of wide spectrum of society is necessary

20. Thank you for your attention! شُكْرًا جَزِيلاً