I'm interested in knowing your opinions and also what keys you modify in case you do (a lot of Vim users change things). I personally use the Spanish Standard and I can assure the position of some important keys is so bad, so I'm thinking of moving to the US standard. Thoughts?
Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
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Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#2IMO US standard. Also UK standard as it's the same US layout but with one more key that it might help you in case you want to modify or duplicate one key like "esc".
If you don't want to modify any key it might be better getting a US keyboard as its left shift is bigger and easier to press than the english one.
Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#3Definitely.
You see, the problem is that programming languages are designed on US-QWERTY keyboard, therefore the choice of syntactic special characters is made according to the characters easily available on a US-QWERTY keyboard.
Indeed, you will never see a programming language where §, ¡ or ¿, are meaningful characters. (Actually, and this is a confirmation, there is one language where you had characters such as ∂§¶⨍, it was MPW scripts, (Macintosh Programmer's Workshop scripting language), because those characters were easily available (using the option modifier) on a Macintosh keyboard).
Therefore, until you invent a Spanish programming language using characters easily accessible on a Spanish keyboard layout, it will be easier as a programmer, to use a US-QWERTY keyboard layout.
Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#4I have stuck with the US-Qwerty because you are most likely to encounter it where ever you have to work on a computer.
As to the type of keyboard, I have an ergonomic one that lets me work for longer periods of time.
Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#5You should use whichever lets you work easiest.
I have a few keybindings on my keyboard because it makes my life easier but others have different keybindings.
I use a Poker2 or Poker3 and I make the Win key Fn and I switch Capslock and F12 and my terminal is pulled up with F12 (meaning I can hit Capslock to get my terminal)
Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#6Disabling capslock is the best I've done to my keyboard.
Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#7Disabling capslock is the best I've done to my keyboard.
I disable CapsLock by remapping it to Ctrl. Makes for a better workflow when working with tmux.
Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#8Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#9Definitely. You see, the problem is that programming languages are designed on US-QWERTY keyboard, therefore the choice of syntactic special characters is made according to the characters easily available on a US-QWERTY keyboard. Indeed, you will never see a programming language where §, ¡ or ¿, are meaningful characters. (Actually, and this is a confirmation, there is one language where you had characters such as ∂§…
You are totally right. Thank you for the feedback!
Re: Ask HN: Best keyboard layout for programming?
#10I really really like neo, but it's mainly for the german language.
Pressing caps-lock reveals the goodies