Add OnScreen and Mobile Keyboard

Session 3: Adding the On-Screen & Mobile Keyboard

Objective:

Students will add an on-screen keyboard and a mobile layout for their Dagbani keyboard.

1. Adding the On-Screen Keyboard (20 min)

1. Open Keyman Developer and load DagbaniTutorial.kpj.
2. Click Keyboards, then select dagbanitutorial.kmn.
3. Click On-Screen.
4. Click Fill from Layout to auto-generate a keyboard.
5. Adjust key positions as needed.
6. Save changes.

2. Creating the Mobile Touch Keyboard (30 min)

1. Click Touch Layout.
2. Click Design.
3. In the Platform dropdown, select phone.
4. Use Character Map to insert special characters for long-press popups:
   • ɛ as a long-press on e.
   • ɔ as a long-press on o.
   • ŋ as a long-press on n.
   • ɣ as a long-press on g.
   • ʒ as a long-press on z.
5. Save changes.

3. Final Testing & Review (10 min)

1. Compile the keyboard.
2. Click Test Keyboard on Web.
3. Set Keyboard to DagbaniTutorial and Device to Pixel 5.
4. Verify long-press functionality.
5. Recap the entire tutorial.

Next Steps

• Advanced Features: Adding predictive text, dead keys, or alternate layers.
• Packaging & Distribution: Creating a .kmp package for public use.
• Publishing to Keyman Cloud: Sharing the keyboard with the community.

This tutorial provides a strong foundation for creating and testing a Dagbani keyboard in Keyman Developer. Feel free to expand it with additional customizations!