Programming for the Single-Handed

NullProg writes "Yesterday I was diagnosed with wrist-drop, and now my right arm/hand is in traction for a spell. It may or may not be related to me sitting behind a keyboard for the last twenty years. How have other programmers dealt with the loss of a hand or even multiple fingers? I moved my mouse to the left of the keyboard and can still type faster than my wife using one hand, but upper case keys are giving me problems. Has anyone experience with the smaller keyboards from Happy Hacking? Do they help one handed people? What editors did you find the most keystroke friendly. Gvim is bearable, is there a better one I can use for single key operations? What other tips do you have for someone in my situation?"

Comments

Foot pedals?

[fingers.benefitpoint]

I recently cut off three fingers from my left hand, and have learned to remain effective on the keyboard. As you mentoined, the shift, ctrl, and and keys are my biggest problems, particularly when using them in conjunction with the mouse.

I've considered modifying a junker keyboard and soldering in a few external connections for foot pedals to activate these three keys. Of course, this never happened because I could still use my elbow. :)

I use a laptop keyboard most of the time, and haven't found to much really difficult, but the small size, low profile and short stroke makes work easier than on a conventional keyboard (or worse yet an ergo keyboard), except the single control key on the bottom left. If you're considering a mini-keyboard, it's probably a good idea if your dexterous in your left hand.

Re:One Handed Keyboards

[FrenZon]

I've played around with the one handed typing modes executed in software (holding down the spacebar to mirrror the right half of the keyboard while the left hand keeps typing). Takes some getting used to, but it looks like there are keyboards made for this.

FWIW, Matias corporation own the patents to that technique, so any software you're using may get taken down. I once wrote some software to do it, but was asked to take it down within 12 hours of releasing the first alpha (which was fair enough in a way, since I did knowingly base my work on their idea).

Re:One Handed Keyboards

[moosesocks]

Could someone explain to me the logic behind the Maltron?

Honestly, the thing looks like a badly-designed torture device. It looks like one-handed typing would be easier on a full-size qwerty.

If that thing doesn't give you carpal tonel, NOTHING will.

Besides, who the heck names a product beginning with 'mal'?

Oh well... it's expensive, so it must be good!

No Happy Hacking keyboard for you.

[ptaff]

I'm a proud user of a Happy Hacking keyboard, and though I feel I'm more productive typing on it, when I can only use one hand (holding a coffee, mouse, cigarette, name them all minus one :) it's more of an annoyance than a regular keyboard.

That keyboard is really intended for touch-typists; they have less keys, so to compensate for F-keys, Home, End, Insert, and so on you have yo use key-combos. The lack of two "Control" keys would also be a nightmare for you (hey folks try to do a Ctrl-P with your left hand using the left Control key).

And, should your other side be okay, I really suggest these keyboards - the feel is really right. On the downside, watch out after you're used to them: I just recently noticed most of all other PC keyboards are broken (ctrl/caps misplaced, Escape too high, Backspace too far away, ...) :)

Watch it...

[cmowire]

Watch it... In cases like these, I've heard of the left-hand getting major RSI symptoms just as soon as you switch to one-handed typing on the left hand.

You might consider taking a break and making some major lifestyle changes, not stressing out your other hand.

Re:Get a twiddler

[Sevn]

Sure. Just because.

The same reason people buy a samurai sword or a dimestore trinket or an espresso machine that's collecting dust. I had some disposable income and thought "hey, wouldn't it be neat to never have to take my hand off my mouse?". So I put the thing in my left hand and got pretty fast with it. I eventually got bored with it. If anything I noticed a slight improvement in my guitar fretwork. Otherwise I'm about twice as fast with a normal keyboard.