Ask Slashdot: Single-Handed Keyboard Options For Coding?

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Ask Slashdot: Single-Handed Keyboard Options For Coding?

Posted by timothy on Thursday August 23, 2012 @01:53AM from the you-don't-like-the-nose-based-keyboard? dept.

First time accepted submitter dubbreak writes "I was recently injured in a car accident which will limit the use of hand for six weeks or so. I'll be taking a little time off, but deadlines march on, and I'll need to be (semi) productive after my initial recuperation. What is you experience with single handed keyboards or other input option that require one hand at most? The current project is mainly C#, so I've need to be able to type brackets, semicolons and parentheses quick and painlessly."

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Nostromo or Frogpad by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-23 02:00 · Score: 5, Interesting

I'de go with Nostromo because I know it.
Fully programmable single hand key pad for gaming.
You can easily create your own layout and do chords like a court reporter would.
EG key combinations to type a letter.
I believe it even comes with a template for single handed full ascII map typing.
There is also a website for templates others have created.
After a day or two of practice most people can type via chord input at 80 to 90 % of two handed typing rate QWERTY style.
Foot pedals. by porter235 · 2012-08-23 02:03 · Score: 4, Interesting

Another thing to consider is a foot pedal or two. Set them up to do SHIFT and CTRL and away you go!
1. Re:Foot pedals. by MickyTheIdiot · 2012-08-23 02:15 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I have four foot pedals on my work computer for various tasks I need. They are really great. Even more nice is that fact that they can be programmed to any keypress that you want.
Re:Don't Bother by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-23 02:04 · Score: 2, Interesting

Agreed. I know a guy who literally has only one hand (his other arm ends in a nub due to a birth defect), and he does great with a regular mouse + keyboard. Special equipment may be nice, but it certainly isn't necessary.
Re:Don't Bother by i+kan+reed · 2012-08-23 02:07 · Score: 5, Interesting

Don't forget sticky-keys. This guy is plainly working in windows which has a number of baked in(usually annoying) features for accessibility.
Just press shift 5 times. Then you can press shift, then the key you need to use, separately. I just wrote a method for work one handed to see if it works. It seems to. Give it a try.
I went through something similar by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-23 02:16 · Score: 2, Interesting

...and did this
http://daughtrey.com/?cat=13
Re:Voice is the anwser by tracius01 · 2012-08-23 02:17 · Score: 3, Interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7f9Iik3q58 http://sourceforge.net/projects/voicecode/
Re:Don't Bother by Anonymous Coward · 2012-08-23 02:36 · Score: 4, Interesting

I used to know a guy who was wheelchair bound, he typed with a stick in his mouth. He wasn't a fast typer but his code NEVER had bugs.. he had the time to think about what he was typing and it was basically done right the first time. He was one of the most productive members of the team due to the quality of his work.
Re:As someone who posted to Slashdot... by Zibodiz · 2012-08-23 03:53 · Score: 3, Interesting

Same here, I've been typing one-handed for years, usually because I work on the move a lot, and use the other hand to hold my laptop. I can type about 60wpm with both hands, about 40wpm right-handed, and probably 30wpm with my left. You'd be amazed how quickly you can learn to type on a regular keyboard one-handed. I originally learned how because of a nasty bee sting that swelled up my left hand for about a week & a half. The transition only takes a day or two and you're typing without looking as if you've always been 1-handed. Brackets & such are easy, because the Shift key is not far from them.