After a long period of consultation and numerous meetings with experts, linguists, computer manufacturers and specialists in hand and joint disorders, AFNOR - the French standards body - opened a public inquiry last June on its final draft of a voluntary standard designed to increase the writing capabilities of the French computer keyboard. The consultation was closed on July 12. The standard, numbered NF Z71-300, will be published, according to AFNOR, in September.
Solicited at the end of 2015 by the General Delegation for the French Language and Languages of France (DGLFLF, Ministry of Culture), AFNOR formed a working group to define a new AZERTY keyboard model.
The initial objective was to meet the typing needs of our time by increasing the possibilities of writing, to allow everyone to write according to his preferences and according to the rules he imposes himself. Thus, on today's keyboards, the special characters commonly used today are not always easy to type and give rise to various digital acrobatics... which argues for rethinking the layout of the keys.
Two keyboard models available
The standard offers two options, leaving manufacturers free to adopt the configuration that best suits their markets.The first option is an improved AZERTY keyboard model. The 26 letters of the alphabet and the numbers do not change place, unlike some other signs such as some accented vowels, the arobase, the braces... The dot becomes accessible without using the shift key. Accented capital letters are also made possible. The range of typographical signs is enlarged, to facilitate the creation without resorting to professional software. "There is no revolution, but a small appropriation will be necessary for the users. However, the expected benefits largely compensate for the few changes to be integrated," explains Philippe Magnabosco, project manager at AFNOR.
The second option proposed by the standard is that of BÉPO, known as an alternative, ergonomic and free French keyboard layout. " The representatives of BÉPO took the opportunity to make their layout evolve again," adds the AFNOR project manager.
A very collective project
The public inquiry, open from June 7 to July 12, 2017, was intended to complete the work done in commission and to gather as many comments as possible. A counting meeting was held on July 12.The standard, numbered NF Z71-300, will be published in September. It can be used by manufacturers but also mentioned as a reference in public or private tenders.
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