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Do you guys code with these? I was thinking of building one but the space and shift keys seem... Inconvenient.
I guess both are relevant in non code scenarios too but the shift really stuck out to me. The symbols being in the center, at least as pictured/mapped on one ergomech site I looked at, also seemed inconvenient since I use those a ton (brackets, comma, semi colon, etc) but that's probably more of a training thing
I find it much more convenient to press a button that's already under my thumb and then press a button that's already under my middle finger (for example) to get a symbol I want than move my hands from their typing position to get a symbol. It takes some time to adjust but I'm at about the same speed I was on a standard keyboard while using a corne (like the lily58 but with no numrow and one fewer thumb buttons per side)
Also space is right under your thumb as well, and shift can be in its normal place
I am a dev, so I just modified the different letters to suit myself. I will probably make changes to it later if/when I realise some other layout or key combination will be better.
I built a 4x5 dactyl manuform and use it for coding. I will definitely be going with a bigger layout for whatever I do next. The really small layouts are amazing for prose, but for code that makes heavy use of unusual punctuation, it's not ideal. Layers are great and I really prefer having numbers on a layer, for example, but then for something like typing a version number I have to switch layers every other character. It would be great to have enough keys to have things like period and colon available on multiple layers.
Like the others said you can map the keys however you want. I removed caps lock and put shift there. I mapped all the numbers to a numpad-like layout on it's own layer, so all of those numbers and special characters are on one hand without needing to lift. The rest of them are on the normal number row on the main layer.
I actually don't use the two "middle" buttons at all
I have a different layout but using the right thumb for shift is awesome. And the left thumb can just rest on a spacebar key.
I code with it, yeah. Just have those symbols wherever you want them (I never used those inner upper keys either, except for things that I don't mind lifting my hand for). Layers layers layers. Also home row mods.
For my next board, I'm probably going with a 6×3+3, I don't use the number row either. Keypad on a layer under the right hand is so much nicer...