Michael (michka) Kaplan <michka at trigeminal dot com> wrote:
>> I'm only talking about the row-column nomenclature. AFAIK, there
>> isn't even a requirement that the keys be expressed in Unicode code
>> points. I would imagine you could say "U+094D + U+0930" for a
>> digraph, for instance. As for SGCAPS, ISO 9995 does technically
>> restrict implementations to those 3 levels.
>
> Well, without support for ligatures, dead keys, or SGCAPS, and without
> support for shift states that many actual implemented keyboards
> support, it seems like a pretty limited standard to me....
I think you completely missed my point. I don't think it's fair to say
that ISO 9995 "doesn't support" ligatures or dead keys. That's not what
it's about. ISO 9995-1 defines terminology for identifying the keys on
a keyboard based on row-column positioning. This applies not only to
the regular alphanumeric keys, but to the shifting keys, the numeric
keypad, and the "inverted-T" arrow keys as well. It does *not* define
exactly what is supposed to happen as a result of pressing those keys
(although it does offer some suggestions). If you want to press key C11
and see:
(a) an apostroquote, U+0027,
(b) an acute accent over the following eligible letter (dead-key
behavior),
(c) a lower-case a with acute,
(d) a ct ligature, or
(e) a Bill Veeck-style fireworks display emanating from the back of your
monitor,
then ISO 9995-1 does not preclude any of these behaviors. All is does
is define the grid location "C11" so people can agree as to which key is
being discussed.
As for SGCAPS and other shifting states not defined by ISO 9995, I
imagine the rationale would be that the basic three states are supported
by nearly all platforms (Windows not being the only platform in
existence), so ISO 9995 is intended to support the "common
functionality" and additional shift states can be perceived as
extensions to the standard. I would have to re-read the parts of the
standard that I do have before saying any more, and I really hope Alain
can find time to respond and answer some of these questions with some
authority.
-Doug Ewell
Fullerton, California
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