UK extended keyboard layout

Question

I have a bit of an arcane question about a specific keyboard layout. It's the Windows XP SP2+ keyboard layout that is called "United Kingdom Extended".

I love most of the layout, but there is one annoying thing: it turns backtick (`) into a 'dead key'. Why they made this decision I don't know, because every other dead key involves pressing AltGr along with it, i.e. if you don't press AltGr, the keyboard functions as before. I wish this behaviour applied to backtick as well, so to get a grave e, I'd press AltGr+`, then e.

Does anyone know how I can do this? Whether it's possible in Windows itself or whether it can be done using some other software?

Solution 1

You can use MSKLC to create your own keyboard layouts.

I made eurokb with it, which you may find fits your needs. I share your loathing for non-alted dead keys.

Solution 2

If you press the backtick key followed by spacebar, the backtick will be inserted.

This is true also of any other accent key that functions as a dead key.

Comments

[Jez]

Yep, but it's still annoying that any key is a dead key, by default, at all. You should always need to press ctrl-alt to trigger a dead key.

[Jez]

This is an excellent tool, thank you! I made an 'enhanced' UK extended layout which uses alt-ctrl-comma as the grave accent dead key, and restores the old backtick functionlaity. If anyone's interested, it's available at: game-point.net/misc/…