Author Topic: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT  (Read 7456 times)

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Offline panetone

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I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« on: Sun, 25 December 2016, 18:08:41 »
I know, there's a bunch of layouts out there, and probably some of you are using a custom layout right now. I've been using mine for a couple of months, and I'm very happy with my results, so I thought it was a good idea to share it.

Disclaimer: Not native english speaker, sorry for the mistakes.

In advance for some (legit) criticism, I just want to clarify, IMO Dvorak and Colemak are surely better choices, and if you are okay with your layout, just stay! my goal is just to help other like me with a huge muscle memory handycap. If you are like me, just give a try!.



TL;DR
Introducing:


ASERT, just a slightly better layout.

I made a few minor changes in QWERTY layout, which I'm flawlessly using right now, and I'm proud to share with you.

**Instead of rearrange the whole keyboard layout, only 14 keys have been changed. These keys have been changed in pairs, one by another. In addition, those keys have been switched vertically, and are clicked by the same finger as before.**

i.ex. If you used to press the letter [E] with your middle finger of the left hand, it will remain so, but in a different row. In the place where the [E] was, now it's the [D].

With this minor changes, the middle row already has the top 10 most used words in english, and the most common word can be written with just four fingers in the center of the board.

It took me no more than 2 days to get used to it, because I only change a few keys, and every keycap is pressed by the same finger you were used to use with a QWERTY layout.

The best part: **You already know this layout, no need to memorize a new one.** Once you missed a stroke, you'll instantly know what/why you missed.

I hope you enjoy this layout.

Git repository: https://github.com/joaquinmartinezgc/ASERT

Mac OS X US/ASERT layout already available. I will upload the other OS layouts asap.(you know, Xmas).

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# ASERT

ASERT is a new alternative layout to your QWERTY keyboard. It is intended for people which have been typing in QWERTY keyboards for years and wants to speed it up.

An easy learning curve, and the fact that you already know the distribution, will let you type on ASERT within minutes.

# Why ASERT


QWERTY is the default layout of nearly every keyboard available, and, while is not even close of being perfect, for most of people is the only layout they ever knew. Over the years, you have learned a keyboard layout that has been reinforced in your brain by repetitions.

Other layouts like Dvorak or Colemak, which improved speed, accuracy and ergonomics, failed to convince the user to re-learn again to type day by day. This cannot be undone easily. This fact has been ignored by all who have wanted to implement a new keyboard, forgetting that the user has had to learn over the years to write in a certain way.

Using other alternative keyboards, each time you try to write a letter, your muscle memory will force you to write it as you did before, and you'll have to repress your instinct, and recalibrate the chain of movements that your brain automatically performs to write that letter. This is frustrating and stressful, especially if you've spent years writing on a QWERTY keyboard, and **it's the main reason for abandoning alternative keyboard layouts.**

The human being are reluctant to adoption by design. In fact, according to Source:Wikipedia[\url]

Quote
Although the Dvorak layout is the only other keyboard layout registered with ANSI and is provided with all major operating systems, attempts to convert universally to the Dvorak layout have not succeeded. The failure of the Dvorak layout to displace the QWERTY layout has been the subject of some studies.
A discussion of the Dvorak layout is sometimes used as an exercise by management consultants to illustrate the difficulties of change. The Dvorak layout is often used in economics textbooks as a standard example of network effects, though this approach has been criticized.

ASERT takes a diferent approach. We assume that the customer is always right. Instead of rearrange the whole keyboard layout, only 14 have been changed. These keys have been changed in pairs, one by another. In addition, those keys that have been switched vertically, and are clicked by the same finger as before. If you used to press the letter [E] with your middle finger of the left hand, it will remain so, but in a different row.


Facts:

  • People are afraid to change their layout (Resistance to adoption).
  • The most used letters in english are, in this particular order:  etaoinshrdlcumwfgypbvkjxqz
  • The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists claims that the first 25 words make up about one-third of all printed material in English, and that the first 100 make up about one-half of all written material.
  • I made an frecuency analysis of that 25 words, this are the results:
Code: [Select]
    t : 10
    o : 8
    h : 7
    a : 6
    i : 6
    e : 4
    n : 4
    s : 3
    f : 3
    b : 3
    y : 2
    d : 2
    r : 2
    u : 2
    v : 1
    w : 1
    m : 1
    x : 0
    c : 0
    z : 0
    g : 0
    j : 0
    p : 0
    l : 0
    k : 0
    q : 0
  • Top 10 most used keys are on the middle and upper row in Qwerty layout, and the are not mutual exclusive for any finger. So, if you take a look a the top of this list, most of those keys are actually in the middle of the keyboard. In fact, most of the upper row in QWERTY are the top of the most used letter of the most used words. We already have a good layout, but we have the wrong sorting for that rows!!

Why did I made ASERT?

I've touch typing more than 20 years, and during all those years I was thinking of making the leap of faith and changing my keyboard layout to Dvorak, and more recently to Colemak.

Finally for a couple of months I spent a few minutes every day practicing Colemak while still using Querty by default at work, and  **I have failed miserably** .

Honestly, I wish I liked Colemak, but I have realized that I hate it. I mean, I really do not hate it, but I think it's not for me, because I am human, and by nature I have a rejection of change.
 
 This has made me think about why most QWERTY users never changed to Dvorak, no one wanted to unlearn what they had learned and mastered. And why Colemak has had a partial success, because it adapts QUERTY instead of reinventing it.

BUT, I realized Colemak's defenders lie partly, or cheat, by saying Colemak respects what you learned in Qwerty.

So, after some researching, and being inspired by Colemak and Workman layouts philosophy, I realized that with a minor changes QWERTY could be an actually great layout.

In advance for some (legit) criticism, I just want to clarify, IMO Dvorak and Colemak are surely better choices, my goal is just to help other like me with a huge muscle memory background. If you are like me, just give a try!.

Thanks for reading.
« Last Edit: Sun, 25 December 2016, 18:13:42 by panetone »

Offline LuX

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 28 December 2016, 14:46:23 »
If it works as good as you claim then this looks like a pretty smart invention. I'm annoyed by the vast amount of alternate layouts that change small things and claim it's now much better than everything else, ignoring other issues that come with the new design.
Your layout makes a very simple change while being seemingly simple and effective.
I'll still stick with Colemak for now. Once you get past the initial threshold of learning a new layout, mastering it won't take that long. But I'll admit that switching between layouts in certain situations can be awkward. I may have to give this layout a try some time to see how it feels.

Offline poly dactyl

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #2 on: Fri, 30 December 2016, 13:52:00 »
I was curious how this stacked up against other layouts.  TLDR - 30% better than qwerty, vs 50% better for colmak/dvorak. 

So I ran it through https://github.com/xsznix/keygen . See https://xsznix.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/introducing-the-rsthd-layout/ for details of the scoring. Or just know that smaller numbers are better. Obviously the hand alternation numbers are going to be the same for qwerty & asert.

         total |    scaled  | base   |same finger   | long jump hand | long jump | Long jump consecutive |pinky/ring twist
qwerty      4875811   1.64        3267887   776140      197021               348040           79184   77290
asert           3485810   1.172     2387528   780560      25685               92250           21064   51680
Dvorak      2609418   0.87        2091004   332725      16912               17570           12304   24630
colemak    2470039   0.83        1815012   192140      22018               42910           40088   47060
maltron     2212042   0.74        1781259   98010      11064               7790           27632   143540


Offline tp4tissue

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 31 December 2016, 08:59:56 »
I'm not convinced any of those jump statistics matter,

because the fundamental bottleneck to Ergonomics is wrist angle..

and the bottleneck to Speed is Human word parsing rate..



For the jumps,  I don't find that they influence ergonomic, because of how long a person's arm is.

so even 1 degree change in angle, of your upper arm, is enough to move your fingers across 3 rows..

In that way, there's no substantial obstacle to jumps causing stress.



Now, there ARE certain issues involving layout ,  but the ones I think are important do not pertain to the center set keys.


For example,  Right shift,  pretty much no one should be using right-shift, because how far the right arm has to move to hit it,  OR the only other way by turning the wrist horizontally.

As we know for a fact that minimizing wrist movement is key to long duration typing..

--take note stenography boards, pianos training..  you want to minimize moving the wrist horizontally from side to side

Offline xsznix

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #4 on: Sun, 01 January 2017, 00:22:57 »
So I ran it through https://github.com/xsznix/keygen

Wow, somebody actually managed to figure out how to run this. That's pretty impressive.

As for the new layout, ASERT is a pretty impressive improvement over QWERTY for such a straightforward swap. Good job!

Offline poly dactyl

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 04 January 2017, 21:32:31 »
I've been thinking about how to use ASERT as the first step in a more radical switch. Sort of like Tarmak is to colemak.

Looking at ASERT, the left index finger is working very hard, and there are a lot of repeated strokes with the left middle finger.

The following shuffle brings ASERT  closer in line with other layouts.   
Move K &I back to qwerty position
Swap T -> E -> K -> T

In qwerty terms,
I -> back to the Qwerty I position.
E -> Qwerty K position.
K-> Qwerty G position
T -> qwerty D position.


 
This is between minimak 8 & 12, and scores accordingly. But I think the adoption might be easier. You will learn E& T very quickly, and K isn't that important.
http://patorjk.com/keyboard-layout-analyzer/#/results

Rank    Layout    Score
#1    Colemak    70.44
#2 Simplified Dvorak    67.83
#2  Minimak 12-key    67.05
#3    ASTRK    65.80
#4  Minimak 8-key 64.89
#4   Personalized    60.35
#5    ASERT    56.68
#6    QWERTY  49.01

Offline panetone

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 04 February 2017, 14:18:59 »
I've been thinking about how to use ASERT as the first step in a more radical switch. Sort of like Tarmak is to colemak.

Looking at ASERT, the left index finger is working very hard, and there are a lot of repeated strokes with the left middle finger.

The following shuffle brings ASERT  closer in line with other layouts.   
Move K &I back to qwerty position
Swap T -> E -> K -> T

In qwerty terms,
I -> back to the Qwerty I position.
E -> Qwerty K position.
K-> Qwerty G position
T -> qwerty D position.


 
This is between minimak 8 & 12, and scores accordingly. But I think the adoption might be easier. You will learn E& T very quickly, and K isn't that important.
http://patorjk.com/keyboard-layout-analyzer/#/results

Rank    Layout    Score
#1    Colemak    70.44
#2 Simplified Dvorak    67.83
#2  Minimak 12-key    67.05
#3    ASTRK    65.80
#4  Minimak 8-key 64.89
#4   Personalized    60.35
#5    ASERT    56.68
#6    QWERTY  49.01

Wow! It seem you did a good amount of researches I couldn't did. About ASTRK, while it seems to be logical from a ergonomic perspective, is far for my goal (to keep my layout as close as posible to QWERTY).
I've been using all this time the ASERT layout, and I found that the most killer feature is the easiness of switching from ASERT at home, to QWERTY at work (corporate policies makes install a layout impossible).

Anyway, thank you so much for support my research. Regards!

Offline buckyballs

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #7 on: Tue, 07 February 2017, 01:06:40 »
isn't the language used relevant? you said you are not a native english speaker. if you dont use english on your keyboard so much maybe the layout needed is different.

just thinking aloud

Offline batfink

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #8 on: Tue, 07 February 2017, 04:40:33 »
I've been thinking about how to use ASERT as the first step in a more radical switch. Sort of like Tarmak is to colemak.

The T in ASERT is a total disaster. It's as bad, if not worse, than the T in Qwerty. G should be left there.
Instead, I would move the T to the Qwerty F position.

So where does that leave R you ask? Well, I see the point about not changing any fingers, but I would make an exception for R, especially as the left-index finger is overworked. And since P is undeservedly in a home position, I'd switch R with P.

This gives:

Code: [Select]
Q W D F P Y J K L ;
A S E T G H U I O R
Z X C V B N M , . /

I think that is a decent minimal-changes layout. It even changes one fewer key than ASERT.

Now, to answer your question about this being the first step of a bigger switch, I'd say from the layout above, it could serve as the first step to Asset, Norman, or Niro.
« Last Edit: Tue, 07 February 2017, 04:50:47 by batfink »

Offline LuX

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #9 on: Tue, 07 February 2017, 07:41:03 »
The T in ASERT is a total disaster. It's as bad, if not worse, than the T in Qwerty. G should be left there.
Instead, I would move the T to the Qwerty F position.

So where does that leave R you ask? Well, I see the point about not changing any fingers, but I would make an exception for R, especially as the left-index finger is overworked. And since P is undeservedly in a home position, I'd switch R with P.

And if you changed this and that you will end up with Colemak, with almost the same amount of changes... You guys seem to fail to understand the point of the layout. It's not about a perfect optimization it's about a simple switch of rows to instantly make qwerty slightly better. I'm still wondering about the real world benefit of it though, but I can see the idea behind it is great.
If you feel that pressing the G in qwerty is hard (harder than T), it's not the keyboard, it's your style of typing. Try lifting all your fingers in the air, then press the key by moving your hand, not by stretching your finger sideways.

Offline batfink

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #10 on: Tue, 07 February 2017, 09:29:56 »
And if you changed this and that you will end up with Colemak, with almost the same amount of changes...

Nonsense. The number of key changes (from Qwerty) is as follows:
ASERT : 14
my suggestion: 13
Colemak : 17

The only way my suggestion makes it "more like Colemak" is the T. The other home keys, S E U I O R are all different to Colemak. If anything you should be accusing me of making it too much like Asset, Norman or Niro, but certainly not Colemak.

I did understand your objective in not wanting to keys to change columns. But I'm suggesting that the positions of R and T in Qwerty spoil this. I think that by restricting finger swaps to P and R only, it neatly solves the issue for minimal cost. You end up with a decent layout that's easy to learn, even though it's still far from optimal.

I agree with the Workman guy regarding the centre columns - the G and H keys are not great. Certainly you wouldn't want a letter as common as T there.

« Last Edit: Tue, 07 February 2017, 09:34:24 by batfink »

Offline LuX

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #11 on: Tue, 07 February 2017, 11:04:16 »
And if you changed this and that you will end up with Colemak, with almost the same amount of changes...

Nonsense. The number of key changes (from Qwerty) is as follows:
ASERT : 14
my suggestion: 13
Colemak : 17

The only way my suggestion makes it "more like Colemak" is the T. The other home keys, S E U I O R are all different to Colemak. If anything you should be accusing me of making it too much like Asset, Norman or Niro, but certainly not Colemak.

I did understand your objective in not wanting to keys to change columns. But I'm suggesting that the positions of R and T in Qwerty spoil this. I think that by restricting finger swaps to P and R only, it neatly solves the issue for minimal cost. You end up with a decent layout that's easy to learn, even though it's still far from optimal.

I agree with the Workman guy regarding the centre columns - the G and H keys are not great. Certainly you wouldn't want a letter as common as T there.



I didn't accuse you of reinventing Colemak, my point was, if you want to go down the path of fully optimizing, you might as well use one of the already existing layouts; Colemak and Dvorak (or a number of other great layouts), which ever suits your needs the best. Colemak just came first into mind because it retains much from QWERTY. The new layout here, in my opinion, fills a niche for people who want a better layout than QWERTY, but don't want to relearn a new layout. By keeping all keys for the same finger you don't have to relearn anything but the amount of reach for the swapped keys (in theory), and while making a small change could place a key at a more optimal place, it kills the previous advantage of not really having to relearn new finger combinations. As for the center columns, maybe I just don't understand the problem that you guys are having with it, but I don't think they are nearly as bad. The only way that I can see them being bad is, as I have explained, if you keep your hand static and use your fingers to reach around which is quite uncomfortable. Hovering fully or at least just your fingers is far more ergonomic when you type off the home keys. But then again, maybe I just don't understand your particular problem.

Offline batfink

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #12 on: Tue, 07 February 2017, 11:48:19 »
I didn't accuse you of reinventing Colemak, my point was, if you want to go down the path of fully optimizing, you might as well use one of the already existing layouts; Colemak and Dvorak (or a number of other great layouts), which ever suits your needs the best. Colemak just came first into mind because it retains much from QWERTY. The new layout here, in my opinion, fills a niche for people who want a better layout than QWERTY, but don't want to relearn a new layout. By keeping all keys for the same finger you don't have to relearn anything but the amount of reach for the swapped keys (in theory), and while making a small change could place a key at a more optimal place, it kills the previous advantage of not really having to relearn new finger combinations. As for the center columns, maybe I just don't understand the problem that you guys are having with it, but I don't think they are nearly as bad. The only way that I can see them being bad is, as I have explained, if you keep your hand static and use your fingers to reach around which is quite uncomfortable. Hovering fully or at least just your fingers is far more ergonomic when you type off the home keys. But then again, maybe I just don't understand your particular problem.

Indeed, I deliberately stayed away from fully optimizing. Fully optimizing would involve improving the N, and fixing the common ED and LO bigrams for starters, none of which are done either by ASERT or my suggestion. Obviously there is a whole continuum between making only minimal changes to slightly improve Qwerty, and doing a full optimization, and both our suggestions sit in the middle of those two extremes.

I've long thought that the two worst¹ keys in Qwerty are in fact T and N. So, for a minimal-change layout, I'd suggest T-F and N-J switches. Then it's only 4 keys, none of which change finger. And of course, if you want to go a bit further, there's always Minimak.

The centre column is OK for letters that aren't frequent. I'm not saying they give me trouble, just that they are less preferred. The fingers naturally move vertically, so for example, Qwerty E is not too bad. But G and H require the whole hand to move laterally. Of course, it's entirely possible to reach those keys perfectly well if you don't care about efficiency or comfort. After all, you can reach all the keys in Qwerty perfectly well if you don't care about efficiency or comfort. The point is to recognise which keys require more muscles to be used or require a more awkward motion, and then avoiding the most common letters on those keys. That is the basis for objecting to T being in that location, especially when it could just as easily have moved to the superior Qwerty F position.

(¹ relative to key frequency)
« Last Edit: Tue, 07 February 2017, 11:51:44 by batfink »

Offline panetone

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Re: I designed a custom layout based on QWERTY. Introducing ASERT
« Reply #13 on: Sat, 11 February 2017, 10:52:59 »
isn't the language used relevant? you said you are not a native english speaker. if you dont use english on your keyboard so much maybe the layout needed is different.

just thinking aloud

As for most of european languages, is not relevant. In my case, Spanish speaker, the statistics differs from English in just a few words, mostly K and J.


And if you changed this and that you will end up with Colemak, with almost the same amount of changes... You guys seem to fail to understand the point of the layout. It's not about a perfect optimization it's about a simple switch of rows to instantly make qwerty slightly better. I'm still wondering about the real world benefit of it though, but I can see the idea behind it is great.
If you feel that pressing the G in qwerty is hard (harder than T), it's not the keyboard, it's your style of typing. Try lifting all your fingers in the air, then press the key by moving your hand, not by stretching your finger sideways.


The T in ASERT is a total disaster. It's as bad, if not worse, than the T in Qwerty. G should be left there.
Instead, I would move the T to the Qwerty F position.

My goal was to simply change the order of certain caps typed with the same finger. The reason is pretty simple, your fingers are tough guys, and doesn't wants big changes, specially if your work is related to keyboards, and you can't afford 3 weeks of practising. Time is money.

As Lux stated, my intention is not compete with other layouts, but complement them. Is up to you to make and share a new layout if you think you are right, and eventually it will be helpful for someone. I just shared mine, which does the job at least in my case.

Kind regards.