Computer: Keyboard: Layout
HTML Tag Keyboard   (+5, -1)  [vote for, against]
Makes writing code less tedious.

Keyboard with an additional column or two of buttons down one side with commonly used HTML tags.

Example: <b> would be a single key, and </b> could be reached by hitting the same key while holding shift. Other tags would include link, image, title, head and body. A more complex version might have table settings, too.

Also available for other programming languages.
-- FakeGreenDress, Jul 16 2000

Function key macros?

I suppose it might be nice to have labels, when you're learning the layout... but do you really want a keyboard that specialized? Maybe it's better just to have customizable labels for the function keys. (Older keyboards often had removable/replaceable "key caps", though today's modern ultra-cheap keyboards don't.)

It would be super high tech if the keys had little screens in them that could be programmed to display whatever. A low-tech solution would be key caps, or just a little plastic window you could put labels behind.

(Remember those keyboard overlays that used to come with WordPerfect and the like?)

Oh, and way back when, early microcomputers (like the Timex/Sinclair) had labelled keys for each of the BASIC keywords they supported. There was a "PRINT" key, a "GOTO" key, an "IF" key... you had to press a special modifier to get ordinary characters.
-- egnor, Jul 16 2000


I don't remember where I put the link, but CuteHTML for the PC is a program that will fill in tag options as soon as you start to type them.. very useful, especially if you can't remember anything at all, like me.
-- mcfrank, Jul 18 2000


One word: emacs.
-- rmutt, Jul 22 2000


I've taken HTML class and built a few (dozen) web pages and I think having a keyboard like that would be spiffy. Just something *really* simple! THAT'S ALL I ASK!!!!!!!!!!
-- ichinichi, Jun 12 2001


I can just see it now: Microsoft adds a new tag to Internet Explorer. By some strange coincidence, the Microsoft HTML Keyboard released at the same time supports this tag, which the older keyboards don't.

Best stick with macros.
-- bookworm, Jun 12 2001



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