This layout allows the user to write in Braille code, by assigning each letter, number and certain symbols' keys to the corresponging Unicode code points (see the Braille Patterns block at the Unicode Consortium site). This is NOT a proper Braille keyboard (like the one developed by the ONCE) that allows blind people to write regular text - it's the other way around: a layout that allows to write the Braille code symbols directly on a normal keyboard.
Unicode only defines the code points corresponding to each dot pattern, leaving the meaning of these to the codes defined for each language. This layout uses the Spanish Braille Code (which also includes Catalan letters and symbols).
This layout is based on Windows' default Spanish layout. Another one, the Spanish-Latin American Braille keyboard, uses the Latin American layout.
The following pair of tables the Spanish Braille Code this keyboard layout uses.
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This is the Spanish Braille layout:
Besides the Braille code points listed in the table above, this layout is identical to the Windows' default Spanish one, except for the following:
The key to the left of the key 1 defines the signs number prefix (in base mode) and uppercase prefix (with Shift). The displaced characters (º and ª) are moved, respectively, to AltGr-O and AltGr-A.
Dead keys are active, but they contain only the code points that are defined by the Spanish Braille Code. Characters like, say, â or ù won't be returned.
This is an experimental layout (just like its sister). There's still a lot to do about Braille handling on computer interfaces (as a matter of fact, Windows 7 was the first Windows version to include a font [Segoe UI Symbol] that covers the Unicode Braille code block).
Version 1.0, dated 12/02/2009 (the only one until now).
This layout can be installed on Windows operating systems (2000, XP, Server 2003 and Vista, 7 and 8) using the Spanish Braille layout installer.
Last update: 22/11/2012.
[castellano] - [english]
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