SKY (keyboard layout)

Lore & Background

The basic arrangement of SKY was published in the “Journal of Information Processing Society.” The layout consists of three rows: the top row includes keys such as comma, W, R, M, H, UU, AI, OU, period, and EI; the middle row includes N, T, S, K, Y, U, A, O, I, E; and the bottom row includes P, D, Z, G, B, UN, AN, ON, IN, EN. The left hand handles consonants, while the right hand handles vowels, allowing for frequent hand alternation during typing.

Because Japanese punctuation requires only full stops and commas, the layout's 30 keys allow punctuation to be typed without changing keyboard layouts. Additionally, the lack of capital letters in Japanese means users do not need to press the Shift key simultaneously with another keystroke, simplifying implementation. The design conserves keystrokes and has a high ratio of hand alternation, rarely requiring the same finger twice in a row in a vertical motion, enabling more text to be input in the same amount of time.

Reader's Guide

SKY's significance lies in its tailored approach to Japanese text input using a Latin alphabet layout. By separating consonants and vowels between hands, it achieves a high degree of hand alternation, which the article notes is similar to Dvorak in effect. This alternation reduces fatigue and increases typing speed, as the layout rarely requires the same finger to be used twice in a row vertically. The 30-key design is sufficient for Japanese because punctuation is limited to commas and periods, and the absence of capital letters eliminates the need for Shift key usage, streamlining the typing process. The layout was documented in a 1987 paper by Yoshio Shiratori, Fumihiko Obashi et al., published in the Information Processing Society of Japan. Its legacy is as a specialized alternative to other Japanese input methods, focusing on efficiency and simplicity for Latin alphabet typists.

Did You Know?

• The name SKY comes from the keys S, K, and Y being under the user's fingers in the left hand home row.
• SKY stands for “Simplified Keyboard for You” according to its creator.
• The layout has only 30 keys, and Japanese punctuation requires only full stops and commas.
• The left hand is responsible for consonants, and the right hand for vowels, enabling almost alternating keying like Dvorak.