NAME
tipptrainer - a typing trainer
SYNOPSIS
tipptrainer
DESCRIPTION
PingoS-Tipptrainer is a training program for users, which are
interested in learning the touch typing system. The concept was adapted
to the usage of a typical PC keyboard. Tipptrainer is localized in
means of keyboard layout and dialog language. Currently, German and
English are supported. German is better supported due to the native
language of the authors.
The main goal is to make touch typing lessons in schools easier and OS
independant. That’s why wxWindows was chosen as base library.
There are three available modes: single lesson, a whole course or
contest mode. The latter also supports lessons from remote sources like
FTP or HTTP for easier distribution.
OPTIONS
There are no command line options. All Options are settable either
directly in the configuration files (see FILES section below) or in
dialogs. Forced settings are implemented by mechanism provided with
the wxWindows library. They can be applied by prefixing entries with !
in the global configuration file. For a complete list of Options, take
a look at src/ConfigFile.H in the tipptrainer sources.
NOTES
Localization (choosing keyboard layout and dialog language) is done
using your current locale (see output of "locale"). You can force a
language in the option dialogs but you MUST have a proper locale
installed to use a dialog language different than English.
If you want to exchange the default lesson files, you MUST encode them
in UTF-8 text encoding. Take a look at the iconv tool to do this or use
a good editor in an UTF-8 locale.
ABOUT TOUCH TYPING
The touch typing system was developed for effective writing on
typewriters. It is based on logical and physical conditions of your
fingers. So the little fingers and the index fingers have a greater
range than the ringfinger or the middle finger. The thumbs have to
control the <space>-key. For effectivly doing that you should use the
thumb of the right hand when there follows a key for a finger of the
left hand, and the left thumb when the next key is for a finger of the
right hand. The keys sorted by fingers:
left hand - index finger:
5 6
r t
f g
v b
right hand - index finger:
7 8
y u
h j
n m
left hand - middelfinger:
4
e
d
c
right hand - middelfinger:
9
i
k
,
left hand - ringfinger:
3
w
s
x
right hand - ringfinger:
0
o
l
.
left hand - little finger:
‘ 1 2
<TAB> q
<CAPS> a
<SHIFT> z
<CTRL>
right hand - little finger:
- = \ <BACKSP>
p { }
; ’ <ENTER>
/ <SHIFT>
<CTRL>
The original finger used for the Alt was originally the ring finger.
However, with current keyboard layouts with windows keys, this may not
be appropriate any more. When the <SHIFT>-key is pressed you will get
the second character of each key, i.e. the capital letters.
DEFINITIONS
The touch count counts key combinations that result is a visible
character. This is an old definition from the times of mechanical
typing mashines. Thus, <SHIFT>+a is counted as one, not two.
FILES
/etc/tipptrainer.conf
global configuration file
~/.Tipptrainer
user configuration file
BUGS
See provided BUGS file for known bugs.
SEE ALSO
locale(1), iconv(1)
AUTHOR
This program was developed by the PingS Software team. See the about
dialog for details.