Dvorak typers, how do you handle shortcuts like Ctrl-C?

Question

Do you change the key binding in the OS to be, i.e., Ctrl-Q?
Do you manage to stretch your left hand to the C key?
Do you use right ctrl and press shortcuts with your right hand?

score 19 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 25 '19 at 02:35

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When I switched to Dvorak, I was using primarily Ctrl+Ins and Shift+Ins for copy/paste. Now I use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V and other program-specific shortcuts, but I have just learned to use them in their "weird" locations.

A similar question was asked on SuperUser, with the following answers:

Use an AutoHotKey script to remap the keys. (Link)
Use Microsoft Keyboard Creator to remap them. (Link)
Install a third-party app that will remap them automatically. (Link, Link)

edited Sep 25 '19 at 02:35

Jeffmagma

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answered Jun 05 '14 at 16:52

techturtle

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Really you use as is? Do you strech your left hand, use right control or use booth hands? – sanfilippopablo Jun 05 '14 at 18:50
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On a normal keyboard, I usually use both hands, since I do a lot of touch typing and both hands are already up there. Sometimes I do it all with my right hand, but never stretch my left. On my work and home dev machines, I have keyboards with extra programmable keys and have mapped 3 of them to cut, copy, and paste... so in most cases I cheat! – techturtle Jun 05 '14 at 18:55
I've been using `Ctrl`/`Shift`+`Ins`/`Del` since before Windows, so that's what I am doing still, and in doing so avoided the whole issue. – KlaymenDK Jun 03 '16 at 10:20
@sanfilippopablo Stretching your hand to press ctrl and the top row would be quite difficult. It's much easier to just use two hands. – SurpriseDog May 23 '19 at 04:13
I used AutoHotKey to remap Windows-C, V and Z to copy, paste and undo. Eventually I then found I was using Control-C, V and Z instead and didn't need the mapping. – Ben T Jun 28 '19 at 01:05

score 5 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 19 '23 at 16:19

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macs have it built in (Dvorak - QWERTY ⌘: Temporarily changes the layout to QWERTY when you press and hold the Command key). there is a keyboard layout for dvorak with querty shortcuts. for windows, i use https://code.google.com/p/dvorak-qwerty/ it works well with ctrl and alt but dosen't work with the Win Key, which is not that bad.

edited Apr 19 '23 at 16:19

weakish

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answered Apr 08 '14 at 18:48

Emad

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score 2 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 03 '14 at 15:55

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The program AutoHotKey is what I use to map C,X, and V to their Querty origin.

answered Apr 03 '14 at 15:55

tepidry

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Alen Siljak · Answer 4 · 2020-02-03T11:37:19.233

On Linux, the solution that works great with some versions of Gnome on Wayland is this. It will set up all the rules on installation and will work transparently.

Previous answer:

Using Cinnamon, the following works when typing in some applications (i.e. vscode editor):

In keyboard settings, add QWERTY keyboard layout as the first in the list,
add Dvorak layout as the second

When typing text in an editor using the Dvorak layout, pressing Ctrl will still use the first (qwerty) layout. This does not work in other applications, like Firefox browser, for example so can be pretty confusing. Having a shortcut (i.e. Alt+Shift) for switching layouts assists in those cases.

While can be difficult at times, the advantage of this approach seems to be that it does not require additional software.

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 05 '19 at 02:16

I use none of the proposed solutions: instead, I modify CapsLock so that it becomes a dead-key that I use to program various actions. For example, when I press CapsLock and the key marked (in QWERTY)

S, this is mapped to Ctrl-X (and thus cut)
D, this is mapped to Ctrl-C (and thus copy)
F, this is mapped to Ctrl-V (and thus paste)
I, this is mapped to up-arrow
K, this is mapped to down-arrow
J, this is mapped to left-arrow
L, this is mapped to right-arrow
etc.

This is was dubbed 'Home Row computing' by Gustavo Duarte when he introduced this idea in https://manybutfinite.com/post/home-row-computing/ and then https://manybutfinite.com/post/home-row-computing-on-mac/

I'm pretty sure that this amounts for a large part of the speed I gained when typing, in addition to touch-typing.

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered Jan 18 '20 at 05:02

I've written Dvertkey, an AutoHotKey script, for this.

I've been a dvorak user for sixteen years, and for years I've used the various alternative keymaps mentioned in this thread, but all of them fall down when using a number of recent incarnations of Microsoft applications, such as the Office apps and SQL Server Management Studio. They seem to ignore Windows' own keymaps when using meta keys, rendering the hybrid layouts useless. AutoHotKey gets around this to ensure I get exactly what I want in any application.

SurpriseDog · Answer 7 · 2019-05-23T04:16:32.210

I've been using Dvorak for so long now that I couldn't imagine remapping ctrl-c and other hotkeys to be in any other location than where they are supposed to be on the Dvorak keyboard. As for hotkeys, it's much easier and more natural to just use two hands to do the combinations. Use the left hand for ctrl and the other hand for the c-key. It would be too confusing to try and think ctrl-c and then press something else.

For the occasional windows game that requires WASD, I just switch the keyboard for the duration and if that means typing QWERTY sentences in chat then I just mentally switch and type a little bit slower.

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Jun 24 '19 at 22:32

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Those characters are accessible with the right control key (a bit of a stretch for the x). If you are right handed, and have your right hand on the mouse, just move your left hand to the right control key and do the key combination

answered Jun 24 '19 at 22:32

KevinDeus

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Dvorak typers, how do you handle shortcuts like Ctrl-C?

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