German Layout

[Monstanner]

Checklist

• [X] I made sure that there are no existing issues - open or closed - to which I could contribute my information.
• [X] I made sure that there are no existing discussions - open or closed - to which I could contribute my information.
• [X] I have read the FAQs inside the app (Menu -> About -> FAQs) and my problem isn't listed.
• [X] I have taken the time to fill in all the required details. I understand that the bug report will be dismissed otherwise.
• [X] This issue contains only one feature request.
• [X] I have read and understood the contribution guidelines.
• [ ] I optionally donated to support the Fossify mission.

Feature description

I don't know which layout you want to take over from Simple Keyboard. However, in 5.4.8 umlaut keys was implemented as separate keys. I also proposed a feature request at the time. Unfortunately, however, things turned out differently. My suggestion was that theoretically two layouts for German should be offered. Because the 5.4.8 layout is more or less the keyboard on the PC / laptop. The layout of 5.4.7 was ok, but not perfect, because the umlaut keys in the pop up characters had to be manually selected by swiping. For example, if you press long on the a key, the default is á instead of ä. Same for u and o. Instead of ü and ö, 7 and 9 are the choice. Those were just the things that I missed. That's why I would say that everything about the German layout should be collected here first, if there were maybe other things about Simple Keyboard and the German layout that I didn't notice.

Why do you want this feature?

It would solve the lack of a German layout.

Additional information

No response

Edit: Fix typos

[naveensingh]

I don't know which layout you want to take over from Simple Keyboard. However, in 5.4.8 umlaut keys was implemented as separate keys.

Isn't the layout from 5.4.8 already there in Fossify Keyboard? No keyboard layouts have been removed. In Fossify Keyboard, you have to enable additional keyboard languages from 'Settings -> Manage keyboard languages':

Simple Keyboard (German) vs Fossify Keyboard (German):

[naveensingh]

In Fossify Keyboard, you have to enable additional keyboard languages from 'Settings -> Manage keyboard languages'

We might have to rethink this behavior though. The app should detect and enable the local language by default.

[Monstanner]

I don't know which layout you want to take over from Simple Keyboard. However, in 5.4.8 umlaut keys was implemented as separate keys.

Isn't the layout from 5.4.8 already there in Fossify Keyboard? No keyboard layouts have been removed. In Fossify Keyboard, you have to enable additional keyboard languages from 'Settings -> Manage keyboard languages':

Simple Keyboard (German) vs Fossify Keyboard (German):

Thanks for the hint, I overlooked it. Yes, it's the 5.4.8 layout, which is not really good in my opinion, as described above.

[Monstanner]

I don't know how long we should go on until someone else contributes here. I therefore summarize here again what I think should be changed.

• German layout of version 5.4.7
• The pop-up characters of a, o and u should not be á, 9 and 7, but ä, ü and ö
• If you click on the number layout, it should be a € instead of a $. (This is a new one, but I missed it when opening the issue.)

You could consider whether you have two German layouts with and without extra umlaut keys, but with the € change, so that you don't have any fragmentation. At least if that's not too much work.

[nice42q]

The ß is missing. Should be under S (Hold/press the Key).

[Monstanner]

The ß is missing. Should be under S (Hold/press the Key).

It is present in the 5.4.7 and 5.4.8 (Probably also in 5.4.9) layout. Did you possibly make the same mistake as me and did not select the German layout? @naveensingh pointed this out to me. Or do you mean the capital ß? Because then you're right, because when you hold down the capital S, a double S appears, which should become the capital ß (ẞ).

For comparison (I didn't put it in code brackets because it looked strange.):

Here is the big sharp S: ẞ Here is the small sharp S: ß

[nice42q]

Here is the big sharp S: ẞ Here is the small sharp S: ß

Only the small one is needed. There is no German word that begins with ß. Changed the language and found it. Thank you

[Monstanner]

Here is the big sharp S: ẞ Here is the small sharp S: ß

Only the small one is needed. There is no German word that begins with ß. Changed the language and found it. Thank you

No problem. However, you contributed to the fact that I noticed the difference with the small and large ß. I thank you for that. It is true that no German word begins with a capital ß. But if a word is written completely in capital letters, it can be helpful. You would have to consider whether it is really needed. In my opinion, the option should be kept open.

[sberlin]

Having the umlauts as separate keys is not helping at all when switching from Gboard. It seems like this commit needs to be partly reverted: https://github.com/FossifyOrg/Keyboard/commit/4f10e4a5d48d05afad0335da46c5d9240949ca6c

Here's the initial request for change https://github.com/SimpleMobileTools/Simple-Keyboard/issues/226, that is IMO not representative for Android usage in Germany.

[user4andre]

A suggestion for the ß in the German layout.

A note in advance: The current solution works for me. The suggestion would only be an additional improvement.

On a physical German keyboard, the ß is next to the 0 (zero).

Could the ß be added right of 0 when the number line is displayed (in addition to the long press on s)?

[Monstanner]

Could the ß be added right of 0 when the number line is displayed (in addition to the long press on s)?

The question is, how does it feel when using it? Because on other Android keyboards, the ß is usually a long press of the S key. The change with the separate umlaut keys in 5.4.8 should have been a separate layout in my opinion. Your suggestion with the extra ß key would therefore fit into this separate layout.

[user4andre]

This is exactly why I had added "(in addition to the long press on s)". If you mainly use Android, you can use long press on s. Those who mostly use physical keyboards (e.g. on a PC) are used to searching to the right of the 0.

A second German layout would also be a good solution for me. I am not familiar with the different versions. I have version 1.1.1 of the app installed. (see Screenshot in previous comment)

So far I have used AnySoftKeyboard. There the ß is at the bottom right. I have to search for it every time. Please don't implement it like this!

[Monstanner]

This is exactly why I had added "(in addition to the long press on s)"

Sorry, my mistake. I overlooked that.

A second German layout would also be a good solution for me. I am not familiar with the different versions. I have version 1.1.1 of the app installed. (see Screenshot in previous comment).

As you will probably know, Fossify Keyboard is a fork of Simple Keyboard and has taken over the layout of version 5.4.8 / 5.4.9 (separate keys for umlauts). In version 5.4.7, the umlauts could be selected by long pressing the normal keys.

[user4andre]

only for your information: If I switch my version 1.1.1 to English (QWERTY), I can also enter the German umlauts ä, ü,ö and ß with long press. Only z and y are swapped.

[user4andre]

For German keyboard layouts with separate keys for ä, ü, ö:

Since the number keys are not permanently switched on for all users, long press on s must also be possible for ß in addition to ß right of 0.