1. Introduction
2. Using the software
3. Units
4. German style vs. US style
5. License
6. Contact

Introduction

Using the software

The latest version of the software is available for online usage at: http://quickqwerty.sourceforge.net/. One can download the software as a tarball from: http://sourceforge.net/projects/quickqwerty/files/. After downloading, the software should be extracted from the tarball. On Linux the following command may be used to extract it: tar -xvzf QuickQWERTY-0.4.tar.gz. On other operating systems, appropriate software may be used. A copy of the software is also available in ZIP format. After extracting, open the index.html page using a browser. JavaScript should be enabled in the browser in order to use this software.

The software connects to http://susam.in/ to submit usage details. To prevent this from happening, one must edit the scripts/settings.js file and set the value of POST_LOG variable to false.

Units

This section contains information for the user. All the lessons are divided into units and sub-units. Each unit deals with a set of keys. For example, the first unit trains the fingers on how to press the keys at the home row. A couple of new keys is introduced with every unit.

Each unit is further divided into five sub-units:

1. Grip : Getting used to the keys.
2. Words : Learning to type words.
3. Control : Learning to stop abruptly in the middle of words.
4. Sentences : Learning to type sentences.
5. Test : Evaluate yourself

Each unit contains some tips which can be seen by clicking the link at the bottom. The tips should be read and understood nicely before beginning a unit.

One should move to the next lesson only after completing the current lesson satisfactorily. When a lesson is completed satisfactorily, the software suggests you to move to the next lesson. A speed of 200 cpm or more with 0% error is considered satisfactory.

While typing one should look at the screen only. It might help the beginners to say the letters aloud while typing. Fingers should always be placed on the home row as indicated in the first unit. If any key outside the home row has to be typed, one should return the finger to the home row immediately after striking that key.

German style vs. US style

There are two popular ways to type the number keys on the top row of the alphanumeric keypad. In the traditional style, mostly popular in Germany, '1' and '2' are typed with the little finger of the left hand, and '6' is typed with the forefinger of the left hand. In the US style, '5' is typed with the forefinger of the left hand and '6' is typed with the forefinger of the right hand.

So, in German style, the number keys are split at 6-7 between the left hand and the right hand whereas in the US style, they are split at 5-6 between the left hand and the right hand.

In most keyboards, the '6' key is located closer to the 'F' key. As a result, the '6' key is more accessible to the left hand than the right hand. So, I prefer the German style. However, in many forums, I have found some people who prefer the US style. What you choose depends on your taste, convenience and the kind of keyboard you have.

This software supports both styles for the number keys. In Units 16–19 which involve the number keys, a link appears below the typing area to switch between the two styles.

License

This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

Contact

To report any bugs or suggest any improvements, please contact Susam Pal <susam@susam.in>.