Typing Unicode Telugu using other keyboard layouts

There are many keyboard layouts and transliteration schemes to Type in Telugu. Many of users who type Telugu on computers use proprietary encodings and keyboard layouts like Modular, Apple, and Roma. If they have a way to type in Telugu in Unicode using the layout they are familiar with, it would boost the usage of Telugu on the Web specifically and on computers generally. This post explores the problem of keyboard layouts and introduces some Keyboard Layout Creators.

Lot of people who work with/write/publish Telugu on computers (ignoring Telugu bloggers and Wikipedians) use applications like Anu Script Manager (Anu Fonts), Shree-Lipi, iLEAP, etc. (Through out this post, I’ll refer to them as ‘these applications’.) These applications are good for printing purposes, but not for producing content for the Web. They are not good because they produce non-Unicode text. Non-Unicode text is bad on the web because–

  1. user must have the font that supports particular encoding/mapping (the mappings that these applications use are different)
  2. search engines do not understand it (because of the point 1 above, most people put the content as images, as against text)

Most people stuck with these applications and non-Unicode text because there was no other alternative until support for Unicode is available in Operating Systems and other software applications. Even the people who realize the benefits of Unicode are in a difficult position to move to Unicode. Reason one is their process gets disturbed. They need to use new set of tools.

Most of these applications support multiple keyboard layouts (including Inscript Keyboard Layout, which is the default keyboard layout that comes with Windows and Linux operating systems). However, most users of these applications are used to other layouts than Inscript. If any of these users want to use Unicode, they need to type using a different layout. If they frequently switch back and forth between Unicode and non-Unicode texts, remembering two layouts is very confusing. And, in those cases, they most likely decide abandon using Unicode.

It would be helpful if they can type in Unicode using the keyboard layout they are familiar with. And, the good news is that it is possible to make your own keyboard layout. There are at least a handful of options:

Modular layout is the famous layout on non-Unicode Telugu generation applications. Using the MSKLC, I created Telugu Modular Keyboard Layout for Windows. By using this, you can type in Telugu wherever you can type in English.

Here are the instructions on how to use it:

  1. Download the Modular Telugu Keyboard Layout.
  2. Unzip the downloaded zip file.
  3. Execute the Setup.exe file in te_mdlr folder
  4. After the installation is complete, you can switch to the Modular Keyboard Layout by pressing Left Alt + Shift. Pressing again the same keyboard shortcut brings you back to the English.
  5. If you want to see an indication of which layout is in use, you can enable Language Bar in Windows.

I hope people would take forward this initiative and create all the keyboard layouts that are in use for Telugu and more number of people start using Telugu on the web and computers.

Update: I also created Apple Telugu Keyboard Layout for Windows.

Update 2011-02-03: In case you didn’t know any Telugu keyboard layout yet, I recommend you learn INSCRIPT keyboard layout, which is standardized by the Government of India. You can use my Inscript Lekhini for leaning or typing Telugu using Inscript layout.

72 thoughts on “Typing Unicode Telugu using other keyboard layouts

  1. Respected Sir, I want to type in Telugu Unicode, But when typing After Pollu letter, it changing into otthulu. I want to type other letters After Pollu letter without change the Pollu. Please Help me in this purpose.

  2. ‘క్ ‘ అని టైపు చేసి దానితరువా ఏదైన అక్షరం టైపు చేసినప్పుడు వత్తుగా మారితే apple Keyboard layoutలో Right Side ”Alt+2” కిని టైపుచేయాలి.

    1. Sir,
      The key is not working with inscript keyboard.

      In word ctrl+shift+2 solving the problem.

      But in all other applications the problem remains the same.

      Your suggetion please.
      Rao

  3. Sir, I really need help. I write spiritual articles in telugu. For last one year i have used anufonts to type in telugu in Word. Now I am told to use only ShriLipi. My friend sent me the software, I installed it on my computer. I disabled auto-correct from Word ( i think).
    I am still not able to get shriLipi fonts and type in telugu.
    I used Gautami font before – when I chose ShriLipi Font, start typing, it immediately changes to gautami. There is nobody here who knows ShriLipi. Nobody to help me.
    Please hepl me. Thank You. Regards, Sujata.
    You may mail me to my mail id also. Thanks again.

  4. i have anu 7 software but when is type telugu using anu 7 it is not working how can use it please tell me . and give me solution

  5. సార్, నమస్కారం.
    నేను యూనికోడ్ లో టైప్ చేశాను. దానిని అనూ ఫాంట్స్ లోకి ఎలా మార్చాలో చెప్పగలరా.

    నరసింహారావు

  6. సార్, నమస్కారం.
    నేను యూనికోడ్ లో టైప్ చేశాను. దానిని అనూ ఫాంట్స్ లోకి ఎలా మార్చాలో చెప్పగలరా

  7. సార్, నమస్కారం.
    యూనికోడ్ telugu లో టైప్ ఎలా how to type telugu in unicode

  8. దయచేసి in unicode apple keyboard లో ‘జ’కు ఇ వత్తులా ఎలా వస్తుందో కూడా తెలుపగలరు

  9. Sir, I am using ILEAP and typed telugu books. For using to MS word i am exporting in RTF(rich Text format) but unable to edit there. Pl suggest how can i convert my existing ipeap documents crated with TT Hemalatha (true type fonts) to unicode fonts which can be edited in ms word

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