Windows XP (Service Packs 2 and 3)

Windows XP Service Pack 2 is the first version of Windows to contain full support for rendering combining diacritics with the Latin script. To make use of this functionality it is necessary to:

1. Install complex script support
2. Install appropriate OpenType fonts
3. Install a keyboard layout for your language

Third party fonts that are suitable for a range of African languages include:

• African Sans Serif
• African Serif
• Andika
• Charis SIL
• Code2000
• DejaVu Sans
• Doulos SIL
• Gentium Basic and Gentium Book Basic
• Liberation Sans

Available non-Microsoft keyboard layouts fall into two categories:

1. Layouts generated by Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator (MSKLC), and
2. Layouts created for use with Tavultesoft Keyman Desktop.

MSKLC based keyboards are free but have a number of problems. The layouts that can be designed using MSKLC are limited and restrictive. For effective use of these keyboard layouts, it is important that software and web developers support Unicode normalization and case folding. In order to use a custom keyboard layout, it is necessary to assign the keyboard layout to an existing input locale supported by Windows XP SP2. In practice this means assigning the keyboard to a completely different language. This may have unexpected consequences.

Tavultesoft Keyman Desktop is a commercial product that allows much more sophisticated and responsive keyboard layouts.

Sites that contain or list keyboard layouts include:

• Pan African L10n project
• Open Road project
• SIL African language Keyman layouts.
• Tavultesoft