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We tame the Czech keyboard in OS X

Michal Ždanský
15

If you are switching from a Windows PC to a Mac platform, you must have noticed some differences in the layout of some keys. There are several ways to customize the layout to your liking. We will show you some of them and at the same time advise you how to fix some mistakes, such as quotation marks.

Command and Control

If you're moving from a PC, you may not be entirely comfortable with the layout of the control keys. Especially when working with text, it can be frustrating when you have to do operations like copying and pasting text with a key that is located where you would expect Alt. I myself could not get used to the Command key, through which you execute most of the commands, located to the left of the spacebar. Fortunately, OS X allows you to swap some keys, so you can swap Command and Control.

  • Open up System Preferences > Keyboard.
  • At the bottom right, press the button Modifier keys.
  • You can now set a different function for each modifier key. If you want to swap Command (CMD) and Control (CTRL), select a function from the menu for that key.
  • Press the button OK, thereby confirming the changes.

Quotation marks

Quotation marks are a chapter unto themselves in OS X. Although Czech is also present in the system since version 10.7, Mac still ignores some Czech typographical rules. One of them is the quotation marks, both single and double. These are written with the SHIFT + Ů key, just like on Windows, however, while Microsoft's operating system makes the quotation marks correctly (""), OS X makes English quotation marks (""). Correct Czech quotation marks should be at the beginning of the quoted phrase at the bottom with beaks towards the left and at the end of the phrase at the top with beaks towards the right, i.e. type 9966. Although quotation marks can be inserted manually via keyboard shortcuts (ALT+SHIFT+N, ALT+SHIFT+H) luckily in OS X you can also set the default shape of the quotation marks.

  • Open up System Preferences > Language and text.
  • On card text you will find a quote option where you can choose their shape for both double and single variants. For double choose the shape 'abc' and for simple 'abc'
  • However, this did not set the automatic use of this type of quotes, only their shape when replacing. Now open the text editor you are writing in.
  • On the menu Editing (Edit) > Confusions (Substitutions) choose Smart quotes (Smart Quotes).
  • Now typing quotes with SHIFT+ will work correctly.

 

Unfortunately, there are two problems here. Apps don't remember this setting and Smart Quotes need to be set up again each time it's launched. Some applications (TextEdit, InDesign) have a permanent setting in the preferences, but most of them do not. The second problem is that some applications do not have the possibility to set Substitutions at all, for example Internet browsers or IM clients. I consider this a major flaw in OS X and I just hope Apple does something about this problem. Although APIs are available for persistent settings, this should be done at the system level, not by third-party applications.

As for single quotation marks, they must be typed manually using the keyboard shortcuts ALT+N and ALT+H

Semicolon

You don't come across the semicolon that often when writing normal style, however, it is one of the most important characters in programming (it ends lines) and, of course, the popular emoticon cannot do without it ;-). In Windows, the semicolon is located to the left of the "1" key, on the Mac keyboard it is missing and must be written with the shortcut ALT+Ů, on the key where you would expect it, you will find the left or right angle bracket. This can be handy for HTML and PHP programming, however many would prefer the semicolon there.

There are two solutions here. If you're not pasting in the same location as in Windows, but want to be able to type a semicolon by pressing a single key, you can use the text replacement feature in OS X. Just use a key or character that you don't use at all and have the system replace it with a semicolon. An ideal candidate is a paragraph (§), which you type with the key to the right next to "ů". You can find instructions for creating a text shortcut <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1932/8043/files/200721_ODSTOUPENI_BEZ_UDANI_DUVODU__EN.pdf?v=1595428404" data-gt-href-en="https://en.notsofunnyany.com/">here</a>.

Note: Keep in mind that you always need to press the space bar to call up the text shortcut, the character is not replaced immediately when you type it.

The second way is by using a paid application Keyboard Maestro, which can create system-level macros.

  • Open the app and create a new macro (CMD+N)
  • Name the macro and press the button New Trigger, select from the context menu Hot Key Trigger.
  • To the field Type click the mouse and press the key you want to use for the semicolon, for example the one to the left of "1".
  • Press the button New action and select an item from the menu on the left Insert Text double click on it.
  • Type a semicolon in the text field and select an option from the context menu above it Insert Text by Typing.
  • The macro will save itself and you're done. Now you can press the selected key anywhere and a semicolon will be written instead of the original character without having to press anything else.

Apostrophe

With the apostrophe (') the situation is even more complicated. There are three types of apostrophe. The ASCII apostrophe (‚), which is used in command interpreters and source codes, the inverted apostrophe (`), which you use exclusively when working with the Terminal, and finally the only correct apostrophe that belongs to Czech punctuation ('). On Windows, you can find it under the key to the right next to the paragraph while holding down the SHIFT key. In OS X, there is an inverted apostrophe in the same place, and if you want the Czech one, you have to use the keyboard shortcut ALT+J.

If you are used to the keyboard layout from Czech Windows, it will be ideal to replace the inverted apostrophe. This can be achieved as with the semicolon by system substitution or by using the Keyboard Maestro application. In the first case, just add an inverted apostrophe to "Replace" and the correct apostrophe to "behind". However, when using this solution, you will need to press the spacebar after each apostrophe to invoke the replacement.

If you prefer to create a macro in Keyboard Maestro, follow these steps:

  • Open the app and create a new macro (CMD+N)
  • Name the macro and press the button New Trigger, select from the context menu Hot Key Trigger.
  • To the field Type click the mouse and press the key you want to use for the semicolon including holding down SHIFT.
  • Press the button New action and from the menu on the left, select the Insert Text item by double-clicking on it.
  • Type an apostrophe in the text field and select an option from the context menu above it Insert Text by Typing.
  • Done. Now you can press the selected key anywhere and a normal apostrophe will be written instead of the original inverted apostrophe.

Do you also have a problem to solve? Do you need advice or perhaps find the right application? Do not hesitate to contact us via the form in the section Counseling, next time we will answer your question.

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