BÉPO

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BÉPO is a keyboard layout designed for the French language. It is optimized for the French typist, aiming to reduce finger movement and increase typing speed and comfort. The BÉPO layout is part of the Dvorak family of keyboard layouts, which are designed to be more efficient than the traditional QWERTY layout.

History

The BÉPO layout was developed by a group of French enthusiasts who were inspired by the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard. The project began in the early 2000s and was officially released in 2006. The layout was created to address the inefficiencies of the QWERTY layout for French typists, such as the need for frequent use of the Shift key and the awkward placement of common French characters like é and è.

Design Principles

The BÉPO layout is designed based on several principles:

• **Frequency of Use**: Common letters and characters are placed in the most accessible positions.
• **Hand Alternation**: The layout encourages alternating hands to increase typing speed and reduce strain.
• **Ergonomics**: The layout minimizes finger movement and awkward hand positions.
• **Compatibility**: The layout includes all the characters needed for French, as well as other languages that use the Latin alphabet.

Key Features

• **Home Row**: The most frequently used letters in French, such as E, A, S, and T, are placed on the home row.
• **Accented Characters**: Accented characters like é, è, à, and ç are easily accessible without the need for complex key combinations.
• **Special Characters**: The layout includes easy access to special characters used in programming and other technical fields.

Adoption and Usage

While the BÉPO layout is not as widely adopted as QWERTY, it has a dedicated user base among French typists and programmers. It is supported by various operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. There are also several online resources and communities that provide support and training for new users.

Comparison with Other Layouts

The BÉPO layout is often compared to other alternative keyboard layouts such as the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard and the Colemak layout. Each of these layouts has its own strengths and weaknesses, but BÉPO is specifically tailored for the French language, making it a preferred choice for French-speaking typists.

See Also

• Keyboard layout
• Dvorak Simplified Keyboard
• Colemak
• QWERTY
• Ergonomics

Related Pages

• French language
• Typing
• Ergonomics
• Keyboard (computing)
• Input method