UPA keyboard: Mac

The UPA Keyboard has five different modes all of which generate a different outcome. The location of the characters on the keyboard can be seen in the keyboard chart in PDF format. Most of the characters are typed in two stages (see section Option Key Mode).

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Basic Mode

In the basic mode, i.e. when no function key (shift, option, or lock key) is pressed down, the keys function in the usual way, generating small letters and numbers: abcxyzåäö1290.

There are even two diacritical marks that are typed in the basic mode: the acute, i.e. the diacritic marking palatalization and the trema, i.e. the two dots of ä. Diacritics are typed after the base character, e.g., ĺ is typed as follows: first l and then the diacritic indicating palatalization (the ´key).

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Shift Key Mode

When the shift key is pressed down, the letter keys produce small capitals, e.g., ᴀʙᴄᴅᴇɢʜɪᴊᴋʟᴍɴᴏᴘʀᴛᴜᴠᴡᴢ. With an ordinary keyboard, using the shift key produces upper case letters. With the UPA keyboard, the upper case letters are typed using the lock key.

Please note that the letters FQSXYÅÄÖ do not exist in small capitals. The number keys produce the regular characters that are found above the numbers on the keyboard.

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Option Key Mode

The use of the option key produces certain diacritics and, e.g., ŋ, ʒ; the turned characters y ɐ, ɔ, ə, as well as the Greek characters γ, δ and φ.

The option key can also be used to produce characters that are part of a special group of letters:

• OPTION + KEY P alternative (Greek or Cyrillic) characters and the spacing variants of most of the diacritics
• OPTION + KEY Q characters turned upside down or sideways
• OPTION + KEY L or § strikethrough characters
• OPTION + KEY + superscript characters and diacritical marks placed above the letter
• OPTION + KEY – subscript characters and diacritical marks placed below the letter

The characters belonging to the above character groups are produced by two-stage typing: first you choose the appropriate group of characters by pressing the referring key with the option key pressed down, then you type the desired special character.  For example, the strikethrough upper case D is typed as follows: first OPTION + L or §, followed by LOCK + D. (You must remember to remove the lock after typing, or else it might confuse further typing!)

The option key works with the number keys as usual.

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Shift-Option Key Mode

The shift and option keys are used to produce some diacritics and a set of other symbols that can be seen in the keyboard chart.

The number keys function as usual when both the shift key and the option key are pressed down.

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Lock Key Mode

Upper case letters are produced by pressing the lock key.

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