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{{EngvarB|date=April 2020}}
{{short description|Standard keyboard layout for Indian scripts}}
{{distinguish|InScript (JavaScript engine)}}

{{Refimprove|date=August 2018}}
'''InScript''' (short for Indic Script) is the [[decree]]d standard keyboard layout for Indian [[Writing system|script]]s using a standard 104- or 105-key [[keyboard layout|layout]]. This keyboard layout was standardised by the [[Government of India]] for inputting text in [[languages of India]] written in [[Brahmic scripts]], as well as the [[Santali language]], written in the non-Brahmic [[Ol Chiki]] script.<ref>[http://www.tdil-dc.in/index.php?option=com_vertical&parentid=12&lang=en Indian Language Technology Proliferation and Deployment Centre: Keyboard standards]</ref> It was developed by the Indian Government and supported by several public and private organisations. This is the standard keyboard for 12 Indian scripts including [[Devanagari]], [[Bengali alphabet|Bengali]], [[Gujarati script|Gujarati]], [[Gurmukhi]], [[Kannada script|Kannada]], [[Malayalam script|Malayalam]], [[Odia script|Odia]], [[Tamil script|Tamil]] and [[Telugu script|Telugu]], among others.
The InScript layout is built into most of the major [[operating system]]s including [[Windows]] ([[Windows 2000|2000]] and later), and most [[Linux]] and [[Mac OS]] systems. It is also available in some [[mobile phone]]s and (in the case of Tamil and Hindi) in [[Apple Computer|Apple]]'s [[iOS]] 5{{citation needed|date=March 2012}} and higher. It is available in [[Android (operating system)|Android]] 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and higher but removed from latest Google Keyboard application (Gboard) and Google Indic Keyboard. It is also available for [[Windows Mobile]] 5.x and 6.x from third parties.

==Keyboard layout==
[[File:InScript_Hindi.svg|none|thumb|510x510px|The Devanagari InScript laptop keyboard layout to type Hindi, Marathi and Sanskrit in [[Microsoft Windows|Windows OS]] based computers]]
[[File:KB Bengali.svg|none|thumb|510x510px|Bengali InScript keyboard layout]]
[[File:Tamil keyboard win.png|thumb|510px|none|Tamil InScript keyboard layout]]
[[File:Gujarati InScript Keyboard Layout.jpg|thumb|510px|none|The standard Gujarati InScript bilingual keyboard layout to type Gujǎrātī Lipi in [[Microsoft Windows|Windows OS]] based computers]]
Devanagari InScript bilingual keyboard layout has a common layout for all the Indian scripts. Most [[Indic scripts]] have the same [[phonetic]] character order. A person who knows InScript typing in one script can type in any other Indic script using dictation even without knowledge of that script.
==History==
The first InScript keyboard was standardised in 1986 under the auspices of the DOE (Department of Electronics at the Ministry of Communications & Information Technology).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Sinha|first1=R. Mahesh K.|title=A Journey from Indian Scripts Processing to Indian Language Processing|journal=IEEE Annals of the History of Computing|date=1 January 2009|volume=31|pages=8–26|doi=10.1109/MAHC.2009.1 |s2cid=14981204|url=https://www.cse.iitb.ac.in/~pb/papers/IEEE-annals--sinha-jan2009.pdf|access-date=11 December 2015}}</ref> It was subsequently revised in 1988 by a DOE committee and modifications were made to accommodate ''[[nuqta]]'' extended keys as well as to add certain ''matras''. The last revision to the BIS document was made in 1992, after which the document has not undergone any revision. This was partly because very few new characters were added to the [[ISCII]] code-set and these if at all were handled by extending and generating the character by the use of the nuqta. The BIS document specifically mentions such characters. Hence the InScript keyboards were felt to be self-sufficient. With the advent of [[Unicode]], a few new characters were added to each code-page; characters for which the BIS document had not made any provision. In addition Unicode introduced the concept of [[ZWJ]] and [[ZWNJ]], as well as that of normalisation.

These new features had marked repercussions on storage as well as inputting and an urgent need was felt for a revision whereby each new character introduced in Unicode would be accommodated on the keyboard and a uniform manner of entering data as well as storing data would be devised. With this urgent requirement in mind, [[Centre for Development of Advanced Computing|CDAC]] GIST involved in the initiative all major players: [[IBM]], [[Microsoft]] and [[Red Hat]] Linux and hence in 2008, a joint meeting was organised between CDAC GIST and senior representatives of these multi-nationals to devise a common and uniform strategy for inputting and equally important for storage. This would enable the creation of one single keyboard and more importantly one single storage, essential for all high-end [[Natural language processing|NLP]]. A task-force was created with two major briefs:
# Evolve a design policy which would retain the major features of the existing Inscript keyboard.
# Accommodate on the keyboard every character proposed in Unicode 5.1 and also ensure that the design could accommodate all future additions. This resulted in a document by the joint deliberations of all these companies described as proposal for “Enhanced InScript keyboard layout 5.1”.

==See also==
*[[Clip font]]
*[[Tamil 99]] keyboard for Tamil.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.typingbaba.com/keyboard/online-hindi-keyboard.php Online Hindi Typing]
*[http://www.hinditypingkeyboard.in/p/hindi-keyboard.html Hindi Keyboard]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20141109174251/http://ildc.in/inscriptlayout.html InScript Keyboard Overlay]
*[https://help.keyman.com/keyboard/malayalam/1.1/chart.pdf Inscript Malayalam Keyboard Help (PDF)]
*[http://anektameekta.blogspot.com/2009/03/devnagri-hindi-typing-complete-solution.html TVS Devanagari Bilingual keyboards] with details of keyboard layout, installation instructions for Windows/Linux, shops and online purchase
*[http://www.bhashaindwww.ia.com/Developers/IndianLang/TypingDnagari/ Typing Devanagari text using Hindi Traditional keyboard]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140820020956/http://localisationlabs.balendu.com/Hindi%20Articles.aspx?storyid=060922014603031000 Balendu Sharma Dadhich on Why Hindi users must adopt Inscript] 

{{Keyboard layouts}}

[[Category:Indic computing]]
[[Category:Brahmic scripts]]
[[Category:Keyboard layouts]]

InScript keyboard - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article