How can I use apply the same method to create the optimal layout for other languages?

[gbnewb]

I'm amazed by the idea of using AI to find the most efficient keyboard layout. And I really appreciate the effort you've put into creating the Halmak layout.

It's very obvious that the efficiency of a keyboard layout is language-specific. I want to apply the same method to find the most efficient layout for Chinese (using Cangjie input method) and Japanese (using Romaji). Neither of them requires more keys of those needed to type English. So no problem here.

Since the whole thing is AI based and the only difference is the input material if I understand it correctly, I reckon there's probably a simple way to reutilize the AI you've put a lot of effort into just with different input.

However, I barely have any knowledge in programming, let alone anything AI-related. I would really appreciate it a lot if you would like to guide me to reapply the same AI-based method for input material of other languages!

[kaievns]

Well, in theory yes, you're correct, there shouldn't be any difference. In reality I think it's better to think about this as AI assisted design rather than a fully autonomous search. There is a great degree of human judgement involved in this. The layout I have published is one of a dozen of others that were found and that I had to actually learn and try for reals before I settled on something.

And since I have no idea about quirks of other languages, I wouldn't be able to do that. Also the scripts that I have used are created with the US keyboard and ASCII in mind, it will require a decent amount of work to port that to ISO keyboards and UTF-8.

Just my two cents. Long story short, you'll need to find a programmer native to the language who's also into keyboards to make it happen :)