Re: SIL Toolbox and IPA Unicode 1.0

> From: Amanda Babcock [mailto:ababcock@PANIX.COM]
> Ok, I've been playing around with SIL's Toolbox again
> (successor to Shoebox), and now I'm trying to create a
> project with Unicode data.  I copied the folder "Startup Kit
> IPA Unicode" from the Toolbox Training folder "3 Starting
> Your Own Project" to my working folder.  I managed to
> associate the "IPAUni"
> language encoding with Lucida Sans Unicode, so now I can at
> least see the sample text properly, but what I don't get is -
> how do I enter text?
> The help files say that using the old SIL IPA 93 keyboard
> from Keyman is no longer advised as they recommend Unicode.
> And in fact, there is a keyboard listed under the Options tab
> in the Language Encoding Properties for IPAUni which says
> "IPA Unicode 1.0".  However, I don't have any such keyboard
> listed in my Windows language bar settings.  I'm running
> Windows XP, so I should have the latest and greatest of
> whatever Windows has come up with, such as it is.  So how do
> I enter text using "IPA Unicode 1.0"?
I wish someone had tried to answer this question, I would have loved to see
the answer. I've not started learning to use Toolbox, I keep intending to.
So I've also interested a legit attempt at addressing this issue.

Maybe I should try to address it myself this afternoon. :)

> Somehow it seems like every time I sit down to do some useful
> conlanging or Athabaskan-studying I spend two hours fighting
> with my tools instead.  I need better tools.  It's not just
> Windows; Kura was much the same experience.
And the ensuing off-topic discussion illustrates why. :)

Iain