Lesson 9: Numbers

This is Aerick's video on remaining Plover lessons and the dictionary file format:

Aerick's 3rd Plover Video


The Number Bar

Traditional stenotype keyboards have a single long key at the top, running from left to right, called the number bar. If you've converted a Qwerty keyboard for use with Plover, then pressing any one of the number keys is the same as pressing the steno number bar. It doesn't matter which one you press; they all mean the same thing. Specifically they mean that any other keys in the stroke must be interpreted as producing not English text, but Arabic numerals.

For all keys aside from the number bar, all the same fingers remain responsible for the same keys, as covered in the fingering chart from Lesson 1: Fingers And Keys. However, any finger that presses a key in the top row should also simultaneously press the number bar:

When pressing more than one key in the top row, only one of your fingers needs to press the number bar - though pressing it with more than one won't harm anything.

If no key in the top row is pressed (for example for #A or #O as described below), the left middle finger is responsible for pressing the number bar.

One And Two Digit Numbers

These are the strokes to type each of the ten digits:

  • '1': #S-
  • '2': #T-
  • '3': #P-
  • '4': #H
  • '5': #A
  • '0': #O
  • '6': #-F
  • '7': #-P
  • '8': #-L
  • '9': #-T

Notice that the '0' is right in the middle, in order to match up with the O key. With that exception, also notice that the list of numbers is in steno order: STKPWHRAO*EUFRPBLGTSDZ.

To type a two digit number, stroke two single digit numbers together:

  • '25': #TA
  • '07': #OP
  • '49': #HT
  • etc.

In their unmodified form, two digit numbers always match the steno order of the keys used to stroke them. To invert that order, add the EU chord:

  • '52': #TAEU
  • '70': #OEUP
  • '94': #HEUT
  • etc.

To have the second digit be the same as the first, use the single digit that you want, but add the D key to the stroke:

  • '11': #S-D
  • '22': #T-D
  • '33': #P-D
  • '44': #HD
  • '55': #AD
  • '00': #OD
  • '66': #FD
  • '77': #-PD
  • '88': #LD
  • '99': #-TD

Longer Numbers

When you stroke one number after another, Plover does not add a space between them. It's possible to type a long number by stroking all the parts of that number in turn:

  • '1068': #SO/#FL
  • '700039': #OEUP/#OD/#P-T
  • '81254583': #SEUL/#TA/#HA/#PEUL
  • etc.

Sequences of digits that are all in steno order may be typed all at once. For example, '25689' may be stroked as #TAFLT. However, when stroking more than two digits this way, the D, EU, and other modifiers don't work.

There are typically many different ways to stroke a long number. For example, '1068' may also be stroked as #S/#O/#F/#L, or #SOFL. It's up to you.

Hundreds

If you want to add a double zero to a single digit number, you could use the #OD stroke after the number, for example stroking '100' as #S/#OD, or you could include the Z key in your stroke.

  • '100': #S-Z
  • '200': #T-Z
  • '300': #P-Z
  • '400': #HZ
  • '500': #AZ
  • '600': #FZ
  • '700': #-PZ
  • '800': #LZ
  • '900': #-TZ

Hundreds Of Dollars

To prefix a single digit number with the '$' character and add a double zero after it, add the DZ chord to the number stroke:

  • '$100': #SDZ
  • '$200': #T-DZ
  • '$300': #P-DZ
  • '$400': #HDZ
  • '$500': #ADZ
  • '$600': #FDZ
  • '$700': #-PDZ
  • '$800': #LDZ
  • '$900': #-TDZ

O'Clock

To express a one or two digit number as clock time, add either K or BG to the stroke:

  • '1:00': #SK or #SBG
  • '2:00': #TK or #TBG
  • '3:00': #KP or #P-BG
  • '4:00': #KH or #HBG
  • '5:00': #KA or #ABG
  • '6:00': #KF or #FBG
  • '7:00': #K-P or #-PBG
  • '8:00': #KL or #BLG
  • '9:00': #KT or #BGT
  • '10:00': #SKO or #SOBG
  • '11:00': #SKD or #SBGD
  • '12:00': #STK or #STBG
  • '13:00': #SKP- or #SP-BG
  • '14:00': #SKH or #SHBG
  • '15:00': #SKA or #SABG
  • '16:00': #SKF or #SFBG
  • '17:00': #SK-P or #S-PBG
  • '18:00': #SKL or #SBLG
  • '19:00': #SKT or #SBGT
  • '20:00': #TKO or #TOBG
  • '21:00': #STKEU or #STEUBG
  • '22:00': #TKD or #TBGD
  • '23:00': #TKP- or #T-PBG
  • '24:00': #TKH or #THBG