# Helm Keyboard v5.6

Helm Keyboard is a radial-first writing app designed for fast, adaptive, and accessible text input using keyboard, pointer devices, or gamepad.

## Documentation

- User guide (this file): practical, non-technical usage.
- Full technical reference: [README-TECHNICAL.md](README-TECHNICAL.md)

## What You Can Do

- Write with keyboard and radial segments.
- Insert letters, numbers, symbols, and emojis.
- Use ranked suggestions to complete words quickly.
- Learn from your writing so suggestions improve over time.
- Predict likely next words with bigrams.
- Save notes, restore previous notes, and maintain writing history.
- Import/export glossaries and full backups.
- Use gamepad input with configurable mapping.

## Quick Start

1. Open the app and click inside the editor.
2. Type normally or use the radial panel.
3. Click suggestion chips to complete words.
4. Switch radial mode when needed (letters, numbers, symbols, emojis).
5. Save your note.

## Writing Workflow Example

1. Start typing a sentence: `Today I want to build a`.
2. Pick a suggestion like `prototype`.
3. Continue writing and accept suggestions for speed.
4. Save the note.
5. Over time, the app learns your vocabulary and phrasing.

## Main Features

### 1) Radial Input

- Circular segment-based interaction for core character entry.
- Fast mode switching for letters, numbers, symbols, and emojis.
- Variant panel for accented and extended letter forms.

### 2) Suggestions

- Suggestions combine multiple sources:
  - learned user dictionary
  - active glossaries
  - optional next-word bigrams
- Supports prefix-only and prefix-plus-next-word modes.

### 3) Learning

- Learns words from text input and configurable actions.
- Can learn next-word bigrams from text and suggestion clicks.
- Bigram matching is case-sensitive.

### 4) History and Reuse

- Save notes to history.
- Reopen and edit saved notes quickly.

### 5) Data Portability

- Export backup JSON.
- Restore backup JSON.
- Import glossary JSON files.

### 6) Customization

- Extensive settings for input behavior and UI.
- Presets and custom presets.
- Theme palettes with built-in and custom options.

### 7) Accessibility and Alternate Input

- Directional and dwell-based interaction modes.
- Gamepad support with per-button mapping and repeat tuning.

## Gamepad Quick Notes

1. Enable gamepad in settings.
2. Configure buttons and deadzone.
3. Test physical controller signals with:
   - https://hardwaretester.com/gamepad

## Support

If Helm Keyboard helps your workflow, you can support development:

[Buy Me a Coffee](https://buymeacoffee.com/devdch)

## Version

Current build in app: `v5.6`.