Keyman Developer structure for standard keyboard source file folders

Keyman Developer generates keyboard project files in a standard layout. Keyman Cloud uses this file layout. It is highly recommended to adhere to this file layout.

About the source files

When you create and build a project, you'll end up with the following structure. Some files may be not be present, depending on the targets you specify.

sample
│   HISTORY.md
│   LICENSE.md
│   README.md
│   sample.kpj
│   sample.kpj.user
│
├───build
|       sample.keyboard_info
│       sample.kmp
│       sample.kmx
│       sample.kvk
│       sample.js
│
└───source
        readme.htm
        sample.keyman-touch-layout
        sample.kmn
        sample.kps
        sample.kvks
        welcome.htm

Now that probably seems like a whole lot of files! But each file has a purpose.

Root folder

sample.kpj : The main project file. This contains references to all the components: keyboards, models, and packages.

sample.kpj.user

: A user preference file. You can safely delete it at any time (you'll lose some remembered settings from Keyman Developer, but nothing consequential) and it should not be shared in a git repository.

Some of these files are metadata files: information about your keyboard project that will help you and others maintain your keyboard project in the future.

For example, you may wish to make your keyboard project into a git repository and push it an online public git host such as GitHub or GitLab.

README.md : Provides an introduction to the keyboard project when others stumble across it. This file is in Markdown format.

LICENSE.md : Explains the rights that you give to others (by default, it will be the MIT license -- which is what we require for Keyman Cloud -- but you can change that to any license you wish). This file is in Markdown format.

HISTORY.md : A place to record changes you make to the project over time. This file is in Markdown format.

• Note: Keyman Developer 16 included a .keyboard_info file in this folder. This file is no longer required, as the required metadata can be generated from the keyboard source files instead.

Source folder

The files in the source folder are more fully described in the Keyman Developer user guide.

source/sample.kmn : Your keyboard source. It will compile to a .kmx (desktop targets) or a .js (web / touch targets).

source/sample.kps : The package source, which is used to create a compressed .kmp archive of the files needed for distribution.

source/readme.htm : Introductory web page for end users of your keyboard, shown before they install it, so they know what it is used for.

source/welcome.htm : A web page which describes how to use your keyboard, ideally with examples.

source/sample.keyman-touch-layout : This touch layout file description is in JSON format and most easily visually edited with the Keyman Developer touch layout editor. This file is optional; remove the reference from the keyboard source if you don't wish to use it.

source/sample.kvks: : The on screen keyboard template for desktop platforms. It is in XML format and most easily visually edited with the Keyman Developer on screen keyboard editor. This file is optional; remove the reference from the keyboard source if you don't wish to use it.

Build folder

All of the files in the build folder are generated by the kmc compiler. None of these files should be included in a git repository.

build/sample.keyboard_info : A metadata file detailing the keyboard's origin, version, requirements, and capabilities. This file is built automatically by the kmc compiler. Please see .keyboard_info specification for more details.

build/sample.kmp : The installable package file -- installable in all Keyman end user products

build/sample.js : The keyboard compiled to Javascript for use with KeymanWeb

build/sample.kvk : The compiled on screen keyboard. This intermediate file should not be distributed; it is included in the compiled package.

build/sample.kmx : The compiled keyboard. This intermediate file should not be distributed; it is included in the compiled package.