KeyPole is an add-in for Microsoft^® Word (Word 2003 and higher) for rapid input of Polish text on a QWERTY keyboard. This system lets you choose between a new, simple approach and an improved version of the traditional Polish PL keyboard, using intuitive keys.

KeyPole allows you to type accents with the minimum of effort—In fact the only effort you will ever need to apply is lifting your finger!

• To type z ...... press the Z key
• To type ż ...... press the Z key
• To type ź ...... press the Z key

When the correct accent appears, just lift your finger from the key: it really is as simple as that!

Adjusting the speed
When you first try KeyPole you may find that at the default speed the accents change very fast, making it difficult to pick the precise moment to lift your finger to obtain the accent you want. You can adjust the speed at the click of a button. A little experimentation will soon establish the best settings for KeyPole, given the speed of your processor.

Audio clues
If you prefer touch-typing, an optional beep will sound each time the accent on the screen changes. Lift your finger as soon as you hear the beep for the accent you want. Use this option to avoid constant peering at the screen.

Tone colours
If you prefer watching the screen as you type, this option makes it much easier to identify the different accents visually. The letter you are typing will be highlighted, changing colour for each accent: for example ż, ź, etc.

Direct typing of accented letters
The simpler KeyPole method we've described is straightforward: there's nothing to memorize. However, it can be rather slow if you're a good typist. For that reason the program includes an alternative way of typing the accented letters directly. These alternative keys (including those which are not used in Polish) are above or next to the keys for the unaccented letters: to type ą, for example, press the Q key (immediately above the A key on a QWERTY keyboard), and for ę press the 3 key (above the E key). The crossed L (ł) is typed using the X key (this is easy to remember, since X is also a "crossed" letter). Two letters use numbers which are visually similar: ż is typed with the 2 key, and ś with the 5 key.

You can of course type these accented letters in the usual way, by holding down the L, A, E etc keys until the required accent appears.

Digraphs (ch, cz, sz, etc)
KeyPole includes shortcuts for typing these important Polish letter combinations. Cz and sz, for example, can be typed by holding down the C and S keys respectively. The combination ść (as in Solidarność) is typed by holding down the 5 key. Even the common four-letter sequence szcz (eg Szczecin) can be typed in this way by holding down the S key slightly longer than for sz.

Dropdown menus
If you cannot remember the correct key for a particular letter, simply click on the appropriate button on the toolbar at the top of the screen. A dropdown list will appear, on which you can click on the required letter. Next to the letter on the menu you will see a reminder of the correct key to type next time you need this letter.

Quotation marks
You can type authentic Polish quotation marks („cudzysłów”) by holding down the apostrophe key (') longer than normal for the opening mark, and slightly longer still for the closing mark..

Demonstration
Click on the button to see a slowed-down demo of the sequence of accents.

Pricing
KeyPole is priced at £26 (approximate conversions are shown below). You can try out the program using our free 15-day trial offer.

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