Since April 2, 2019, the ability to write French as well as regional and European languages has been increased thanks to the voluntary NF Z71-300 standard proposed by the Association Française de Normalization (Afnor). Manufacturers are free to adopt this standard because it is not mandatory.
homogenize the computer keyboard stock in France and in particular reduce the disparities in character layout between different manufacturers of hardware and operating systems;
improve the ergonomics of the keyboard for the input of French while being in line with the continuity of existing devices so as to propose an evolution that is easy to integrate for users;
allow the entry of all the characters of the regional languages of France and of the Latin-alphabet languages present on the European continent, with priority being given to the customary characters of the major languages of communication in Europe;
to make more accessible new character sets and symbols which may be useful when drafting specific or technical documents (letters of the Greek alphabet, mathematical symbols for example).
FYI
The reflection was initiated in 2015 on a proposal from the General Delegation for the French Language and Languages of France (Ministry of Culture) and a public inquiry was carried out in June 2017 receiving more than 3,000 comments.
The NF Z71-300 standard was then written by members of a commission led by Afnor: keypad manufacturers, IT businesses, associations, scientists, ministries...
The new keyboards
The NF Z71-300 standard offers two models of freely licensed keyboards, each offering the same writing possibilities, but oriented towards different audiences and uses:
The first is a model
azerty
optimized. The 26 letters of the alphabet and the numbers do not change place, unlike some other signs such as accented vowels, the arobase, the punctuation, the pound, the currency symbols, the braces.... Users will therefore be able to easily integrate these developments.
The second model, says
beep
, has already been adopted by some users. New possibilities have been increased by the dead keys (keys which do not cause the immediate display of a character but modify the effect of the next key). This model is recognized as offering the most ergonomic and efficient arrangement for the input of French and other Latin alphabet languages, but also for the programming.
The new models manufactured according to NF Z71-300 will come into being if the manufacturers decide to adopt them. Consumers will then be free to choose whether or not to give preference to them.
FYI
What is a
voluntary standard
?
a guide providing answers to technical and business questions that arise repeatedly on products, capital goods or services;
a tool for optimizing organizational processes and the quality of services or products;
a common language that harmonizes practices and facilitates exchanges.
A voluntary standard is a virtuous and complementary tool to the legal standard, in the service of legislative efficiency and simplification, and is built in a collective way, with the participation of all stakeholders (companies, professional federations and organizations, consumer associations, representatives of the public sphere).
