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Keyboard Layout Extractor

A C# utility for extracting and exporting Windows keyboard layouts to multiple formats, including QMK-compatible header files. This tool helps keyboard firmware developers and enthusiasts to accurately replicate Windows keyboard layouts in their custom keyboard projects.

Features

  • 🔍 Extracts keyboard layouts directly from Windows Registry
  • 🗺️ Maps virtual keys and character combinations
  • ⚡ Identifies and exports dead key configurations
  • 💾 Exports layouts in multiple formats:
    • JSON format for further processing
    • QMK-compatible header files for firmware development
  • ⌨️ Supports all installed keyboard layouts
  • 🔄 Handles shift states and special characters

Requirements

  • Windows operating system
  • .NET Framework (compatible with the C# version you're using)
  • Administrative privileges (for registry access)

Installation

  1. Clone the repository:
  2. Open the solution in Visual Studio or your preferred C# IDE
  3. Build the project

Usage

  1. Run the executable:
KeyboardLayoutExtractor.exe
  1. The program will automatically:
    • Scan your system for installed keyboard layouts
    • Extract layout information
    • Generate files in the exported_layouts directory

Output Files

The tool generates two types of files for each keyboard layout:

  1. {LayoutId}.json - Contains complete layout data including:

    • Layout identification information
    • Virtual key mappings
    • Character mappings
    • Dead keys list

  2. keymap_{layoutid}.h - QMK-compatible header file containing:

    • Layout definitions
    • Virtual key mappings
    • Dead key definitions

Technical Details

Key Components

  • Uses Windows API (user32.dll) for keyboard layout interaction
  • Registry access for layout enumeration
  • Virtual key mapping and character code conversion
  • Dead key detection and processing

API Functions Used

  • GetKeyboardLayoutList
  • LoadKeyboardLayout
  • VkKeyScanEx
  • MapVirtualKeyEx
  • ToUnicodeEx

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit pull requests or create issues for bugs and feature requests.

Development Guidelines

  1. Follow existing code style and conventions
  2. Add comments for complex operations
  3. Update documentation for new features
  4. Include appropriate error handling

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

  • Windows API documentation
  • QMK Firmware project for keyboard mapping standards

Note on System Access

This program requires registry access to read keyboard layout information. Make sure to run it with appropriate permissions.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

  1. Access Denied

    • Run the program with administrative privileges
    • Check Windows security settings

  2. Missing Layouts

    • Verify layouts are properly installed in Windows
    • Check registry permissions

Error Reporting

When reporting issues, please include:

  • Windows version
  • Installed keyboard layouts
  • Any error messages
  • Generated output files

Project Structure

KeyboardLayoutExtractor/
├── Program.cs              # Main program logic
├── exported_layouts/       # Generated output directory
│   ├── *.json             # Layout data in JSON format
│   └── keymap_*.h         # QMK-compatible header files
└── README.md              # This file