UNID TypeSmart — Complete Guide

Version 1.7.0 | Windows 10/11 (64-bit) | UNID.Digital

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What is TypeSmart?

UNID TypeSmart is a system-wide Sinhala typing tool for Windows. It runs silently in the background and lets you type Sinhala Unicode in any application — Word, WhatsApp, Chrome, Notepad, VS Code, anywhere — without switching keyboard layouts, installing fonts, or changing system settings.

You type in the way that feels natural to you:

• Hybrid mode — type English phonetics (Singlish), get Sinhala Unicode instantly
• Wijesekera mode — full traditional Sinhala typewriter keyboard layout

No clipboard tricks, no copy-paste. Conversion happens directly at the keyboard level using a low-level hardware hook.

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Quick Start

1. Install and launch — TypeSmart appears as a tray icon near the clock
2. Open any app (Word, Chrome, WhatsApp, etc.) and start typing Singlish
3. Press Space or Enter after each word — it converts automatically
4. If multiple Sinhala options exist, a popup lets you pick with arrow keys
5. Press F8 to cycle modes: Hybrid → Wijesekera → Paused

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Installation

1. Run TypeSmart_Setup_v1.7.0.exe
2. Follow the wizard (Next → Next → Install)
3. Optional: tick Create a desktop shortcut and/or Start automatically with Windows
4. Click Finish — TypeSmart starts immediately in the system tray

The app installs to C:\Program Files\UNID TypeSmart and requires no extra software or fonts.

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How It Works

TypeSmart installs a low-level keyboard hook that intercepts every keystroke system-wide. When you finish typing a Singlish word (by pressing Space, Enter, Tab, or punctuation), it replaces the typed word with the correct Sinhala Unicode — instantly, in whatever app has focus.

You type:    wada [Space]
TypeSmart:   detects "wada" → replaces with වැඩ [Space]

You type:    mama gedara yanawaa [Space]
TypeSmart:   replaces each word → මම  ගෙදර  යනවා

The app icon sits in the system tray (near the clock). Right-click it to access settings, SmartPad, and the quit option.

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Input Modes

TypeSmart has three primary modes, which you can cycle through using F8:

The current mode is always shown in the tray icon tooltip — e.g. TypeSmart [Hybrid | Sinhala First] or TypeSmart [Wijesekera | Sinhala First].

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Hybrid Mode (Singlish Typing)

Basic Usage

Type a Singlish word, then press Space, Enter, Tab, or a punctuation key (. , ? ! ; :). TypeSmart replaces the word with Sinhala Unicode.

ALL-CAPS bypass — Words typed in ALL CAPITALS are never converted and pass through as-is. Use this for acronyms: UNESCO, PDF, HTML stay unchanged.

Backspace — While building a word, Backspace removes the last character from the internal buffer (in addition to erasing it from the screen).

Vowels

After a consonant, vowels become diacritics automatically — e.g. ka → ක + ා = කා, kA → ක + ැ = කැ, kAA → ක + ෑ = කෑ.

Consonants

The transliteration is case-sensitive. Lowercase = standard form; uppercase = retroflex or aspirated form.

Conjunct Consonants (Automatic)

When consonants cluster together, TypeSmart automatically inserts the correct Unicode joiners:

Word Map (Dictionary Words)

TypeSmart includes a built-in dictionary of 350+ common Sinhala words. When a word has only one match it is injected automatically. When multiple options exist, a selection overlay appears above your cursor — pick with arrow keys, number keys, or mouse click.

Examples of multi-candidate words:

Frequency Learning

TypeSmart tracks which candidate you pick most often for each word. After consistent picks at ≥ 90 % rate (10+ times), it learns your preference and starts auto-inserting the top choice — the overlay stops appearing for that word. Learned preferences are stored in usage_stats.json and persist across sessions.

Priority Modes

Press F9 to toggle between two priority modes (Hybrid only):

• Sinhala First — Singlish words are always converted to Sinhala unless no match is found
• English First — If the typed word exists in the English dictionary, it is kept in English; only words not found in English are converted

Example in English First mode: typing bath keeps "bath" (English word) rather than converting to "බත්".

Special Prefixes

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Wijesekera Mode

Press F8 to switch to Wijesekera mode. This implements the standard Wijesekera keyboard layout — the official Sinhala typewriter layout used in Sri Lanka. TypeSmart maps physical US QWERTY key positions, so it works correctly regardless of the active Windows keyboard language.

Key Layout

Normal Keys

Keys marked (pre) are pre-modifier vowel signs — type them before the consonant.

AltGr (Right Alt) Keys

Hold Right Alt and press a key for rare characters:

Typing Vowel Sounds

Pre-modifier vowels must be typed before the consonant:

Examples:

• e + l → කැ
• E + l → කෑ
• f + l → කෙ
• f + f (double-tap) → ෛ

Post-consonant Vowel Completions

After typing a consonant, additional vowel keys complete the vowel form:

Vowel Ligature Extensions

Two independent vowels can be extended into their long form by pressing d immediately after:

Conjunct Characters

Sinhala conjunct characters require a special key sequence:

Backslash rule: After any consonant, pressing \ automatically inserts al-kanna (්) + ZWJ so the next consonant forms a conjunct — no need to type al-kanna separately.

Examples:

• l + \ + I → ක්‍ෂ
• l + ` → ක්‍ර
• l + H → ක්‍ය

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Selection Overlay

When a Singlish word has multiple Sinhala candidates, a floating overlay appears near your cursor:

• ← → arrow keys — navigate candidates
• 1 2 3 … number keys — pick directly by position
• Space or Enter — confirm selection
• Tab — confirm and advance
• Escape — cancel (restores the original typed word and trigger key)

The overlay disappears automatically after selection or cancellation.

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SmartPad

SmartPad is a standalone Sinhala rich-text editor included with TypeSmart. Open it from:

• System tray — right-click the tray icon → SmartPad
• Windows Jump List — right-click the TypeSmart taskbar icon → SmartPad

Features:

• Full Unicode Sinhala input using the same transliteration engine
• Rich formatting: font family (all installed Windows fonts), size, bold, italic, underline, strikethrough, text colour, highlight, alignment, lists
• FM Abhaya ↔ Unicode conversion for legacy documents
• Save and open .txt files with Ctrl+S / Ctrl+O
• Dark / light theme toggle in the title bar
• Copy/paste with full Unicode support

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FM Abhaya Converter

TypeSmart includes a bi-directional converter for legacy FM Abhaya (ASCII-encoded) Sinhala documents.

• Win + Shift + F9 — convert highlighted text between FM Abhaya and Unicode
• Works in any application — select text, press the shortcut, text is converted in-place
• Auto-detects whether the selected text is FM Abhaya or Unicode
• Enable/disable via Settings → FM Converter

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App Filter (Per-Application Control)

TypeSmart can be silently disabled for specific applications — useful for games, terminals, or any app where you never need Sinhala typing.

• Open Settings → App Filter
• The current foreground app is shown automatically
• Click Add to disable TypeSmart for that app
• TypeSmart resumes automatically when you switch to another app

Automatic pausing — TypeSmart always pauses itself for:

• Windows with titles containing "password", "login", "sign in", or similar keywords
• Browser address bars (Chrome / Edge omnibox) — detected via UIAutomation

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System Tray & Jump List

The TypeSmart tray icon (near the clock) is the main control point:

• Left-click — nothing (icon shows current mode in tooltip)
• Right-click — opens tray menu: Mode, Priority, SmartPad, Settings, Quit
• Tooltip — shows current mode and priority, e.g. TypeSmart [Hybrid | Sinhala First]

Windows Jump List — Right-click the TypeSmart icon on the taskbar (while the app is running) for quick access to Settings and SmartPad without opening the tray menu.

Single-instance guard — Launching TypeSmart a second time when it is already running automatically opens the Settings window instead of starting a duplicate process.

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Settings

Open Settings from the tray menu or via the Jump List.

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Custom Word Mappings (My Words)

Add your own Singlish → Sinhala mappings for words not in the built-in dictionary.

1. Open Settings → My Words
2. Type the Singlish form and the Sinhala target (comma-separated for multiple options)
3. Click Add — takes effect immediately, no restart needed

Custom mappings take priority over the built-in dictionary and always appear first in the overlay.

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Keyboard Shortcuts

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Benefits

For Everyday Users

• No layout switching — type Sinhala without changing your keyboard language in Windows settings
• No font installation — outputs standard Unicode, works everywhere
• Familiar phonetics — type the way Sinhala sounds in English (honda → හොඳ, mama → මම)
• Smart learning — remembers your preferred words and stops asking

For Professional Use

• Any application — Word, Excel, Chrome, WhatsApp Web, Notepad, VS Code, Telegram — works everywhere
• Legacy document support — FM Abhaya to Unicode conversion for old documents
• Per-app control — disable TypeSmart for specific apps without toggling manually
• Privacy-aware — automatically pauses on password/login fields

For Traditional Typists

• Full Wijesekera layout — the standard Sinhala typewriter layout, familiar to trained typists
• Complete conjunct support — type ක්ෂ, ශ්‍ය, ක්‍ය and other conjuncts with single shortcuts
• AltGr support — access rare and archaic Sinhala characters

Technical

• Direct Unicode injection — uses SendInput with KEYEVENTF_UNICODE; works in all input fields regardless of active keyboard layout
• Low latency — suppress-based hardware keyboard hook, near-zero input delay
• Lightweight — ~26 MB installed, minimal CPU usage, runs as a tray icon

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System Requirements

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Troubleshooting

TypeSmart not converting my typing

• Check the tray icon is present (near the clock)
• Right-click the tray icon — confirm mode is Hybrid (not Wijesekera or Paused)
• Press F8 to cycle to Hybrid if needed
• Check if the current app is in the App Filter exclusion list (Settings → App Filter)

Converted text appears in the wrong place

• This can happen in some web apps with non-standard input fields. Disable TypeSmart for that app via App Filter.

Double characters or extra spaces appearing

• Restart TypeSmart from the tray menu (Quit, then relaunch from Start Menu or desktop shortcut)

Wijesekera mode not producing correct characters

• Ensure your Windows keyboard language is set to English (US) — Wijesekera mode maps physical key positions, not characters from the active Windows layout

AltGr keys not working in Wijesekera mode

• Make sure you are pressing the Right Alt key specifically — Left Alt does not trigger AltGr mappings
• On some keyboards AltGr is labelled "Alt Gr" and sits to the right of the Space bar

Can't type English when TypeSmart is running

• Switch to English First mode (F9), or press F8 twice to switch to Paused mode temporarily
• Type ALL CAPS to pass any word through as English without switching modes

Overlay appears but disappears before I can pick

• The overlay stays open until you make a selection or press Escape — it should not close on its own. If it closes unexpectedly, check that no other app is capturing keyboard focus.

Settings window won't open

• If TypeSmart is already running, launching it again opens Settings automatically. Try double-clicking the desktop shortcut while TypeSmart is already in the tray.

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Data Files

All user data is stored in the app's data folder (C:\Program Files\UNID TypeSmart\data\) and is preserved across updates:

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Version History

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