Diacritics on iPad?

This blog has been quiet for years, and I am sure nobody follows it. But who knows. I just downloaded a new blog editor, and since I had a topic that might be relevant, I could test it out.

The issue is relevant for those who (a) use iPad or iPhone, and (b) write in strange languages, to wit: write in transcription (writing e.g. Arabic in Latin script, with precise indication of long and short a, etc.). Most who have this need, have organized this on the Mac (see https://org.uib.no/smi/ksv/Diacs.html , e.g.). But what about on the iPad (or iPhone)?

As for Arabic transcription, we normally need line above some vowels (āīū) and dots below some consonants (ṣḍḥṭẓ). In addition most use specific characters for the two sounds ‘ayn and hamza, ʿ and ʾ, although others only use inverted apostrophes, ‘ and ’. I have not found any solution to produce the special characters, except using a special program such as Unicode Pad Pro, which gives you access to all signs in all character sets, but in a separate program. 

But how about typing directly on the keyboard?

As most know, you have different on-screen keyboard layouts on the iPad as on the Mac: Go to System Settings: General: Keyboards, and choose “Add keyboard”. That gives you a list. The English keyboard has some diacritics, while other languages have fewer, in my Norwegian one, e.g. I have only ā and ū, but not ī. The standard English keyboard layout, however, has āīū as well as š and ž, but not dots under. How to get them? When you are typing with the keyboard up on the screen, press the a “key” (button?) and hold. You will see alternative forms, such as á and à, and also ā; drag the finger over to the variant you want and let up. 

Other layouts may have more, I discovered I had one called “Hinglish”, which added ḍ and ṣ to āīū, but not ṭ ḥ ẓ, so not sufficient for us. 

However, I just now splashed out on a physical keyboard (“Smart keyboard”) for my iPad Pro, and that in fact adds a lot more options. It is a small plastic keyboard which you attach your iPad to as a cover, but can unfold to reveal the keys, with Command and Option key. You still can select different keyboard layouts, but even with standard English, you do get dot under, but by typing two letters: first the dot-under key, then the letter it should be under. These “diacritic keys” are the following:

Type Option-a  [option key and a pressed together], let up and directly type e.g. i - gives you ī. Same for most vowels, option-a and e for ē, etc. 

Option-g gives dot under: option-g and d: ḍ, option-g and s: ṣ. 

Further: 

option-x line under following letter: ḏ
opion-c:  cedille under following; ş
option-w: dot under: ș
option-p: dot over: ṡ
option-r:  hacek: ǧ
option-y: yumucak: ğ

and many more remote ones, I have not identified all:
option-h: ogonek under following, but only under a few relevant characters: ų
option-j: “tilde” under following, ṵ
option-k: tilde over, ẽ
option-l: line through, ł
Shift-option-F: yoruba ɗ ɓ

Shift-option in many cases give the same as option, only thrown back on preceding instead of above following letter. 

This may not be relevant for many, since the physical keyboard is expensive in itself (I have not tested if third-party keyboards give the same result), and it only works with the expensive iPad Pro, which restricts it further. But if you are in relevant category of people, check it out. I was surprised to see so many options for typing diacritics on the iPad.