Chechen Palochka (ӏ) iOS/macOS Text Replacement

This project provides a simple way to make typing Chechen words containing the Cyrillic letter “ӏ” (Palochka) easier on iOS and macOS devices, where this character is not available on the standard Russian keyboard.

The Problem

The Chechen letter "ӏ" (U+04CF) is essential for writing in the Chechen language, but it's absent from the standard iOS/macOS Russian keyboard layout. This makes it cumbersome to type words containing this letter, requiring users to copy-paste the character or switch to a custom keyboard layout.

The Solution

This script automates the creation of a text replacement list to solve this problem. It works by:

1. Processing a Wordlist: It reads a list of real Chechen words from a corpora_wordlist.tsv file, sourced from the Chechen Corpora.
2. Generating Shortcuts: It creates simplified versions of words containing "ӏ" by replacing the letter with the number "1". For example, хӏумма becomes х1умма.
3. Exporting a .plist File: It exports these shortcuts and their corresponding full phrases into a replacements.plist file. This file can be directly imported into the Text Replacement settings on macOS.

Once imported on a Mac, these text replacements automatically sync via iCloud to any iPhone or iPad signed in to the same Apple ID, making the shortcuts available across all your devices.

How to Use

Requirements

• Python 3
• pandas library (pip install pandas)

Instructions

1. Get the Wordlist (Optional): If you want to generate replacements from the Chechen Corpora, download the corpora_wordlist.tsv file from their website and place it in the root directory of this project.

2. Add Custom Replacements (Optional): You can add your own custom replacements by creating a file named override.csv in the root directory. This is useful for adding words not found in the corpora or for defining custom shortcuts.

   The file must have two columns: Shortcut and Phrase.

   Example override.csv:

   Shortcut,Phrase
   дог1а,догӏа
   

   Note: Replacements in this file will take priority. If a shortcut exists in both the generated list and override.csv, the version from override.csv will be used.

3. Run the Script: Open your terminal, navigate to the project directory, and run the following command:

   python3 generate_replacements.py

4. Find the .plist File: The script will create a release folder containing the replacements.plist file.

5. Import to macOS:

   • Open System Settings on your Mac.
   • Go to Keyboard.
   • Click on Text Replacements... under the Text Input section.
   • Drag and drop the generated replacements.plist file directly into the text replacements window.

Your new text replacements will now be active on your Mac and will sync to your iOS devices shortly.