Hi to all, In Windows 7 and early versions using Regional and language settings applet you can set up multiple input language. For each language you can add multible keyboards (keyboard layouts). For example, for English (USA) you can set up default USA layout and Dvorak. However clicking "Show more" in Add input language window allows you to set up keyboard layout of any language for this language. For example, you can add russian layout to english input language or chinese layout to spanish. What is the sense in this feature? What the sense in input languages if you can add for each input language any keyboard layout, even from different writing system? Thanks.

Hi Alexander, Thanks for the post! Every keyboard layout has a corresponding handle that identifies the layout and language.The user can associate any input language with a physical layout. This means the user can enter text in French using the familiar English layout. I would like to share this document with you to understanding more design about the Keyboard Input: About Keyboard Input (Windows) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms646267(v=VS.85).aspx Regards, MiyaThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Thank you for the answer, but I still not understand. The document says: "A keyboard layout not only specifies the physical position of the keys on the keyboard but also determines the character values generated by pressing those keys. Each layout identifies the current input language and determines which character values are generated by which keys and key combinations." But I dont see that layout identifies the input language in Windows 7. I can setup absolutely any layout to any input language, so what's the difference between setting up two input languages with one layout for each or setting up one input languages with two layouts? http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/2345/input.png For example, what difference between having two input languages: English keyboard: english (USA) Russian keyboard: russian and one input language with 2 layouts: English keyboards: english (USA), russian

Thanks for the feedback. From the document, I don't think there would be much difference in the usage results, between the two combinations. The keyboard layout and the characters generated by pressing keys are decided by the keyboard layout, not the nature language. The default keyboard layout are picked by Microsoft to simplify your configurations. For example, if you are located in the United States and use English(United States), the most possible keyboard layouts you may use is US(Default), United States-Dvorak, and so on. This doesn't exclude the possibilities that you want to click "Show More..." and add other languages into your natural language category. I think there might be some exceptions for 3rd party input systems, for example, for Asian character language users, the 3rd party keyboard layouts are only listed in the specific language categories. I hope the information could help you. Regards, Miya This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights. | Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" on the post that helps you, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.

Here is an example for the effect of setting the input language. Start winword, switch the input language to spanish, and type ?Que hora es? Winword will correct your input to Qu hora es?