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I'm having a big problem as I don't know touch typing. I look at the keyboard (hunt and peck).

However, I really want to learn touch typing. I have tried many times, but I don't have the patience and time to spare an hour everyday for that.

So, can I learn typing while I do some practice at my work?

I mean, practicing those lessons whilst coding.

Anyone know if that will work?

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Don't try to do the 2 things at the same time: program or practice touch typing. – Peter Rowell Oct 15 '12 at 3:43
if you are going to try this don't use intellisense at the same time – jk. Oct 15 '12 at 6:45
I have a desk with one of those pull-out keyboard benches, but I'm too lazy to actually pull it out, so I end up typing with my hands obscured by the desk's top. That helped ME become a good touch typist. Though I admit, that's probably a bit much to ask for somebody just starting to learn. I'm sure I looked at my hands a lot when I started. The desk just encouraged me not to. – KChaloux Oct 15 '12 at 18:24

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6 Answers

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I learned how to touch type in the 9th grade. I was sick of three years of programming while "hunting and pecking", so I signed up for a typing class. After one class I knew that was a complete waste of time, so I immediately dropped the course.

But I was determined to type, so I went to the library and borrowed a touch typing book. This book had graded exercises. Each exercise consisted of some line of text. The first exercises only used home row keys like asdfjkl. Gradually, the exercises added more letters and symbols, moving farther and farther from the home row. Of course, the idea is to do these exercises without looking at your fingers.

Now here is the thing: instead of typing just the line once, I repeated each exercise enough times to fill the screen before moving to the next exercise: some two kilobytes' worth. I did this for maybe 30 to 60 minutes a day. It took about a week or two to go through the entire book, but at the end, I could touch type. After that, I didn't require exercises any longer. I then typed without looking, using all fingers, and so my day-to-day typing was enough to sustain further improvements in speed and accuracy.

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If you are 100% new to touch typing you should start with an online touch-typing tutorial first. Just to get a little muscle memory and technique down. But yes, I would start using touch typing early on in your work. Put your pointer fingers on the F and J keys and start typing. Look at the keyboard when you need to, but keep your hands in the right positions.

Don't give up. The time you save will add years to your life. Work is more fun when text flys off your finger tips.

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It will add years to your life, until you discover Usenet. – Kaz Oct 15 '12 at 6:11
I switched to Dvorak to finally learn to touch type. If only to force me not to look at the keys (they didn't match the labels on them anyway). – Martijn Pieters Oct 15 '12 at 7:27
up vote 2 down vote

Typing.io is good place for practicing touch typing for programmers. It makes you practice all code rather than natural languages. Also there are plenty of good free Typing Tutors available on all platforms.

Coming to second part of your question, about mixing hunt and peck with touch typing :- the answer is completely NO. As long as you continue H&P you cannot develop Touch Typing techniques. Total immersion is the best way to learn typing.

Do not look at the keyboard You may keep a printout of the keyboard layout and stick it on the wall, or make the layout your background, but do not look at the keyboard.

Furthermore, not all keyboards are the same, so whenever you are using a different keyboard, do some practice on that keyboard.

I have current touch typing speed of more than 125 WPM, so these advised come with lot of experience.

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If you think you can successfully divide your attention between focusing on your code and making your fingers operate just so, then why not try it? You have nothing to lose.

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i know its hard but thats why i am asking. because i am feeling very bad when other programmers type lightening fast even not looking at keyboard. I want to learn but i am not bale to do that – user825904 Oct 15 '12 at 2:00
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A very hardcore, throwing yourself off the cliff type of way to learn could be buying this keyboard. I would compare this to 'full immersion' when learning a foreign language.

Not only will it force you to learn the keyboard, mechanical keyboards(this is one of the better ones) are supposedly better/comfortable/less finger energy to type on rather than membrane.

But just like anything, you have to force yourself until it becomes habit.

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To my mind, learning blind typing is quite serious task to perform it during another task. I can say that for me it definitely impossible to train something during work. Switching tasks consumes time and as result I have low efficiency.

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