.XCompose convert a single character

[Ajith R]

Hi All,

I am new to Linux. I am using Debian GNU Linux 10 with KDE 5.14.5.

I want to make a cutom keyboard layout for my mother tongue Malayalam (Kerala, India). I have managed to write the layout (by modifying the /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/in file and apparently it is working  ok. One character in Malayalam U0D19 ങ is not used as such (except rarely when referring to the character itself). It is used as conjuncts, mostly as its geminate form. To get the geminate form one need to type UD019 ങ followed by U0D4D ് followed by UD019 ങ again to get ങ്ങ. If I could get every UD019 ങ converted to ങ്ങ, it could save a lot of key press (1 in place of three). I learned that .XCompose is the place to do that. However, my .XCompose is not working. Its current content is as below.

include "%L" 

<ങ>            : "ങ്ങ"

I also tried 

include "%L" 

<q> <q>           : "QQ"

to see if the english characters would work, but to no avail.

I read here https://dominiko.livejournal.com/20206.html that something similar was done, but couldn't really understand what I am doing wrong.

I am trying this forum after trying Debian mail list unsuccesfully.

My queries

1) Does the .XCompose mechanism permit conversion of a single /multiple charcter(s)  to a string without using Compose / dead keys?
2) If so, what is wrong with my .XCompose file?
3) If my specification of the .XCompose file is okay, how do I find out what is wrong (and correct it)?
4) Does the xkbmap system directly permit output of a string when a single key is pressed (without the help of .XCompose)?


Thanks,
ajith