From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Operation of a typical Japanese
romaji based IME.
An input method is an operating system component or program that allows users to enter characters and symbols not found on their input device. For instance, on the computer, this allows the user of keyboards to input Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indic characters. On a mobile phone, this allows user using the keypad to enter Latin alphabet characters.
Most operating systems use the term input method.[citation needed] It is commonly called input method editor (IME) in the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Some sources state that front end processor was an equivalent term to input method editor, for other operating systems such as Unix.[1][2]
Other operating systems may have a different name for the same idea, for example:
- in Microsoft Windows, the operating system component is called an input method editor;
- in Mac OS, the operating system component is called an input method;
- in DOS, the type of program is called an input method (Chinese) or an front end processor (Japanese);
- in the X Window System, it is called an input method. The specific built-in implementation of X11’s input method support is called XIM, short for X input method; however, support for input methods is also provided by input method modules in various other parts of the system including GTK+ and Qt. SCIM is a common input method managing most methods (more than 130 including UIM ones) on GNU/Linux, followed by UIM.
- in NeXTSTEP, it was called a front end processor named Clare; there was a Japanese input method developed by Canon.
- in BeOS, it was called an input method, there was a Japanese input method.
[edit] Implementations
Although originally coined for CJK computing, the term is now sometimes used generically to refer to a program to support the input of any language. To illustrate, in the X Window System, the facility to allow the input of Latin characters with diacritics is also called an input method.
[edit] Relationship between the methodology and implementation
While the term input method editor was originally used by Microsoft Windows, its use has now gained acceptance in other operating systems[citation needed], especially when it is important to distinguish between interface and implementation of input methods, or among the input method itself, the editing functionality of the program or operating system component providing the input method, and the general support of input methods in an operating system. This term has, for example, gained general acceptance on the GNU/Linux operating system; it is also used on the Mac OS.
- The term input method generally refers to a particular way to use the keyboard to input a particular language, for example the Cangjie method, the pinyin method, or the use of dead keys.
- On the other hand, the term input method editor on Microsoft products refers to the actual program that allows an input method to be used (for example MS New Pinyin). PRIME,[3] or SCIM prefer the term of Input Method Engine or Input Method platform or Input Method environment,[4] or the actual editing area that allows the user to do the input. It can also refer to a character palette, which allows any Unicode character to be input individually. One might also interpret IME to refer to the editor used for creating or modifying the data files upon which an input method relies.
[edit] See also
[edit] Related techniques
[edit] Input methods versus language
[edit] Specific input methods
[edit] Input methods for handheld devices
- Multi-tap – Hit the key for the letter you want until it comes up, then wait or proceed with a different key.
- T9/XT9 – Type the key for every letter once, then, if needed, type Next until the right word comes up. May also correct misspellings and regional typos (if an adjacent key is pressed incorrectly).
- iTap – Similar to first-generation T9, with word autocomplete.
- LetterWise – "Hit the key with the letter you want, if it doesn't come up, hit Next until it does."
- Various FEP Software for Symbian S60 3rd Edition devices.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Tutorials
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Input method |
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| Windows Input Method |
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| Unix-like OS Input Method |
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| Other OS Input Method |
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| Japanese conversion engine |
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| Chinese conversion engine |
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