Input method

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.

Terms

Most operating systems use the term "input method".Fact|date=October 2007 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. [cite web
url=http://www.iloc.com/en/terms.html
title=Terminology
author=Robert J. Morris
publisher=International Language Of Communication
accessdate=2007-10-07] [cite web
url=http://help.avs.com/Express/doc/help_71/books/usersguide/UGAfont.html
title=Using AVS/Express: A Worldwide Language and Font Support
publisher=AVS Advanced Visual Systems
date=September 13, 2006
accessdate=2007-10-07]

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 was developed by Canon.
*in BeOS, it was called an "input method", there was a "Japanese input method".

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.

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 systemsFact|date=April 2007, 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, [citation
url=http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200324/000020032403A0822723.php
title=Context-aware Predictive Text Input Method Using Dynamic Abbreviation Expansion
publisher=Transactions of Information Processing Society of Japan
date=2003
volume=44
last1=Komatsu
first1=Hiroyuki
last2=Takabayashi
first2=Satoru
last3=Masui
first3=Toshiyuki
accessdate=2008-04-13] or SCIM) prefer the term of "Input Method Engine" or "Input Method platform" or "Input Method environment", [cite web
url=http://www.scim-im.org/about/features
title=Features & Goals
publisher=Smart Common Input Method (SCIM) platform project
accessdate=2008-04-13] 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.

ee also

*Internationalization and localization
*CJK characters

Related techniques

*Alt codes
*Keyboard layout, in particular "dead keys"

Input methods versus language

*Chinese input methods for computers
*Japanese language and computers and Japanese input methods
*Korean language and computers

pecific input methods

*List of input methods for UNIX platforms
*ATOK
*Tise - Tibetan IM for Windows
*Wnn

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."

References

External links

* [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/downloads/recommended/ime/default.mspx Microsoft Global Input Method Editors (IMEs)]
* [http://www.bhashaindia.com/ BhashaIndia] , the Microsoft portal for Indic languages, which has Indic IME for download. ;Tutorials
* [http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/handson/user/IME_Paper.mspx What is an Input Method Editor and how do I use it?] , a Microsoft article about Windows XP Input Method Editor.
* [http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/handson/user/xpintlsupp.mspx Enabling International Support in Windows XP/Server 2003 Family] , a Microsoft tutorial on how to install input methods on Windows XP.
* [http://www.andante.org/ime.html IME Tutorial] , tutorial on how to use Microsoft Global IME for pre-Windows 2000 systems.