7   Input Methods

There are two groups of input methods for entering Chinese characters on Tru64 UNIX. One group of input methods supports traditional Chinese and the other group supports simplified Chinese.

Traditional Chinese has the following input methods:

• Full-form alphabets
• Tsang-Chi （倉頡）
• Quick Tsang-Chi, also known as Easy （速成）
• Phonetic （注音）
• Internal Code （內碼）
• Phrase input method （片語）
• Symbol Input （符號）

Simplified Chinese has the following input methods:

• Full-form alphabets
• 5-Stroke 〔五笔画〕
• 5-Shape 〔五笔字型〕
• Pin-Yin, or Phonetic 〔拼音〕
• Qu-Wei or Row-Column in GB2312-80 〔国标区位码〕
• Telex Code 〔电报码〕
• Phrase input method 〔片语〕
• ItABC or Intelligent ABC

In addition to these input methods, the operating system provides the dxim, dxhanziim, and dxhanyuim input servers. The dxhanziim input server supports the simplified Chinese input methods. The dxhanyuim input server supports the traditional Chinese input methods. dxim is a menu-driven input server that allows you to configure, manage, and use both the traditional and simplified Chinese input methods. dxim also provides a Phrase input method that is separate from the operating system Phrase Utility.

This chapter describes:

• Each of the input methods listed above.
• How to activate, deactivate, and customize Chinese input methods and input method servers.
• How to switch between input methods.
• How to work with input methods under the DECwindows Motif interface.

7.1   Activating and Deactivating Chinese Input Methods

You must activate traditional and simplified Chinese input methods for response to the requirements of applications that are internationalized for the Chinese language. The steps you follow to activate Chinese input methods differ for character-cell terminals, DECwindows Motif and CDE environments, and the dxim input server. The following sections describe these activation steps.

7.1.1   Chinese Input Methods and Character-Cell Terminal Applications

Traditional Chinese input methods for character-cell terminal applications are incorporated in Hanyu DECterm terminal emulation software. Simplified Chinese input methods for character-cell terminal applications are incorporated in the Hanzi DECterm terminal emulation software. Applications do not need to provide their own support for Chinese input. They can rely on the terminal or emulation software to provide the input method services.

Hanyu DECterm and Hanzi DECterm are considered DECwindows Motif applications and are activated and deactivated using the same methods as similar applications. See Section 7.1.2 for more information.

On the LK201-C, LK201-D, LK401-C, or LK401-D keyboards, select input mode by using the [Compose] key, which is labeled 中/英. See Chapter 6 for more information on keyboards.

Once the Chinese input mode is activated, the firmware of the terminal or the input methods incorporated in DECterm automatically compose Chinese characters and return the input data as appropriate.

7.1.2   The dxhanziim and dxhanyuim Input Servers and DECwindows Motif Applications

For DECwindows Motif applications, Chinese input methods are implemented in the form of independent processes called input servers. These Chinese input servers are X client processes that can work on a standard X server provided the X server has the required Chinese fonts installed. This means that the Chinese input server can run on any system which can access your X display device, including the device itself.

The operating system provides a traditional Chinese input server dxhanyuim that is interoperable with all existing DECwindows Motif /Hanyu platforms, including OpenVMS DECwindows Motif /Hanyu and UWS/Hanyu. The operating system also provides a simplified Chinese input server dxhanziim that is interoperable with all existing DECwindows Motif /Hanzi platforms, including OpenVMS DECwindows Motif /Hanzi and UWS/Hanzi. Both input servers provide input method services to the R6 X library (Xlib) supported by Tru64 UNIX. You can write internationalized applications using the standard R6 application programming interface and communicate with these input servers. For details about developing internationalized software with X11R6, see Writing Software for the International Market.

Although the codesets returned by traditional and simplified Chinese input servers are fixed, Tru64 UNIX allows you to connect applications to the input servers using any valid Chinese locale. The operating system provides the required codeset conversion.

Before you can input Chinese data, you must start the appropriate Chinese input server on your workstation or any system on your network that can be accessed by your workstation.

English and Chinese user interfaces are provided, so be sure to set the correct session language before starting the input server. There are several ways to start the dxhanziim or dxhanyuim Chinese input server:

• Using the Session Manager

• Automatic Startup of the Input Server

• Using a Command

After you invoke the Chinese input server, DECwindows Motif applications that have been internationalized to support Chinese can communicate with it to obtain input method services.

Note

Applications that are started before the dxhanziim or dxhanyuim servers cannot connect to the input server. Therefore, the input method server should be the first item on the Automatic Startup list. However, if the application contains an XmText or XmTextField widget with the reconnectable resource set to True, the application is able to establish a connection with the input server if the application starts before the input server or when the application is running and the input server stops and restarts. For more information, see XmText(3X) and XmTextField(3X).

7.1.3   The dxhanziim and dxhanyuim Input Servers and CDE Applications

For CDE applications, Chinese input methods are implemented by input servers. Before you can input Chinese data, you must start the Chinese input server on your workstation or on any system that can be accessed by your workstation through the network.

Both English and Chinese user interfaces are provided. Make sure you set up the correct session language before you start the input server.

There are two ways to start the Chinese input servers in CDE:

• Automatic Startup of the Input Server

• Using a Command

After you invoke the Chinese input server, the CDE applications that are internationalized to support that specified Chinese language can communicate with it to provide input method services.

Note

Applications that are started before the dxhanziim or dxhanyuim input method servers cannot connect to the input server. Therefore, the Hanyu or Hanzi Input Method should be the first item on the Automatic Startup list. However, if the application contains an XmText or XmTextField widget with the reconnectable resource set to True, the application is able to establish a connection with the input server if the application starts before the input server or when the application is running and the input server stops and restarts. For more information, see XmText(3X) and XmTextField(3X).

7.1.4   Setting Default Input Method with the i18nconfig Utility

The Configure International Software utility (i18nconfig) is an option on the SysMan menu that you can use to select a default input method for locales, such as simplified or traditional Chinese, that support multiple input methods. To set a default input method with i18nconfig, you must be logged in as superuser and use the following steps:

• Start the SysMan menu from the CDE front panel or the command line.
• From the SysMan menu, select Software. From the list of tasks under Software, select Configure International Software. From the list of tasks under Configure International Software, select Managing Locales.
• If you select a locale from the Locales Supported On... display that supports multiple input methods, the Select Input Method button is active. Click on the Select Input Method button to display a list of input methods appropriate for the selected locale.
• Double click on an input method to assign it as the systemwide default for the selected locale.

To have the change take effect, log off the system then log back in.

7.1.5 DXIM Input Server

Use the dxim input server to activate a traditional or simplified Chinese input method, which converts alphabetic keyboard entry to the appropriate Chinese characters and sends them to an X client application.

As with the dxhanziim and dxhanyuim input servers, the dxim input server is an X client process that runs on a standard X server. The dxim input server can run on any system that can access your X display device.

To run successfully, the dxim input server requires that you perform the following prerequisite steps:

• Install WLS (Worldwide Language Support) options on the system.

• Install Chinese fonts on the system. The fonts should be those associated with the Chinese input methods you intend to use.

• Set the current locale set to traditional or simplified Chinese.

• Stop any other input server process running on the system. Keep in mind that if you use the CDE login language option to set the locale, an associated input server process starts. You must stop this process before starting dxim.

• Set the preediting style, or interaction style, to either Off-the-Spot or Root as described in Section 7.3.2.

Start the dxim input server as a background process with the following command:

% /usr/bin/X11/dxim &

If you want to start dxim from a remote system, log on to the remote system and enter the following command:

% setenv DISPLAY :0
% /usr/bin/X11/dxim &

In the field, enter the display name for your workstation. Section 7.1.5.1 describes how to use the dxim menu interface to select and activate traditional and simplified Chinese input methods and establish a default input method for Chinese applications.

After you activate a Chinese input method, applications that have been internationalized to support that input method can communicate with the server to obtain input method services. You must start these applications after the input server starts.

Note

Applications that are started before dxim cannot connect to the input server. However, if the application contains an XmText or XmTextField widget with the reconnectable resource set to True, the application is able to establish a connection with the input server if the application starts before the input server or when the application is running and the input server stops and restarts. For more information, see XmText(3X) and XmTextField(3X).

7.1.5.1 Using DXIM to Select and Activate Input Methods

The dxim input server is a multilingual input server because it gives you the means to use and manage input methods for Korean, as well as traditional and simplified Chinese. This manual focuses on dxim and the Chinese input methods. For additional information on the input server, see the dxim online help.

The dxim input server menu is a single menu system divided into two functional parts; Customizing Input Method Classes and Methods and Customizing Input Method Window. The Customizing Input Method Classes and Methods menus are described in Section 7.5.1 and allow you to do the following:

• Select a class of input methods that is appropriate to the locale of the client application. For an application internationalized for the Chinese language, you select and activate one or more of the following classes: traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, or Phrase.

• Select and activate one or more input methods within a class. With the exception of the Phrase input method, the traditional and simplified Chinese classes under dxim support the same set of input methods as dxhanziim and dxhanyuim. The Phrase input method is a separate class under dxim and uses a different database than that used by the operating system Phrase Utility.

• Establish an input method class as the default.

• Establish an input method as the default for its class.

• Customize the simplified Chinese 5-Shape and Intelligent ABC input method classes.

• Customize error bell volume and set the input method invocation key.

The Customizing Input Method Window menus are described in Section 7.5.1.2 and allow you to do the following:

• Increase or decrease the root input window font size.

• Set the root input window foreground and background color.

• Set the root input window line spacing.

The dxim input server can support multiple clients working under different locales. When a client application connects to dxim, the input server determines the client's locale and, if compatible, uses the default input method. If the client locale is not compatible with the default, dxim searches for an active input method that is compatible. The input server uses the first compatible input method it finds.

For example, when you connect a zh_CH.dechanzi client application to dxim, the input server checks the application's locale and determines that either the simplified or traditional Chinese input method is available for use with the application. You then enter the invocation key for the Chinese input method and any keyboard input, which dxim converts and transmits to the application. If you attempt to enter the invocation key for Korean, which is inappropriate for this application, dxim ingnores it.

Systemwide default definitions for the dxim input server are stored in the resource file, /usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/DXim, and in the configuration file, /usr/i18n/share/dxim/im_modules.conf. As superuser, the system administrator can modify these files to make systemwide changes. For example, the seek order that dxim uses in its search for an input method compatible with a client's locale is defined in /usr/i18n/share/dxim/im_modules.conf and can be modified by the system administrator.

Depending on the locale, the dxim input server does not restrict an application to a single input method. For example, an application under a Unicode locale, such as zh_CN.UTF-8 can be supported by all of the Korean and Chinese input methods.

7.2   Switching Input Method

By default, a client application starts in English language input mode and, depending on which input server is active on your system (dxhanziim, dxhanyuim, or dxim), you use different key combinations to switch from English language input mode to Chinese or Phrase input mode.

The key sequences in this section can be customized by means of the dxhanziim and dxhanyuim Options menu or the dxim) Customize Input Method menu.

If the traditional or simplified Chinese input server (dxhanziim or dxhanyuim) is active on the system, select the Chinese input mode by using the key sequence shown in Table 7-1.

Table 7-1: Key Sequences that Invoke the traditional or simplified Chinese Input Methods

Table 7-2 and Table 7-3 describe the key sequences for selecting a specific traditional Chinese or simplified Chinese input method once you are in the Chinese input mode.

Table 7-2: Key Sequences Used to Select Traditional Chinese Input Methods

Table 7-3: Key Sequences Used to Select Simplified Chinese Input Methods

If the dxim input server is active on your system, use the [Ctrl/Space] key sequence to shift from English language input to non-English language input. When you use [Ctrl/Space] to shift to non-English mode, keyboard character input is transmitted to dxim, which converts the input using a selected input method and transmits the converted input to the client application.

To select a traditional or simplified Chinese input method under dxim, use the appropriate key sequence from Table 7-4. Keep in mind that you do not repeat the invocation key for the input method class if you are switching input methods within that class. For example, use the [F1][F10] key sequence to invoke the 5-Shape input method under simplified Chinese, but to switch from 5-Shape to 5-Stroke within simplified Chinese, use only [F6].

Table 7-4: Key Sequences Used to Select dxim Input Methods

To select the Phrase input method, use the [F12] key.

Note

In standard Motif, the function key [F10] is defined as the accelerator of the pull-down menu bar. In DECwindows Motif, the default menu accelerator is [Ctrl/F10] and [F10] is used to invoke the Phonetic Input Method. To make your DECwindows Motif applications Motif compliant (and change [F10] from Phonetic Input Method invocation to the menu accelerator), insert the following line in your $HOME/.Xdefaults file:

*menuAccelerator: Ctrl <Key> F10:

If you change [F10] to the menu accelerator, you must change the Phonetic Input Method invocation key to another key sequence to invoke that input method.

7.3   Motif Interface Input Method

You can interact with the Chinese input server through a Motif-style user interface. This interface allows an input method to provide feedback about the data being edited, to help you compose a character, list choices for selection, provide options for customizing the input server, and so on.

7.3.1  Input Areas

The X Input Method specification defines the three input areas shown in Table 7-5.

Table 7-5: Window Input Areas

7.3.2   Interaction Styles

The use of the input areas depends on the interaction style (or preedit style) selected for the application. The Chinese input method servers enable you to type multiple keystrokes to compose Asian characters. The process of composing characters from keystrokes is called preediting and the type of preediting used is called the interaction style.

The Chinese input server supports two interaction styles:

• Root window
• Off-the-Spot

You can use the VendorShell resource XmNpreeditType to specify the priority of the interaction styles for DECwindows Motif applications. By default, the resource value priority order is set to "overthespot,offthespot,root,onthespot". The first style in the list is used in an input method. If that interaction style is not available, the second style in the list is use, and so on.

To set a preferred interaction style, you can do one of the following:

• Use the command line option -xrm to specify the resource value when you start an application. For example, the following command starts Cardfiler with the Root window interaction style:

  % dxcardfiler -xrm '*preeditType: root' &

• Use the Session Manager's Options menu in XDM.

  From the Session Manager's Options menu, select Input Method...

  In the popup Input Style Options window, click on one of the preedit styles

  The XmNpreeditType resource is set to a priority list beginning with the preedit style that you have chosen.

• Use the dtimsstart utility.

  From the command line, enter the following command:

  % /usr/dt/bin/dtimsstart

  From the dtimsstart dialog box, click on an interaction style.

  Click on the Default Input Method radio button.

  Click on OK. The preferences you set remain in effect until you change them.

After you choose your preferred interaction style, the applications you invoke start up with the new setting.

Keep in mind that the dxim input server supports only Root window and Off-the-Spot interaction styles. If you use an unsupported interaction style, client applications will be unable to connect to the dxim input server.

Note

Some applications, such as DECterm, may provide their own user interface to handle interaction styles. Those mechanisms may override the methods described here.

7.3.2.1   Root Window Interaction

Choose the Root window interaction style (see Figure 7-1)if you want to display the preedit data in an input window that is separate from the application window. You can scale and move the input to meet your preferences. If you want to free up more screen space, you can iconize the input method window. You can also choose to display preedit data in vertical or horizontal layout.

Figure 7-1: Chinese Root Window Interaction Style

Figure 7-2: Chinese Input Window Icon

You can continue to input Chinese characters through a Chinese application window when the input window is iconized (Figure 7-2). The input state is displayed on the icon title, which is updated according to the input mode and the input focus. If you want to see the preedit data, you can double click the icon to redisplay the input window.

7.3.2.2   Off-the-Spot Interaction

To display the preedit data in a fixed location of the application window, choose the Off-the-Spot interaction style (Figure 7-3). With this interaction style, the Chinese input server creates the input window at the bottom of the application window. You need not refer to the Root window and you can iconize it to save screen area.

Figure 7-3: Off-the-Spot Interaction Style

7.4   Operations of the Chinese Input Servers

When you start a Chinese input server, no application is connected to it and the title bar displays "No Connection" in the status area.

If an application is internationalized, started in a Chinese locale, and brought to the foreground, the input state displayed in the status area and the title bar are updated accordingly. If you bring an noninternationalized application window to the foreground, the title bar of the input window changes to indicate there is no connection. (In some environments, bringing an application to the foreground is known as bringing it into focus.)

The input server can maintain an individual state of composition for different input contexts or application windows.

In addition, under the dxhanziim and dxhanyuim input servers running the Root window interaction style, each application window can be associated with its own attributes, such as font size, font style, layout, input window size, and position. You can set the input focus to an application window and then compose a Chinese character or customize the input window.

The input server retains the composing state and input window attributes. Thus, when you bring an application window into focus (that is, from the background to the foreground), the input server restores its original composing state and attributes. For example, if you are using an input window under the 5-Stroke Input Method, then shift focus to an input window under the Pin-Yin Input Method, when you bring the original window back in focus, the 5-Stroke Input Method will be active.

7.5 Customizing the Chinese Input Servers

The dxim, dxhanziim, and dxhanyuim Chinese input servers have different levels and different methods of customization.

Under the dxim input server, the input window provides an options menu containing the following selections:

• Customize Class that displays a menu interface you use to customize the input methods

• Customize Window that displays a menu interface you use to customize the dxim input server window

• Help that displays online help for the dxim input server

• Exit

Under the dxhanziim and dxhanyuim input servers, the auxiliary area of the input window provides an options menu where you can customize the input server. You click on the Options button to view the customization pull-down menu.

The following sections describe the dxim, dxhanziim, and dxhanyuim customization menues. Keep in mind that each of these input servers has an extensive online help system that can provide you with details and examples of each option.

7.5.1 Customizing the dxim Input Server

If you select Customize Class from the dxim options menu, it displays the dxim Input Method Class and Module Customization menu. This series of menus enables you to customize the following attributes:

• Activate or deactivate one or more of the available input servers. The input servers you can activate include dxim, dxhanziim, dxhanyuim, Phrase, and Korean. The Korean input server is discussed in the Tru64 UNIX Technical Reference for Using Korean Features. The other input servers are discussed in this chapter.

• For each active input server, activate or deactivate one or more input methods. The Chinese input servers support multiple input methods. For the Phrase input server, the phrase input method is the only selectable input method.

• For each active input server and input server method, you can establish a default input server for the system. You can also establish a default input server method that becomes active when its associated input server starts.

• If the selected simplified Chinese input server method is 5-Stroke, Pin-Yin, Qu-Wei, or Telex, you can click on the Customize button to activate the 5-Shape Radicals display. With the 5-Shape Radicals display active, you can enter a non-5-Shape character and view the correct 5-Shape Radical character required to produce the non-5-Shape character. That is, you can use the 5-Shape Radical display as a training tool.

• If the selected simplified Chinese input server method is Intelligent ABC (ItABC), you can click on the Customize button to activate an ItABC Options dialog box. The dialog box allows you to select options for repetitive input or defining and saving words and phrases.

• For each active input server and input server method, you can redefine the default invocation key.

If you select Customize Window from the dxim options menu, it displays the dxim Input Method Window Customization menu. This series of menues enables you to customize the following attributes:

• Set font size for root preedit data.

• Set the foreground and background color.

• Set the line spacing for the preedit text lines.

If you log in as superuser to use the dxim input server customization menus, the changes you make are written to /.dxim/DXim and apply to root. If you log in as a non-root user, the changes you make are written to ~user/.dxim/DXim and apply to that user ID.

The following sections provide an overview of these menus. For a complete description of the menu options, see the dxim online help system.

7.5.1.1 Input Method Class and Module Customization

The Input Method Class and Module Customization menus enable you to activate, deactivate, and customize the simplified and traditional Chinese and Phrase input method classes and input methods within those classes. Keep in mind that you must use either the OK or Apply button in conjunction with the Save Current Settings pull-down menu option to save a customized setting for use by the dxim input server.

The Customize Class menu is the primary input method customization menu. The following table briefly describes each of the Customize Class menu options. For a full description of the menu options, see the dxim input server online help.

Menu Field	Description
Active Class	Displays the input method classes that are currently active on the system. Select one or more of these classes to customize or delete.
Invocation Key	Displays the key sequence used to invoke the selected input method class. Use the checkboxes under the display to change the invocation key.
Bell Volume Slider	A bell rings when an error is made during character composition. Drag the slider to adjust the volume of the bell.
Options pull-down menu	Select Get System Default to reset the Customize Class menu. Select Save Current Settings to save values for use by the dxim input server.
Add	Opens a dialog box that allows you to select and activate a currently inactive input method class.
Delete	Deactivates a selected input method class. The class and its methods are made inactive and not available to applications.
Customize	Opens a dialog box that allows you to activate, deactivate, and customize the input method modules associated with a selected input method class. The Customize Input Method dialog box selections are similar to the Customize Class menu selections described in this table.
Set Default	Establishes the selected input method class as the default.
OK	Saves the customizations to become effective the next time you start dxim. Closes the menu.
Apply	Same as OK, except that the menu does not close.
Cancel	Closes the menu without making any changes.
Help	Displays help on this menu.

7.5.1.2 Input Method Window Customization

The Input Method Window Customization menus enable you to modify the dxim root input window characteristics. Keep in mind that you must use either the OK or Apply button in conjunction with the Save Settings as Defaults pull-down menu option to save a customized setting for use by the dxim input server.

The Customize Window menu is the primary input window customization menu. The following table briefly describes each of the Customize Window menu options. For a full description of the menu options, see the dxim input server online help.

Menu Field	Description
Big Font/Small Font	Select the font size for displaying preedit data in the dxim root input window.
Foreground Color/Background Color	Select either foreground or background. A color mixing dialog box opens that enables you to customize the foreground or background colors of the root input window.
Line Spacing Slider	Drag the slider to specify the line spacing, in pixels, between the preedit data text lines.
Options pull-down menu	Select Restore System Defaults to reset the Customize Window menu. Select Save Settings as Defaults to save values for use by the dxim input server.
OK	Saves the customizations to become effective the next time you start dxim. Closes the menu.
Apply	Same as OK, except that the menu does not close.
Cancel	Closes the menu without making any changes.
Help	Displays help on this menu.

7.5.2   Customizing the dxhanziim and dxhanyuim Input Servers

The dxhanziim and dxhanyuim input server options menu enables you to customize the following attributes:

• Vertical Layout
• Horizontal Layout
• Select Phrase Input Class
• User Phrase Database
• System Phrase Database
• Current Window
• Input Method Customization
• Help
• Quit

The following sections describe each of these menu options.

7.5.2.1   Vertical Layout

You can choose the vertical layout option only if the current layout is horizontal. When you choose this option, the input window and the layout of its contents immediately display in a vertical orientation. The vertical input window remains at the same origin.

7.5.2.2   Horizontal Layout

You can choose this option only if the current layout is vertical. When you choose this option, the input window and the layout of its contents immediately display in a horizontal orientation. The horizontal input window remains at the same origin.

7.5.2.3   Select Phrase Input Class

You can use the Select Phrase option to customize the Phrase Input mode. DECwindows Motif shares the phrase databases that are created and managed by the base operating system Phrase Utility. After you create a phrase database and define your phrases, both character-cell terminal applications and DECwindows Motif applications can use the data for phrase input.

In order to use the phrase databases, the LANG environment variable must be set to reflect the required codeset (for example, zh_TW.dechanyu). For details about the Phrase Utility and phrase definition file, see Using International Software in the operating system documentation set.

The Select Phrase Input Class option allows you to focus on a particular class of phrases during phrase input. When you choose this option, a dialog box pops up and you can select the phrase class that you want to use.

To select all classes, you can choose the * (wildcard) option. If you choose this option, the phrase input method searches all classes of phrase definitions for the phrase code that you entered.

When there is more than one phrase that matches the phrase definition, a list box is displayed. To choose the right phrase definition, select the appropriate item in the list box.

Note

The dxim input server uses a different Phrase input method and phrase database than the operating system Phrase Utility and phrase database described in this section. See Section 7.11.1 for a description of the dxim Phrase input method.

7.5.2.4   User Phrase Database

Use the User Phrase Database option to access your private user phrase database.

The Phrase Input Method allows you to access two phrase definition databases: the system phrase database and the private user phrase database. You create and maintain your own private phrase database for storing your frequently used phrases. This is called the user phrase database.

For details about creating a phrase database, see Using International Software.

7.5.2.5   System Phrase Database

The system phrase database is for public access by all users using your system. It should be created and modified by your system administrator. Use the System Phrase Database option to access the system phrase database.

Note

The databases that you can access are the ones available on the system on which you start your Chinese input server.

7.5.2.6   Current Window

The Current Window option allows you to customize the attributes of a specific application window.

Note

The Current Window option is available only if you chose Root window as your interaction style and an internationalized application input area is in the foreground. Otherwise, this option is dimmed out. If you choose the Off-the-Spot interaction style, the application determines the attributes.

When you choose this option, a dialog box pops up and the following options are displayed:

• Font Size

• Font Typeface

• Line Spacing

• Foreground and Background Colors

7.5.2.7   Input Method Customization

When you choose the Input Method Customization option, a dialog box displays in which you can customize the following attributes.

In the traditional Chinese input server, the customizable attributes are:

• Default Input Method
• Bell Volume
• EDPC support
• Invocation Key

In the simplified Chinese input server, the customizable attributes are:

• Default Input Method
• Active Input Method
• Bell Volume
• Display 5-Shape Radicals
• Word Frequency and Bixing Input - Intelligent ABC Input Method only
• Invocation Key

The following list describes each of the customizable attributes:

• Default Input Method

• Active Input Method

• Bell Volume

• EDPC support (in dxhanyuim only)

• Display 5-Shape Radicals (in dxhanziim only)

• Word Frequency and Bixing Input - Intelligent ABC input method only

• Invocation Key

You customize key sequences using the interface in the bottom part of the dialog box. Select a trigger key and toggle the on/off state of the Ctrl, Alt, and Shift modifiers. The trigger keys that you can choose include NoSymbol, [F1] through [F20], [Space], [Return], [Compose] and [A] through [Z]. If you choose NoSymbol, no invocation sequence will be provided for the selected action.

For each modifier key, you can select the on/off state with the toggle buttons defined in Table 7-6.

Table 7-6: Modifier State Customization

The tilde (~) sign means that you should not press that modifier key when invoking the action. In addition to the on/off state, you can also deselect both of the states for a modifier key, so that neither state is selected. To do this, click the toggle button that is currently set on. If you deselect a modifier, the input server will accept the invocation key with or without holding the modifier key.

When you select an invocation key sequence, the state of the toggle switches and the trigger key displayed at the bottom of the dialog box is updated to reflect the current value, and the label at the bottom left-hand side changes.

Figure 7-4: Customization of Invocation Key Sequences in dxhanyuim

Figure 7-5: Customization of Invocation Key Sequences in dxhanziim

For example, if you want to change the End Input Method key sequence to [Ctrl/Space], select the Ctrl, ~Alt and ~Shift buttons.

To reduce the number of keys required for selecting input methods, set the hot keys for all the input methods to "NoSymbol", and define a key sequence for the Choose Next Input Method option. This method releases the [F6] to [F10] function keys for use by other DECwindows applications. To switch the input method, press the key sequence for Choose Next Input Method and the Chinese input server will cycle through all supported input methods. For example, if you use the Tsang-Chi Input Method and you want to switch to the Internal Code Input Method, press the hot key twice.

7.5.2.8   Help

The Help option provides the following menu items that you use to display help for the Chinese input server:

• Context-Sensitive Help
• Overview
• Using Help
• Product Information

7.5.2.9   Quit

Use the Quit option to terminate the input server. If you select this option, a dialog box pops up and asks if you really want to exit.

7.5.2.10   Saving Your New Settings

All attributes that you customize with the Current Window and Input Method Customization menus can be saved into a resource file in your login directory. Each customization window provides the following options:

• Save Settings as Defaults

  Save all current attributes as default values. These attributes are saved to a private resource file in your login directory; .DXhanziim if you are using dxhanziim and .DXhanyuim if you are using dxhanyuim.

• Restore system setting

  Restores all system default attributes

7.6   Alphabetic Input Methods

There are two alphabetic input methods available under the English language mode: Half Form Alphabet and Full Form Alphabet.

The Half Form Alphabet Input Method allows you to enter uppercase and lowercase English characters, numerals, and symbols marked on the keyboard. Full Form Alphabet Input Method allows you to enter 2-byte alphabets, numerals, and symbols defined in the Chinese character sets.

To invoke the Full Form Alphabet Input Method, press [Shift/Space]. The string 全 形 (full form) is displayed in the status area, as shown in Figure 7-6. Once the prompt appears, all characters that you enter at the keyboard are sent as 2-byte characters.

To exit the Full Form Alphabet Input Method, press [Shift/Space] again.

Figure 7-6: Full Form Alphabet Input Method

7.7   Tsang-Chi Input Method

To understand the Tsang-Chi Input Method you must understand the concepts of Tsang-Chi root radicals, auxiliary forms, and character-splitting.

7.7.1   Tsang-Chi Root Radicals

The Tsang-Chi Input Method is based on the concept of root radicals. The input method requires a Chinese character to be broken down into various root radicals according to the character's shape.

Altogether 24 Tsang-Chi root radicals have been defined from which almost all existing Chinese characters can be composed. The root radicals are divided into four groups and assigned to the alphabet keys [A] - [Y] on the main keyboard (the [X] and [Z] keys are not defined). The following tables illustrate the classification of the root radicals, their corresponding English keys, their auxiliary forms, and the way that they are derived.

• Philosophical classification
• Stroke classification
• Human Body classification
• Form classification

Table 7-8 is a quick reference to all of the root radical classifications.

Table 7-7: Tsang-Chi Root Radicals Classification

Philosophical classification

Stroke classification

Human Body classification

Form classification

Table 7-8: Quick Reference Table of the Tsang-Chi Root Radicals

7.7.2   Tsang-Chi Code Generation

To input a Chinese character using the Tsang-Chi Input Method, you must generate the character's Tsang-Chi code based on character decomposition. Most Chinese characters can be divided into two categories: the composite form (Table 7-9) and the connected form (Table 7-10). The composite formcan be split into a character head and a character body while the connected form cannot.

Table 7-9: Composition Form Characters

Table 7-10: Connected Form Characters

7.7.2.1   General Rules

The general rules for generating Tsang-Chi codes are:

• The character category must be composite or connected.
• The code according to the writing order is usually one of the following:
  
  - From outside to inside
  
  - From top to bottom
  
  - From left to right
• For composite character decomposition, the maximum number of radicals is five. The character head can be decomposed into a maximum of two radicals and the character body can be decomposed into a maximum of three radicals.

  For connected character decomposition, the maximum number of radicals is four.

• If more than one Tsang-Chi code exists for a character, enter the one with fewer radicals.
• If several Tsang-Chi codes have the same number of radicals, enter the one that better represents the character.

7.7.2.2   Connected Characters

Connected characters are those which cannot be split due to the existence of crossed or connected strokes, such as 武, 面, 貞. Each character can be input by entering at most four radicals. If more than four radicals can be derived, enter the first three radicals and the last to generate the Tsang-Chi code. Table 7-11 illustrates some examples of decomposing connected characters.

Table 7-11: Examples of Connected Character Decomposition

7.7.2.3   Composite Characters

Composite characters are those that can be split from top to bottom, left to right, and outside to inside, such as 思, 珠, 圓. You can decompose the character head into one to two radicals. If more than two radicals are generated, enter the first and the last radicals.

The character body can be decomposed into one to three radicals. If it is made up of three or fewer radicals, you should enter all the radicals. If it is made up of more than three radicals that are connected, enter the first two radicals and the last.

If the character body is itself a composite character, you can further decompose the character body into subhead and subbody. Enter the first and last radicals of the subhead, and the last radical of the subbody.

Table 7-12 illustrates examples of decomposing composite characters. In the "Shape" column, a solid square represents a character head while a square represents a radical of the character body.

Table 7-12: Composite Character Decomposition

7.7.2.4   Exceptional Characters

Approximately 95 percent of Chinese characters can be decomposed according to the rules described in Composite Characters. The remaining 5 percent are exceptional characters that need to be entered in different ways. The exceptional characters can be divided into the following groups:

• Compound Characters

Table 7-13: Compound Characters

• Difficult Characters

Table 7-14: Difficult Characters

• Special Characters

Table 7-15: Special Characters

7.7.3   Invoking Tsang-Chi Input Method

When you invoke the Tsang-Chi input method, the Chinese string 倉頡 is displayed in the status area, as shown in Figure 7-7.

Figure 7-7: Invocation of the Tsang-Chi Input Method

The radicals that you enter with the Tsang-Chi input method are displayed in the preedit area, as shown in Figure 7-8. To correct the data, do one of the following:

• Press the Delete key and reenter the correct radical
• Press the 倉頡 key (that is, F6 on a standard LK201 or LK401 keyboard) to erase all radicals in the preedit buffer

To signal end of input, press the Return key or Space bar.

Figure 7-8: Entering a Tsang-Chi Radical

7.7.4   Tsang-Chi Multiple Candidates

If there is exactly one character represented by a Tsang-Chi code, the character is sent directly to the application. Sometimes, multiple candidates for a Tsang-Chi code are available for selection when the code represents more than one Chinese character. In this case, the candidates are displayed in the preedit area in the following order:

1. Most frequently used
2. Less frequently used
3. Seldom used

The preedit area can display up to nine candidates at a time, as shown in Figure 7-9.

Figure 7-9: Multiple Candidates

The numbers 1, 4, and 7 divide the nine characters into three groups so that you can easily select the desired candidate. To select a character that is displayed in the preedit area, press the corresponding numeric key on the main keyboard.

When there are more than nine candidates for selection, the indicators , →,←→ and ← are displayed in the preedit area. Table 7-16 lists the indicators and their definitions.

Table 7-16: Meaning of Arrow Characters

If you enter another Tsang-Chi code without selecting a candidate, the first candidate in the list is sent to the application.

If you do not want to select any candidate, but want to clear the Tsang-Chi code, press the Return key or the 倉頡 key (that is, F6).

7.7.5   Tsang-Chi Repeat Character Input

If you want to repeat input of the same character, press the equals (=) key.

7.7.6   Tsang-Chi Error Handling

If you input incorrect data, the bell will ring. If no character is generated after you enter a Tsang-Chi code, this indicates that there is no character for the code. The radicals already entered remain in the preedit buffer. To handle the error, do one of the following:

1. Press the Delete key to erase the radicals, one at a time, and then reenter the correct radicals.
2. Press the Return key or the [倉頡 ] key to erase all radicals in the preedit buffer, and then reenter the correct radicals.
3. Enter new radicals without pressing the Return key. The radicals in the preedit buffer are replaced by the newly entered radicals.

7.8   Quick Tsang-Chi Input Method

The Quick Tsang-Chi input method, also known as the Quick input method or the Easy input method, is a variant of the Tsang-Chi input method and follows the same principles and rules for decomposing characters into radicals as described in General Rules. However, the process for entering radicals is simplified and requires only the first and the last radicals.

For example, the character 商 is decomposed into the following:

• Under the Tsang-Chi input method: 卜, 金, 月, 口
• Under the Quick Tsang-Chi input method: 卜 and 口

This section discusses the mechanism of the Quick Tsang-Chi input method. For details about character decomposition, see Section 7.7.

7.8.1   Quick Tsang-Chi Code Generation

As in the Tsang-Chi input method, the character decomposition in Quick Tsang-Chi is based on whether a character is of the composite form or the connected form. However, the Quick Tsang-Chi input method requires only the first and the last radicals regardless of the number of radicals obtained.

7.8.2   Invoking Quick Tsang-Chi Input Method

When you invoke the Quick Tsang-Chi input method, the Chinese string 速成 is displayed in the status area, as shown in Figure 7-10.

Figure 7-10: The Quick Tsang-Chi Input Method

7.8.3   Entering Quick Tsang-Chi Code

The radical that you enter is displayed in the preedit area, as shown in Figure 7-11. To correct the data, press the Delete key and reenter the correct radical. Alternatively, you can press the [速成] key (that is, F7 on a standard LK201 or LK401 keyboard) to erase all radicals in the preedit buffer. If only one radical is required to input a character, press the Return key or Space bar to signal the end of input.

Figure 7-11: Entering a Quick Tsang-Chi Code

7.8.4   Quick Tsang-Chi Multiple Candidates

If exactly one character is represented by a Quick Tsang-Chi code, the character is sent directly to the application. Frequently, multiple candidates for a Quick Tsang-Chi code are available for selection when the Quick Tsang-Chi code represents more than one Chinese characters. In this case, the candidates are displayed in the preedit area.

To clear the Tsang-Chi code and not select any candidate, press the Return key or the 速成 key (that is, F7).

7.8.5   Quick Tsang-Chi Repeat Character Input

If you want to repeat the input of the same character, press the equals (=) key.

7.8.6   Quick Tsang-Chi Error Handling

If you input incorrect data, the bell will ring. If no character is generated after you enter a Quick Tsang-Chi code, the bell indicates that there is no character for the code. The radicals you entered remain in the preedit buffer. To handle the error, you can do one of the following:

• Press the Delete key to erase the radicals, one at a time, and then reenter the correct radicals.
• Press the Return key or the 速成 key to erase all radicals in the preedit buffer, and then reenter the correct radicals.
• Enter new radicals without pressing the Return key. The radicals in the preedit buffer are replaced by the newly entered radicals.