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Typing some Chinese words by Chinese input methods, "I am typing by Chinese Bopomofo input method".

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 'Western' keyboards to input Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indic characters. On many hand-held devices, such as mobile 'phones, it enables using the numeric keypad to enter Latin alphabet characters.

Terms

Most operating systems use the term input method. 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]

Different 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 a 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 Unix/Linux systems 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.

Implementations

Although originally coined for CJK (Chinese, Japanese and Korean) 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 systems, especially when it is important to distinguish between the computer interface and implementation of input methods, or among the input methods themselves, 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, 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.

See 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
• Indic scripts input methods for languages used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Central Asia and East Asia.

Specific input methods

• List of input methods for UNIX platforms
• ATOK
• Tise - Tibetan IM for Windows
• Singlish Typewriter - Sinhala IM
• Wnn

Input methods for handheld devices

• Multi-tap – Used on many mobile 'phones - hit the (combined alphanumeric) 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.

References

External links

• Microsoft Global Input Method Editors (IMEs)
• BhashaIndia, the Microsoft portal for Indic languages, which has Indic IME for download.

Tutorials

• What is an Input Method Editor and how do I use it?, a Microsoft article about Windows XP Input Method Editor.
• Enabling International Support in Windows XP/Server 2003 Family, a Microsoft tutorial on how to install input methods on Windows XP.
• IME Tutorial, tutorial on how to use Microsoft Global IME for pre-Windows 2000 systems.