Chinese input methods are methods that allow a computer user to input Chinese
characters with a standard ASCII keyboard. Most, if not all, Chinese
input methods fall into one of two categories: phonetic readings or root
shapes. Methods under the phonetic category usually are easier to learn but
are less efficient, thus resulting in slower typing speeds because they
typically require users to choose from a list of phonetically similar characters
for input; whereas methods under the root shape category allow very precise
and speedy input but have a difficult learning curve because they often
require a thorough understanding of a character's strokes and composition.
Other methods allow users to write characters directly onto touchscreens,
such as those found on mobile phones and tablet computers.
History Chinese input methods predate the
computer. One of the early attempts was an electro-mechanical Chinese typewriter
Ming kwai which was invented by Lin Yutang, a prominent Chinese writer, in
the 1940s. It assigned thirty base shapes or strokes to different keys and
adopted a new way of categorizing Chinese characters. But the typewriter
was not produced commercially and Lin soon found himself deeply in debt.
Before the 1980s, Chinese publishers hired teams of workers and selected a
few thousand type pieces from an enormous Chinese character set. Chinese
government agencies entered characters using a long, complicated list of
Chinese telegraph codes, which assigned different numbers to each character.
During the early computer era, Chinese characters were categorized by their
radicals or Pinyin romanization, but results were less than satisfactory.
Chu Bong-Foo invented a common input method in 1976 with his Cangjie input
method, which assigns different "roots" to each key on a standard computer
keyboard. With this method, for example, the character 日 is assigned to the A
key, and 月 is assigned to B. Typing them together will result in the character 明.
Despite its steeper learning curve, this method remains popular in Chinese
communities that use traditional Chinese characters, such as Hong Kong and
Taiwan; the method allows very precise input, thus allowing users to type more
efficiently and quickly, provided they are familiar with the fairly complicated
rules of the method. It was the first method that allowed users to enter more
than a hundred Chinese characters per minute.
All methods have their strengths and weaknesses. The pinyin method can be
learned rapidly but its maximum input rate is limited. The Wubi takes longer
to learn, but expert typists can enter text much more rapidly with it than with
phonetic methods. Due to these complexities, there is no
"standard" method. In mainland China, the wubi and pinyin
methods such as Sogou Pinyin and Google Pinyin are the most popular; in Taiwan,
Boshiamy, Cangjie, and zhuyin predominate; and in Hong Kong, the
Cangjie is most often taught in schools. Other methods include handwriting
recognition, OCR and voice recognition. The computer itself must first be
"trained" before the first or second of these methods are used; that is, the new
user enters the system in a special "learning mode" so that the system can
learn to identify their handwriting or speech patterns. The latter two methods
are used less frequently than keyboard-based input methods and suffer
from relatively high error rates, especially when used without proper
"training", though higher error rates are an acceptable trade-off to many
users. Categories
= Phonetic-based = The user enters pronunciations that are
converted into relevant Chinese characters. The user must select the
desired character from homophones, which are common in Chinese. Modern systems,
such as Sogou Pinyin and Google Pinyin, predict the desired characters based on
context and user preferences. For example, if one enters the sounds
jicheng, the software will type 繼承, but if jichengche is entered, 計程車 will
appear. Various Chinese dialects complicate the
system. Phonetic methods are mainly based on standard pinyin,
Zhuyin/Bopomofo, and Jyutping in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong,
respectively. Input method based on other variation of Chinese, like Hakka
or Minnan also exist. While the phonetic system is easy to
learn, choosing appropriate Chinese characters slows typing speed. Most
users report a typing speed of fifty characters per minute, though some reach
over one hundred per minute. With some phonetic IMEs, in addition to predictive
input based on previous conversions, it is possible for users to create custom
dictionary entries for frequently used characters and phrases, potentially
lowering the number of characters required to evoke it.
= Shape-based = Cangjie input method
Simplified Cangjie CKC Chinese Input System
Boshiamy method Dayi method
Array input method Four-Corner Method
Oxis Chinese Character Finder Q9 method
Shouwei method Stroke count method
Stroke method Wubi method
Wubihua method Zheng code method
Shou-wei Hao-ma method Knot DNA method
= Hybrid = Tze-loi method
Renzhi code method Cong Ming Da Zi
= Others = Chinese telegraph code
= Examples of keyboard layouts = Software
Microsoft IME Sogou Pinyin
Google Pinyin Notes
See also List of input methods for UNIX platforms
List of CJK fonts Japanese language and computers
Japanese input methods Korean language and computers
Vietnamese language and computers Han unification
Character amnesia Chinese character encodings:
Big5 Guobiao code
Neima Unicode
Telegraph code External links
= Information = What Does a Chinese Keyboard Look Like?,
article by Slate.com Overview of Input Methods, by Sebastien
Bruggeman. 中文輸入法世界 Chinese input method news.
= Tutorials = What is an Input Method Editor and how
do I use it?, a Microsoft article about Windows XP's Input Method Editor.
Enabling International Support in Windows XP/Server 2003 Family, a
Microsoft tutorial on how to install input methods on Windows XP.
Tutorial on typing Chinese using PinYin method - based on HanWJ Chinese Input
Engine IME Tutorial, tutorial on how to use
Microsoft Global IME for pre-Windows 2000 systems.
= Tools = Microsoft Voice Recognition
Typing Chinese Online with Optional Tone Input
Online Cantonese Input SCIM's homepage
Chinese Input Method Software InputKing Online Input System, an online
IME with multiple input methods, supporting both simplified and
traditional characters. G6 Chinese Input Method
聪明打字 Cong Ming Da Zi, 2011, Android link. A pinyin based input system from
Luna Ergonomics. No printed keypad. NJStar Software Corp.: Chinese,
Japanese, and Korean language software solutions for use with Microsoft Windows
operating systems. Solutions include keyboard & hand-written input tools,
English translation tools, desktop publishing, and educational tools.
Open-source Pinyin Chinese Input Method Editor: A free and open-source
JavaScript jQuery plugin for web developers to build the pinyin
input-method functionality into their own websites, supporting input for both
simplified and traditional characters. This is especially useful for webmasters
of Chinese-learning websites. CJKV Input Method Editors for MS Word
VBA macros for input Asian characters and for text conversion.