foreign-language-character-input | Thomas' Work Space

Character Input for SLA (Mandarin)

2009/09/04 plagwitz Leave a comment

· Input for east Asian languages can use

o so called IMEs (Input Method Editors) which allow you to type Roman characters and receive in return a dialogue with

o Handwriting recognition (not very usable with only a mouse as drawing devices.

o How to easily type pinyin with tone markers

§ Use the Pinyininput IME from the Language Bar (or Input Method Selector keyboard shortcut).

§ Its “first mode is “checked” mode, which only accepts (mostly) valid pīnyīn (mostly valid in that it only checks for correct combinations of initials and finals, and not valid/invalid combinations of tones). When typing, if you place a number at the end of a pīnyīn syllable then Pinyinput will automatically convert the correct vowel in the syllable so that it has the appropriate tone e.g. Typing Ni3hao3 will produce the output Nǐhǎo. (…() “Checked” mode also optionally supports “érhuà” so things like pingr2 will be converted to píngr. The “érhuà” support is pretty simplistic, and it will allow any valid pīnyīn syllable which is followed by an r (even though such syllables might not exist in valid pinyin). (…)

§ The second mode is “unchecked” mode, and in this mode you can type whatever you like

§ (…) the user can optionally decide whether they want to use combining diacritic marks or individual characters [which] are probably the best way to go, as not all programs handle combining diacriticals correctly. (…)

§ Pinyinput can support multiple different keyboard layouts.(…) regardless of the layout used, the letter v of that layout is always automatically converted to ü.

View a demonstration screencast.

· Simplified Chinese

o Select the pre-installed IME from the Language Bar (or Input Method Selector keyboard shortcut).

· More Information is available here; Foreign_Language_Character_Input.pdf

o The LLC attempts to have the optimum environment language for learning preinstalled. Suggestions for additions welcome.

Categories: Documents, e-learning, Mandarin, Screencasts, Writing Tags: foreign-language-character-input, keyboard-layout, pinyin, PinyInput

Swift Subtitling with Input Language Japanese in Windows XP

2009/03/20 plagwitz Leave a comment

Go to control panel / regional and language options / tab: languages.
Check whether (1) Japanese / Keyboard / MS IME Standard 2003 is installed. Otherwise (2) button:add it
With (1) Japanese / Keyboard / MS IME Standard 2003 is installed selected, click on (3) button: properties and ensure these settings are right, then click button: “ok”
Now Open Swift.
Menu file / preferences / tab: open:/ section:available fonts, button:add, add ms pgothic, section: default font, button:change, select ms pgothic, like here:
Menu file / preferences / tab: spelling and languages, select primary language: Japanese, like here, then close with button: ok,
Close the existing and open a new swift file.
With swift still being the active application, ensure that in the windows language bar (if you do not see all the language bar icons, right click on input language icon , choose additional icons in the taskbar ; you may also have to right-click left of the input language icon, uncheck lock language bar, then resize the bar for the additional icons to show) the right input language is chosen, like here:
Troubleshooting: It has been observed that the IME popup editor does not appear like here: . This may be related to the IME option “Input type” getting reset from “Hiragana”to “Direct Input”. Double-check this. Also, if all else fails, close existing and open a new file within Swift and/or close and reopen Swift, making sure that the IME settings remain.
Still won’t work? Contact me.