Entering Simplified Chinese Text

About This Chapter

This chapter describes the Simplified Chinese Solaris input modes for typing Simplified Chinese characters with Simplified Chinese Solaris software. You can type any of the following kinds of characters:

• ASCII/English characters

• Simplified Chinese ideograms (characters or symbols representing ideas/actions/things)

• Special symbol characters

You can type all of these characters in the input areas of the following application windows:

• In terminal emulation (TTY) windows such as Terminal

• In text entry subwindows such as used by Text Editor or Mailer

• In control panel subwindows such as used by File Manager for typing a file name

• In other special use (sometimes pop-up) subwindows

For information about creating your own input method, see Chapter 5, Code Table Input Method Interface.

Input Window Areas

Three separate areas of an application subwindow are involved in entering characters. These areas are typically displayed, named, and used as follows:

• Preedit area--Highlighted (such as inverse video or underlined) entry display area

• Status area--Area indicating the current input/conversion mode

• Lookup choice area--Area displaying multiple character choices

• Auxiliary Windows-- Utilities for input method management

  

Preedit Area

The highlighted (for example, reverse video and underlined) preedit area displays characters as they are typed or converted. It holds formations of text before they are converted to Simplified Chinese characters or symbols and put in the text block being assembled for the application.

Status Area

The status area is shows what input conversion mode is in effect. In the above example, it is located in the lower left corner of the window margin.

Lookup Choice Area

The lookup choice area displays multiple Simplified Chinese or special character choices available for conversion of the character(s)/radical(s) in the preedit area. In the above example, it is a pop-up.

Auxiliary Window

The auxiliary window provides tools and utilities to manage the input methods or to make the input simpler.

Input Method Utilities

Solaris 9 provides graphics interface tools and utilities to manage input methods, set the properties of input methods, and to facilitate the input of special characters.

The following tools are supported:

• Input method selection

• Input method option setting

• Lookup table .

• User define character

• Input method help

• Virtual Keyboard.

Selecting the Utility Menu

1. Click the utility button to display the utilities menu.

Select one of the input method tools from the menu.

Input Method SelectionTool

The input method selection tool allows you to select a list of input method. You can also set the default input method and the sequence of the input methods.

1. Select input method selection item of the utility menu

The input method selection panel appears as below:

After selecting an input method, click "OK" or "Apply", the setting will be activated. The first input method selected becomes the default input method.

Press "CTRL+Space" in the application window to activate Chinese input, the default input method will be selected. Press "F2" to switch to the first input method selected. Press "F3" to switch to the second one, and so on.