Re: Question: What is an "IM Preedit Style"?

[Lau <zenithlau i-cable com>]

On 21 Jan 2003 17:38:24 +0100
Christian Rose <menthos@menthos.com> wrote:

> tis 2003-01-21 klockan 16.06 skrev Benjamin Greiner:
> > I've stumbled upon the expression "IM Preedit Style" in gtk+ and have no
> > idea whatsoever what it could mean. As the expression is too English for
> > a word-by-word translation, I need to know what it means.
> 
> I guess "IM" is short for "input method", so it probably has something
> to do with atk and accessibility. But that's just my guess. I also have
> no idea what "preediting" really is.
> I suggest you ask on a gtk+ mailing list. If you get an answer you're
> welcome to also share it here, as I guess many other translators like
> you and me are puzzled by this message. :-)

IM is stand for input method, while Preedit Style should be came from XIM protocol
which, XIM is the protocol extension from X, used for implement the complex 
requriement fro character input.

In some language, like chinese, there is a lot of character ("a few thousand"), so to
"input" a chinese char into a software, the existing way is:
1. When a user pressed some key (for e.g. "ctl+space"), which will trigger on the input
    method engine which is actually a software.
2. Most commonly, the IME will bring up a small window
3. By some rule for chinese char input, you may say, input "hqi" for a chinese char "I"
4. During the time we input the char seq. "hqi", usually the IM software will echo
    back the char seq onto the small window it create.
5. And that small window is called preediting area.

So what is preedit style, from the spec of XIM protocol, the IM software will use
different kind of policy to display the preediting data. Various preedit style are
"on the spot style", "off the spot style", "over the spot style" and "root style".

Usually, a client (X client) will request a specify a style, the IM will then operating
in that particular style. On the other hand, some toolkit will provide way for user
to control which particular preedit style should be use.

For example, with a over the spot style, the IM will create a small window, exactly
under the cursor, which the user input some char, the char will echo on that small
window, at the small time the input engine will try to show up some char will should
be correspond to that particular char seq., and the user may select such a char.
And the IM will send that char to the X client.

Besides the GTK list, i18n@xfree86.org should also be another good place for you
question.

Hope that helps!

Lau



> 
> 
> Chris tian
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