An integrated kana input method
It would be useful to have an integrated input method that works the same way as IME. Similar as seen in Wakan. It's quite annoying to change the used language in IME. There would be buttons to select whether one would like to input romaji or kana. TAB could be a hotkey changing between romaji and kana. Capslock would work normally, but in kana mode it would change between hiragana and katakana. Otherwise, everything (like inputing kanji) would work as in IME.
(Also an integrated character drawing method would make things much nicer compared to IME.)
Note: It doens't need to be 100% integrated. Seeing how KanjiCruncher changes the IME's language might help.
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Why not, but I don't see what is wrong with using the system's IME which should allow you to switch to kanas by just pressing one key. If the IME is cumbersome to use, then it should probably be changed anyway.
Unless more argument in favor of this feature are given I think I will drop this blueprint.
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Reply:
IME is ok as long as there is an easy solution for switching between input methods (direct input / hiragana / full-width katakana). I don't see any hotkeys supported by Tagaini Jisho 2.4 at the moment or have I missed them?
It's quite non-userfriendly to always switch the input method through the language toolbar by mouse.
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Those aren't issues with Tagaini, they are directly related to the IME.
Off the top of my head (Although I almost never use the windows IME, so not bets I'm right) but there are keyboard shortcuts supported by the Windows IME to allow easy switching between input method. If I remember, hitting F7 will convert anything you are currently typing into katakana. I can't remember what the other keys are, but if you have a look through the settings there is a list somewhere. Google may also be helpful. Here are some links I found on the first page:
http://
http://
http://
To put in my two bobs worth; Tagaini should not have its own IM. Input should be handled by a separate IM. If Tagaini had its own, it would be different from the one used by every other application, which generally don't have one as they use the default one (IME in Windows). Every user would have to learn an extra utility, where as currently the same one can be used and thus learnt once. Imagine typing out a document in office, only to have to look something up in Tagaini and have a completely different set of IM keys.
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Ok. Thank you for the hotkey tutorials Neil. Those were good. Your comment finally helped me indirectly to find some new information about the Windows IME hotkeys:
(SHIFT+CAPS LOCK: hiragana <-> full-width alphanumeric)
CTRL+CAPS LOCK: switch to hiragana completely
ALT+CAPS LOCK: switch to katakana completely
ALT+ยง: Switch to direct input
ALT+SHIFT: Toggle between languages.
These were the features I mostly needed. So in the end, I agree that this blueprint may be closed if integrating the input method is not a wished feature. I wouldn't though mind that Tagaini Jisho would allow users to specify their own hotkeys that switches the IME's input method. For example, ALT is a little problemsome in combinations. I neither see it a bad thing if (at least) integrating IME-pad (or something similar) for kanji drawing is considered. It would improve usability because then user would not need to use an "extra view". In this case, s/he could also decide which drawing method to use.
- nakano
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I also favor the idea that we should not integrate a complete IME into TJ. But some basic romaji<>kana conversion is definitely helpful. What if my IME broke or I couldn't install one? Then I certainly wouldn't want to move my mouse into the kana table every time I want to input some japanese. Maybe you could implement a button or check box in the kana table that allows automatic conversion of romaji-kana.
Chin
