Re: how to input Eszett ('ß')?

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> Date: Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:24:26 -0500
> From: ken <gebser@mousecar.com>
> Cc: michael_heerdegen@web.de
> 
> Thanks, Michael.  Great thing.  But then how does one then return to the 
> previous input method?

To previous input method or to no input method at all?

If the former "C-u C-\ INPUT-METHOD RET" will switch INPUT-METHOD on.

If the latter, just C-\ will switch off the currently active input
method.

> Note: when I do Mx- describe-input-method, the minibuffer prompt says
> 
> Describe input method (default, current choice):
> 
> If I then hit RET, I get Debugger telling me "No input method is 
> activated now".
> 
> The buffer I'm doing this in (if it matters) is utf-8 encoded.

The buffer encoding has nothing to do with input method.  An input
method is a way to generate characters that are absent from your
keyboard, by typing combinations of existing characters.  Buffer
encoding is how the text will be encoded when written to a disk file
or sent to another process.