Re: Entering Unicode characters

[handa <handa@gnu.org>]

In article <83d1skxt0i.fsf@gnu.org>, Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

> > Most input methods are deterministic, i.e. the defined key sequence
> > reaches to a target character (or a string), but Chinese input methods
> > are not deterministic, i.e. the defined key sequence reaches only to a
> > group of candidate characters.  A user has to select one of them by arrow
> > keys or by an index number.  So, for such an input method, showing
> > candidate characters is mandatory.

> So you are saying that the candidates are shown only when selection is
> done by typing a digit?

Not exactly.  The selection can also be done by C-f C-b C-n C-p and
arrow keys.  Anyway, candidates are shown only when an input method
doesn't define an exact key sequence to input a specific character.
Chinese-py only defines that "ni" is for inputting one of "你呢尼泥逆倪
匿拟腻妮霓昵溺旎睨鲵坭猊怩伲祢慝铌".  How many of those candidates are
shown depending on your window width.  If the width is too short to show
all candidates, a user have to type arrow keys or C-n, C-p, C-f, C-b to
see all candidates.  In that sense, chinese-py is non-deterministic.

> Can we add an optional feature where the candidates will be shown even
> in deterministic input methods, although the way to choose the
> candidates is not by typing a digit?  For example:

>   a["'/^_`~]  " - ä  ' - á  / - å  ^ - â _ - ª   ` - à  ~ - ã

> or something similar?

Of course adding such a feature is possible, but it's not just a
changing of condition of some code, but a completely new feature.  The
code to get "你呢尼泥逆倪匿拟腻妮霓昵溺旎睨鲵坭猊怩伲祢慝铌" when a user
type "ni" is easy because chinese-py directly defines it.  But to get
"äáåâªàã" when a user type "a" requires completely different code.

I can work on it, but it may take time.

---
K. Handa
handa@gnu.org