gcin, gcin-setup - a common input method server

gcin

gcin-setup

gcin is a common input method(IM) server, which focused mainly on Traditional Chinese. However, gcin is also used broadly in inputing Simplified Chinese and Japanese Hanzi. IM table format of gcin is almost as same as those of xcin. Users may append other input methods to gcin very easily. The "g" of gcin means that it features a better GTK+2 user interface.

The author suggests users to use gcin-setup to configure personal preferences. However, current interface of gcin-setup is written in Traditional Chinese only. Another configure method is writing config-files under $HOME/.gcin/config directory.

For example, you may execute those commands:

mkdir -p $HOME/.gcin/config

touch $HOME/.gcin/gcin-UTF-8-format

echo zo > $HOME/.gcin/config/phonetic-keyboard

Thus you make a phonetic-keyboard file with content zo, which means you select standard style with 1234 selection method.

Available config-files are listed below, and default options are showed bold.

If you use gcin-setup, those config-files will be made automatically. You may not want to do it all by yourself.

$HOME/.gcin/config/phonetic-keyboard string

Key codes arrangement style within Bopomofo and Tsin intelligent input method(Tsin IM).

OPTIONS MEANINGS

zo Standard style with 1234 selection method

zo-asdf Standard style with asdf selection method

et Eten style with 1234 selection method

et-asdf Eten style with asdf selection method

et26 Eten 26 keys style with 1234 selection method

et26-asdf Eten 26 keys style with asdf selection method

hsu Mr. Hsu's style (Kuo-Yin IM, Natural Bopomofo IM)

ibm IBM's style

$HOME/.gcin/config/tsin-chinese-english-toggle_key number

Toggle key for Chinese/English Mode within Tsin IM.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 Caps Lock key

2 Tab key

4 Shift key(Only available when GTK_IM_MODULE=gcin).

$HOME/.gcin/config/tsin-space-opt number

Function of Space key within Tsin IM.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 Select other same phonetic characters.

2 Send contents of editing area to application.

$HOME/.gcin/config/tsin-phrase-pre-select boolean

Show phrase pre-selection window within Tsin IM.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/phonetic-char-dynamic-sequence boolean

Dynamic character sequence adjustment within Bopomofo and Tsin IM.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/pho-simple-window boolean

Smaller window for Bopomofo and Tsin IM.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/phonetic-huge-tab boolean

Use pho-huge.tab to input all of Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese Hanzi within Bopomofo and Tsin IM.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/tsin-buffer-size number

Buffer size of editing area of Tsin IM.

OPTIONS SUGGEST

40 You may select another number as you like.

$HOME/.gcin/config/tsin-phrase-line-color hex

Color of phrase-underline within Tsin IM.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

#FF0000 Red

#00FF00 Green

#0000FF Blue

#FFFF00 Yellow

#FF00FF Magenta

#00FFFF Cyan

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-font-size number

Font size of character-selection area

OPTIONS SUGGEST

16 You may select another number as you like.

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-font-size-symbol number

Font size of symbol-selection window

OPTIONS SUGGEST

12 You may select another number as you like.

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-font-size-tsin-presel number

Font size of phrase pre-selection window within Tsin IM.

OPTIONS SUGGEST

16 You may select another number as you like.

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-font-size-tsin-pho-in number

Font size of phonetic input area of Bopomofo and Tsin IM.

OPTIONS SUGGEST

10 You may select another number as you like.

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-font-size-gtab-in number

Font size of key codes input area of gtab IMs(Chanjei IM, Array IM, etc.).

OPTIONS SUGGEST

10 You may select another number as you like.

gcin-setup will not let you set font size smaller then 8, or larger then 24. If you like extremely small window, you may set font size to 0 on input area. For example:

echo 0 > $HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-font-size-tsin-pho-in

echo 0 > $HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-font-size-gtab-in

Thus your gcin window can be as small as 15 x 18 pixels.

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-dup-select-bell boolean

Bell ring when multiple selections are available within gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-space-auto-first number

Function of Space Key within gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 Send first character within Liu's IM(Boshiamy IM).

2 Send first character within character-selection area.

4 Does not send first character. (For Array IM)

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-auto-select-by_phrase boolean

Auto-selection by Tsin phrase database within gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-pre-select boolean

Show auto-selection suggest from Tsin phrase database within gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-press-full-auto-send boolean

Auto-send character when key codes input area is full. For gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-disp-partial-match boolean

Display partial matched characters within gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-simple-win boolean

Smaller window for gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-disp-key-codes boolean

Show all possible key codes of character within gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-disp-im-name boolean

Display input method name within gtab IMs.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gtab-invalid-key-in boolean

Clear key codes input area when invalid key and Space key are pressed.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/default-input-method number

Default IM when gcin is called.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

0 Internal character code IM

1 Chanjei IM version 3

2 Chanjei IM version 5

3 Bopomofo IM

4 Jyutping IM

5 Pinyin IM

6 Tsin IM

7 Dayi IM

8 Array IM 30 keys version

9 Liu's IM(Boshiamy IM)

10 Simple Chanjei IM

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-flags-im-enabled number

Available IMs to be cyclic selected by Control-Shift. Options under this config-file are a little tricky.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

2147483647 All IMs are available.

2147481601 Only Internal character code IM is available.

2147481602 Only Chanjei IM version 3 is available.

2147481604 Only Chanjei IM version 5 is available.

2147481608 Only Bopomofo IM is available.

2147481616 Only Jyutping IM is available.

2147481632 Only Pinyin IM is available.

2147481664 Only Tsin IM is available.

2147481728 Only Dayi IM is available.

2147481856 Only Array IM 30 keys version is available.

2147482112 Only Liu's IM(Boshiamy IM) is available.

2147482624 Only Simple Chanjei IM is available.

2147481600 + number of IMs, then you get your own setup number. For example, you want only Bopomofo, Tsin, and Array IM. So you calculate 2147481600 + 8 + 64 + 256 = 2147481928.

echo 2147481928 > $HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-flags-im-enabled

Then you get it.

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-im-toggle-keys number

Toggle Key for IM window ON/OFF.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

0 Control-Space

1 Shift-Space

2 Alt-Space

3 Windows-Space

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-remote-client boolean

Remote application client support(using port 9999-). If you want to use gcin under su or sudo environment, you should keep this option ON.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/gcin-shift-space-eng-full boolean

Toggle into double-wide English character mode with Shift-Space.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/config/left-right-button-tips boolean

Show button tips when mouse cursor stays on gcin window. Default is ON, but it will be set into OFF after gcin-setup is executed once.

OPTIONS MEANINGS

1 ON

0 OFF

$HOME/.gcin/gcin-UTF-8-format

A file which is only for compatibility. If you dislike it, edit gcin-user-setup and gcin-utf8-setup, then you may delete this file without disturbance.

/usr/share/gcin/script/utf8-edit

A file which is used by gcin to execute text editors when needed. You may add any UTF-8 compatible text editor you like into it.

LC_CTYPE

Example:

For bash: export LC_CTYPE=zh_TW

For csh: setenv LC_CTYPE zh_TW

XMODIFIERS

Example:

For bash: export XMODIFIERS=@im=gcin

For csh: setenv XMODIFIERS @im=gcin

GTK_IM_MODULE

Example:

For bash: export GTK_IM_MODULE=gcin

For csh: setenv GTK_IM_MODULE gcin

gcin2tab(1), phoa2d(1), phod2a(1), tsa2d(1), tsd2a(1), tslearn(1)

See README for detailed information(Traditional Chinese only).

Edward Der-Hua Liu <cp76@csie.nctu.edu.tw>

Wrote gcin and associated tools.

Friend of Chanjei IM, Malaysia <www.chinesecj.com>

Author of original Chanjei IM version 5 table.

Dayi Co., Ltd. <http://www.dayi.com>

Author of Dayi IM.