Target Audience: Software Engineer, Systems Analyst

Level of Session: Advanced

The Input Method Framework adds a set of interfaces to the Java Development Kit, which allow Java text components and input methods to cooperate in entering text in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. These languages have larger character sets than can be supported on regular keyboards, so special software components called "input methods" are used to allow composition of text using the full character set from text input using only a small subset.

Components can actively use the framework's interfaces to support closely integrated user interfaces such as on-the-spot (inline) input; otherwise the framework provides a separate composition window as a fallback. The framework provides communication to pure Java input methods and input methods integrated into the host operating system. Support for additional kinds of input methods, such as network-based input methods using the Internet-Intranet Input Method Protocol can easily be plugged into the framework.

This updated version of previous talks will focus on new features in version 1.3 of the Java 2 Runtime Environment Standard Edition: the APIs that allow for the development of input methods in the Java programming language and the below-the-spot input style.