Re: [Q] No HexInputModePalette window?
Re: [Q] No HexInputModePalette window?
- Subject: Re: [Q] No HexInputModePalette window?
- From: Aki Inoue <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:56:31 -0700
JongAm,
Thank you for letting me know about the InputMethodKit.
Actually, I have heard that Input Method will be prohibited in the
Leopard from many site.
However, their reports were too ambiguous to figure out what really
happens : Will the plugins for SIMBL hack be disallowed, or will
the real input methods be disallowed?
OK, I agree there has been too many rumors and ambiguous reports
floating around.
Let me try to clarify a bit.
From the beginning, Mac OS X has had two API sets for developing
input methods, Carbon-based Text Services Manager and Cocoa-based
NSInputServer.
We decided to make the TSM API for input method developers on our
platform and designed to make them work with both Carbon and Cocoa
applications.
We kept NSInputServer API for developers who wanted to have Cocoa's
ease of development for simple text tools.
Now, as most of you in this ML probably know, there are two
configurations of input servers possible using the Cocoa API.
One is the client server model configuration using Distributed Objects
and another is plug-in configuration.
HexInputServer example is based on the client server configuration,
and, as you mentioned, some of the 3rd party tools are using the plug-
in configuration.
In spite of certain reports, we have been only documenting and
supporting the DO-based configuration on Mac OS X.
We decided not to publicize the plug-in model in order to minimize
chances to repeat issues we had with Classic OS Extensions.
In Leopard, we introduced InputMethodKit. The framework provides API
for input method developers moving forward.
It's based on the client server design similar to NSInputServer and,
thus, works with all clients regardless of various technologies they
are using. It works with Carbon and Cocoa clients, input methods
don't have to care about 32bit vs 64bit, running in Rosetta or not, GC-
enabled or not, etc, etc.
In favor of IMKit, we're phasing out support for both TSM and
NSInputServer based input methods gradually over upcoming releases.
In Leopard, all existing TSM-based input methods are supported.
The documented NSInputServer and NSInputManager API is still supported.
Only significant change we had in terms of binary compatibility is
that we tightened the conditions for plug-in NSInputServer.
The specific can be referenced at <file:///Developer/Documentation/DocSets/com.apple.ADC_Reference_Library.CoreReference.docset/Contents/Resources/Documents/releasenotes/Cocoa/AppKit.html
>.
By the way, do you mean that the new InputMethodKit is also
available to pre-10.5 version of the OS?
If it is only available for the OS X above the Tiger, isn't it weird?
Our recommendation for input method developers is to use TSM API if
Tiger compatibility is needed; otherwise, adopt InputMethodKit for all
new development.
Aki
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