====== VI-input project ======

For the unicode conversion project please see [[projects:ovniconv| OvniConv ]] \\ ODF Vietnamese Unicode converter

The purpose of the Vi-input-Team like other subgroups at [[others:hanoilug]] is to improve our knowledge on certain area of GNU/linux Computing, and while at it improve the experience of others at the same time, in this case the subject is to help Vietnamese to have a better experience using Linux.

As stated in Thao's email when he call for a meeting about this subject, he explain this way we need to fix the "nagging problem of Vietnamese input method. As you all know there are many ways to input Vietnamese on Linux, all of them are almost working. That's a very irritating situation."

A small tour of the solutions on how to type Vietnamese on Linux (please add more if you find more).

  * SCIM is probably the best solution but require some tweaking in post install and did not handle telex in "free style" mode until recently. The latest version of it is more like  
  * x-unikey require also some post install tweaks if one wants to use it with open office and will sometimes interfere with gnome (does it doe that on kde ?) and overall it does not integrate very well with the desktop environment and compiz WM. Also the "free style" is handle by a not the nicest hack with backspace. It also does not work out correctly out of the box without tweak in the config' file 
  * xvnkb, it blocks cdrom which is a very silly issue. It also do some library pre-loading.
  * to type vietnamese there's also the native keyboard but we're wondering why people are reluctant to use it...

During the meeting Friday November 2nd 2007, we thought that the best input application is SCIM, it integrates well in the desktop and is already upstream. So one question remains: "is it possible to make SCIM work in a sort of free style mode?"

If we can't make free style work in SCIM then we have to fall back on unikey and make it more integrated into the desktop itself. Or we can start one from scratch. I don't know why both scim and unikey have to go with the sticky window. Why isn't the small icon in the taskbar enough?
  * The "sticky window" is optional. You can simply deaactivate it in the SCIM configuration. -- ProgFou

ToDo

  * Submit the patch for the vi-telex.mim de SCIM
  * Contact the author of Unicode converter http://unicodeconvert.sourceforge.net/
  * Contact the unikey guy and offer to collaborate to make it better

LAST MEETING information apparently the latest version of SCIM can use freestyle as well so what we need is to get the maintainer of telex to include in 


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**Resources on Vietnamese input**
  * [[soft:scimtelex]]
  * [[soft:x-unikey]]
  * [[soft:xvnkb]]
  * https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SCIM

  * http://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/ScimSupportLanguageNewM17n