Study On The Input Method Of Chinese Characters By Encoding

Within Chinese information processing, the encoded input of Chinese charactershas been the field that is most researched and extensively discussed and where mostpeople participate in, with products in most heated competition. Although there arealready thousands of encoded input methods of Chinese characters at present, but theresearch on them is still increasing continuously. Looking at majority of currentencoded input methods of Chinese characters, most of them are repetitions in designand development at a lower level with little technical breakthrouth and rare theoreticalinnovation, resulting in huge waste of manpower, resources and money.Based on the comprehensive analysis of the history and status quo of encodedkeyboard input methods of Chinese characters, guided by information theory andsoftware engineering, combined with the principles of cognitive psychology and humanengineering, according to users'actual needs, this paper researchs on encoded inputmethods of Chinese characters from the two aspects of theory and practice, setting up ascientific model of the encoded input system of Chinese characters, setting forth severalimportant evaluating measures of encoded input methods of Chinese characters,designing and implementing the Initial and Stroke Code Series --a set of encoded inputmethods of Chinese characters that is excellent in general.The result of this research reveals: (1) The research and development of encodedinput methods of Chinese characters is a system project, therefore an ideal result canonly be achieved through improvements on both levels of encoding and programming.(2) The contradiction, "easy ones are not fast and fast ones are not easy", that hasentangled people for years in the research and use of input methods of Chinesecharacters, can be solved. (3) As far as an individual user is concerned, the statisticfeatures of the information source of Chinese characters are not invariable, and thevariable statistic features can be utilized to boost the efficiency of inputting Chinesecharacters. (4) The human interaction with a computer should be appropriate wheninputting Chinese characters, neither can it be more nor can it be less. (5) Theinteroperability of encoded input methods of Chinese characters can basically berealized on the standard keyboard and the numerical keyboard. (6) Making use oflarge databases in encoded input methods of Chinese characters is feasible and efficient.(7) By suitably adjusting the layout of alphabetic characters on a numerical keyboard,with skillful encoding methods, the simple and rapid input of Chinese and Englishcharacters including punctuation marks and Pinyin characters with tone modifiers on anumerical keyboard can totally be realized. (8) For an input method that makes use ofthe pronunciation of Chinese characters to encode, there must be a good way to inputthose characters that are difficult to read, otherwise the input method is imcomplete. The experiment result of the Initial and Stroke Code Series shows: (1) Among theInitial and Stroke Code Series, the Initial and Stroke Code, the Syllable and Stroke Code,and the Initial and Stroke Numerical Code are all in accordance with the state'sregulations. (2) The Initial and Stroke Code is easier to learn and easier to use thanPinyin, and close to the Five Strokes Code in input speed at the same time. (3) TheSyllable and Stroke Code is as easy to learn as the condensed Pinyin, is easy to inputwithout visual interation, and is much easier than the Five Strokes Code, with about10% shortened dynamic average code length when inputting general continuous texts.(4) The Initial and Stroke Code is as easy to learn as the T9 Pinyin and T9 Stroke Code,with much less visual interation, with about 36% shorter dynamic average code than theT9 Pinyin and with about 12% shorter dynamic average code than the T9 Stroke Code.