Japanese Reconversion
Overview
Japanese reconversion provides a function to convert a Kanji character string into another Kanji character string by presuming the original reading of the Kanji character string.
Japanese normally input Kanji characters by entering Kana characters and converting them into Kanji characters with Kana Kanji conversion engine. In general, the conversion engine offers some candidates of Kanji string, and then Japanese users choose desired one. However, users might accidentally choose undesirable one for some reason like cat's interruption. In that case, Japanese reconversion is useful. Japanese reconversion shows the candidates again just by pushing HENKAN key. It avoids the painful operation that they delete the undesirable Kanji string, re-entire the same Kana characters and convert them again.
The most application supports Japanese reconversion by default since they are constructed based on the GUI libraries like MFC that support Japanese reconversion. OpenOffice.org has its own GUI library called VCL to provide platform independent GUI toolkit for developers working on the upper layers. However, VCL didn't support Japanese reconversion before OOo 3.1.
This article aims to provide information about whole Japanese reconversion support statuses of OpenOffice.org. This functionality can't work out only with code changes in one project. Cross-sectional code changes are required. Development for Japanese reconversion proceeds in several project in parallel. Therefore, the development information and current support of Japanese reconversion are gathered into this page. This might help us overlook the overall status of Japanese reconversion support on OpenOffice.org
Development status
Japanese reconversion is currently available in some limited areas.
Area | Issue # | Target |
---|---|---|
Fundamental support of VCL | i72022, i94441 | 3.1 |
Text box | i72022 | 3.1 |
Writer body | i93924 | 3.1 |
Notes in Writer | i94374 | 3.1 |
Multiline text box | - | - |
Impress/Draw | planning | - |
Calc | - | - |
Vista support | i94762 | 3.1 |
Support for old ATOK | - | - |
Bug fix for reconversion of long string | i97850 | 3.2 |
Action reporting
Windows XP | Windows Vista | |
---|---|---|
MS-IME 2007 | OK | OK |
MS-IME 2003 | OK | - |
MS-IME 2002 | OK | - |
ATOK 2008 | OK | - |
ATOK 17 | Failed | - |
How to use
First of all, you have to have MS-IME installed and activated. Additionally, if you do not have Japanese keyboard, you have to assign a key combination to reconversion with the property editor of MS-IME like the following image;
Then, the assigned key combination emits the reconversion message in Writer window. If you have any text in your documents and the cursor is in it, the candidate window emerges, or in other words, the reconversion starts.
Other helpful resources
- A message posted to sw@dev that describes why Japanese use reconversion and gives some hints about how developers can realize reconversion in your own GUI library or application.