AIX Version 4.3 Differences Guide
AIX Version 4.3 Differences Guide
AIX Version 4.3 Differences Guide
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10.5.4 Input Methods for the Euro Symbol<br />
For an application to run in the international environment, for which National<br />
Language Support provides a base, input methods are needed. An input method<br />
is a set of functions that translates key strokes, or more precisely, key<br />
symbol/modifier pairs into character strings in the code set specified by your<br />
locale. Each type of input method has the following features:<br />
Keymaps Set of input method keymaps (imkeymaps) that work with the input<br />
method and determine the supported locales.<br />
Keysyms Set of key symbols (keysyms) that the input method can handle.<br />
Modifiers Set of modifiers, or states, each having a mask value, that the input<br />
method supports.<br />
Your locale determines which input method should be loaded, how the input<br />
method runs, and which devices are used. The /usr/lib/nls/loc directory contains<br />
the input methods installed on your system. Input method file names have the<br />
format XX_XX.im where XX_XX represents the language and territory designation<br />
for any of the locales. For a given input method, you may find an associated<br />
configuration file identified by the suffix .imcfg .The input method provides support<br />
for user-defined imkeymaps, allowing you to customize input method mapping.<br />
The input methods support imkeymaps for each locale. The file name for<br />
imkeymaps is similar to that of input methods, except that the suffix for imkeymap<br />
files is .imkeymap instead of .im. The imkeymaps are generated by the keycomp<br />
command. The keycomp command compiles a keyboard mapping file into an input<br />
method keymap file. The locale specific keyboard mapping files are recognized<br />
by the suffix .imkeymap.src .<br />
For a system set up for German UTF-8 Euro symbol support (DE_DE), you would<br />
find all the files mentioned above in the /usr/lib/nls/loc directory:<br />
# ch /usr/lib/nls/loc<br />
# ls -l DE_DE*im* | cut -c55-<br />
DE_DE.UTF-8.im -> /usr/lib/nls/loc/sbcs.im<br />
DE_DE.UTF-8.imcfg -> /usr/lib/nls/loc/UNIVERSAL.imcfg<br />
DE_DE.UTF-8.imkeymap<br />
DE_DE.UTF-8.imkeymap.src<br />
DE_DE.im -> /usr/lib/nls/loc/UNIVERSAL.im<br />
DE_DE.imcfg -> /usr/lib/nls/loc/UNIVERSAL.imcfg<br />
DE_DE.imkeymap -> /usr/lib/nls/loc/DE_DE.UTF-8.imkeymap<br />
Note that actually two input methods are present, and indeed, both are needed<br />
for your UTF-8 Euro environment. DE_DE.im is linked to the standard<br />
UNIVERSAL input method and DE_DE.UTF-8.im is an alias for the traditional<br />
single-byte input method commonly used in conjunction with the ISO8859 and the<br />
IBM-850 PC code sets. Both input methods are related by the use of the same<br />
UNIVERSAL input method configuration file UNIVERSAL.imcfg.<br />
10.5.4.1 Single-Byte Character Set Input Method<br />
The Single-Byte Character Set Input Method (SIM) is the standard that supports<br />
most of the locales. It is a mapping function that supports simple composition<br />
defined on workstation keyboards associated with single-byte locales.<br />
SIM supports any keyboard, code set, and language that the keycomp command<br />
can describe. You can customize SIM using imkeymaps. The coded strings<br />
returned by the input method depend on the imkeymap. Due to this feature, you<br />
262 <strong>AIX</strong> <strong>Version</strong> <strong>4.3</strong> <strong>Differences</strong> <strong>Guide</strong>
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