International Typer (IntlTyper) – Java Version

Note that I have discontinued development of the Java version. Java was the right choice when I started to write IntlTyper in 2002. Nowadays, JavaScript is capable enough to drive complex web application, so Java is no longer necessary. Therefore, I concentrated on improving the JavaScript version instead of maintaining the old Java version.

Online service

IntlTyper Applet

Introduction

IntlTyper is a small Java application that helps write texts in most languages on any keyboard that supports typing at least all ASCII characters.

Users: View the manual.

Developers: View the API documentation.

Download

IntlTyper requires a Java Runtime Environment (Standard Edition, 1.3 or higher). If you do not have it yet, download it for free from java.sun.com.

Binary download (Version 0.1, 208 KB)

Source download (Version 0.1, 142 KB)

Sourceforge project page

is located here.

SVN

You can also get the latest "bleeding edge" source code from SVN.

Browse it or use the following commands to check it out anonymously:

svn co https://intltyper.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/intltyper/trunk/intltyper intltyper

Description

The goal of this Java Swing application is to allow typing international texts - independent from the OS you are working and independent from the fact if a suitable keyboard driver is available and may be installed. (A suitable font must be installed, though; but this is no real problem since most java VMs supply fonts for lots of charsets).

To archieve this, this application provides a text box where you can type text in (with bidi support if your JVM is recent enough). To type characters which are not on your keyboard, there are several ways: (1) you can load an "autotype list" - a list of character sequences which are automaticaly replaced while you type. (2) you can hit the return key and then 2 characters (or a space and any number of characters followed by another return key) which are looked up in the "abbreviation" list. The character associated with them will then be inserted. (3) you can enter a unicode code point number or some keywords which are in the Unicode name of the character - the resulting match(es) will then be inserted. You can as well add new abbreviations for all characters you can produce by one of these ways.

The largest problem is (of course) to define these lists. Maybe there will be other "input methods" needed for some languages as well.

for import/export, the application will support the OS's clipboard as well as writing and reading (UTF-8 and UTF-16) text files.

The only platform independent program I know that allows the same is GNU Emacs' input method support - but downloading a full GNU Emacs for just typing a German or French or Esperanto e-mail is usually not an option (especially in internet cafés).

For that reason this application will most likely be available as an applet (from the sf.net project page) as well.

Contact me

You can contact me at my sourceforge e-mail address.