Features/libkkc

libkkc

Summary

libkkc, a new Japanese Kana Kanji input library, will be available in Fedora 19, along with an IBus input method engine which uses libkkc as backend (ibus-kkc). ibus-kkc will be the default Japanese input method in place of ibus-anthy.

Owner

• Name: Daiki Ueno

• Email: ueno at gnu.org

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora 19
• Last updated: 2013-01-24
• Percentage of completion: 60%

Detailed Description

There are currently two options for typical users to input Japanese sentences: ibus-anthy or ibus-mozc. However, both have issues:

• ibus-anthy
  • Anthy, the backend library, has been dead upstream for years.
  • The accuracy is not good because of bugs in the core algorithm of Anthy.
• ibus-mozc
  • Contributions to the input method are limited to Google employees.
  • There are no library interface. That means it cannot easily be used by other input method frameworks than IBus, such as Fcitx and uim.

libkkc and ibus-kkc will be a better replacement of those.

Benefit to Fedora

• Users will get more intelligent and openly developed Japanese input method.
• Developers will be able to use libkkc easily from their input method frameworks.

Scope

• Import marisa-trie, libkkc, ibus-kkc packages to Fedora (packages are available in private repo)
• make ibus-kkc as the default Japanese input method
  • port necessary features like keybinding editor from other IMEs

How To Test

1. Try to add "Japanese (Kana Kanji)" input source from gnome-control-center Region panel.
2. Enable "Japanese (Kana Kanji)" input source from the gnome-shell.
3. Input some Japanese text, say "watashinonamaehanakanodesu", to input a Kana-string "わたしのなまえはなかのです"
4. Type Space to convert it to a Kana-Kanji-mixed-string "わたしの名前は中野です".

User Experience

• With the libkkc back end, Japanese users can speed up the Kana Kanji input thanks to its high accuracy algorithm than ibus-anthy.

Dependencies

• libkkc (not packaged yet)
• marisa-trie (not packaged yet)

Contingency Plan

• Provide Anthy compatible library only and keep ibus-anthy as the default Japanese input method

Documentation

• project page
• git repos

Release Notes

• ibus-kkc with new libkkc backend provides a more intelligent Kana Kanji input method and speed up the user input of Japanese characters.

Comments and Discussion

• See Talk:Features/libkkc