Develop Bugs

Keyboard comparisons

Hi!
I feel the stock Samsung keyboard has potential but the word correction just seems meh (could be due to danish dictionary).
I'd like to see a comparison of the keyboards and what people feel about each one.
Swiftkey
Samsung keyboard (multi touch)
Swype (drawing type keyboard)
HTC_IME (the xda one with online kitchen)
Handcent
Droid X (multi touch)
Currently i feel the HTC_IME is best for me atleast, since it supports danish and it has some added features (XDA). It's slower than the Samsung Keyboard though, probably the multi touch making Samsung faster. I'd like to try Swype or SwiftKey, but danish support seems a while off. Handcent i haven't tried, but as far as i remember it looks alot like the HTC_IME one?
If none of them improves soon, i guess i'll try to code one myself. Swiftkey prediction with multi touch would be pretty awesome

I love the vlingo keyboard, it pwns all the others I've tried.

text using profile: mails/notes/todos/sms, typing rather fast, languages: german & english
HTC_IME, Handcent (is that built into the app?), Vlingo - haven't tried those
Swype
- unique feature: swipe to type
- my favourite; i nearly can type as fast as i can on a real keyboard, which is quite fast ​
Samsung keyboard (multi touch)
- unique feature: none that i know of
- nice, seems to be a lookalike from the iphone keyboard; works good, just 2 points at once though
- if i want to use multitouch typing while wanting to type as fast as i can i always switch over to this one:​
Droid X (multi touch)
- unique feature: multitouch with more than 2 points
- IMHO best multi touch keyboard out there​
Swiftkey
- unique feature: text prediction
- useful: using several languages simultaneously (HUGE benefit for me! TouchPal does this as well)
- just installed it while it's in beta, can't say much about it
- using it for just a couple of minutes doesn't reveal much about the real benefit of this keyboard (text prediction)
- looks amazing, i'll definitely use this regularly to see where it goes!​
ThickButtons
- unique feature: keyboard-buttons get enlarged when being predicted by the dictionary as possibly the next letter in the current word
- tried this for a couple of text messages, need more time for a thorough test
- runs stable but a bit slow​
TouchPal
- seems to be a very good chinese input keyboard, although i'm far from able to confirm that
- useful: using several languages simultaneously (like Swiftkey)
- just testing this for a couple of minutes, seems to be very good!​
my wishes :
Swype should implement multi touch support & easy language switch while simultaneously using he built in keyboard - then it's the only keyboard i'll ever need
Swiftkey should come out of beta as soon as it's ready and be as cheap as possible
UPDATE
added Swiftkey & TouchPal

Intratech said:
I love the vlingo keyboard, it pwns all the others I've tried.
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Er really? It's identical to the default Android keyboard, doesn't support multi-touch.
So far, I think the HTC keyboard would rock with multi-touch, but without it it just cannot keep up with fast typing, rendering it useless!
Advantages of default Samsung Keyboard:
- Multi-touch
- Decent text prediction
- Arrow keys appear when you long-press on symbols (big plus)
Disadvantages:
- You can't capitalise random letters in a word!!! (You can't write something like McDonald's for example, because pressing shift will either capitalise ALL letters in the word or the first letter only. This is also painful when you have to type in a username for some app but the text field has prediction enabled.)
- The numbers/symbols layout is dreadful! Seriously, why is the colon on the 2nd page? And why does the last used page open instead of the first one when you press symbols?
Advantages of Droid X keyboard:
- Better multi-touch than Samsung (shift + many keys is possible)
- Much better symbols layout
Disadvantages:
-Auto-capitalisation doesn't work
- No control of the dictionary! And the dictionary has random incorrect words in it like ob and od and im which get substituted when you make a typing mistake.
I'm using the Droid X keyboard right now but desperately looking for something with better dictionary control

Do any of these keyboards have the ability for speech-to-text like the nexus one? I don't see the speaker icon on the samsung keyboards.

INeedYourHelp said:
Do any of these keyboards have the ability for speech-to-text like the nexus one? I don't see the speaker icon on the samsung keyboards.
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Click to collapse
Droid X one does

INeedYourHelp said:
Do any of these keyboards have the ability for speech-to-text like the nexus one? I don't see the speaker icon on the samsung keyboards.
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Click to collapse
Vlingo does and I can type fast on it without worrying about it missing my letters and the auto correction is good on it.

Robin.B said:
Er really? It's identical to the default Android keyboard, doesn't support multi-touch.
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I don't care about multi touch just about typing fast and accurately.

I like the standard Android keyboard, if only it had multi-touch.

The Samsung keyboard is capable for multi touch? Even if it does the multi touch implementation doesn't seems to her close to the one of Droid X, at least I can't feel it. Also the ptedicion and correction doesn't works well. I'm using an IME called CEDIME which I need the Chinese input, the English keyboard included us even better than the Samsung one.
The Droid X multi touch keyboard works well but the prediction will need some improvement, although by using it more you can add more words to it's dictionary.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Using Swiftkey Beta here, and other than some curious auto-complete choices, it's brilliant, rather large though...

I love SWYPE, it is SOOO accurate with English... Though I use Vietnamese quiet often to text my Vietnamese friend and can't seem to find Vietname SWYPE Dictionary ... So i'm teaching SWYPE, but its learning fast...
So overall, I love it!

[Q] Is there any trick for this?

I'm enjoying to write emails and sms's for compact HTC_IME keyboard with t9. But in browser I don't want to use t9 and compact keyboard. I like to use regular q keyboard without any prediction, also with internet forms,too.
Is there any chance or any program to according to the selected programs that change our preferences automatically?

chinese input on android

how to get chinese input in android? I am new to android.
I just downloaded google input IME from market place and installed, it is enabled in settings(languages), but keyboard did not change in messages and browser input. why?
any other apps will work?

The default way to change input method has been changed in ICS. Instead of long pressing at any text entry field, In ICS you will see a small keyboard icon in the left corner from the status bar when the keyboard shows up, then you can pull the status bar down and change the input method from there.
Google Pinyin IME is average. Some better options are sogou input and touchpal input. Sogou does not support ICS at this moment. But touchpal V5 works flawlessly.

I actually set default keybord to google pinyin, but then I cannot enable default english keyboard. what if I want to try other chinese keyboard? is there a way to enable multiple keyboard?

What if I want stock ICS keyboard to have Chinese? Any way I can do that?
I really like the stock keyboard and I don't want to use third party keyboard if at all possible

Also looking for this option....Surely there must be a way to switch to hand written chinese input via the stock ICS keyboard right ??? I realise that 3rd party apps are available but they are all terrible IMHO. Looking for something similar to how iPhone handles Chinese input....any ideas / suggestions ?

i'm using penpower, it not made for ics, as the writing pad does not fit the whole bottom half of the screen, but it works.
updated, just installed the ics version.

google voice input is the best. i use HK traditional.
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.cootek.smartinputv5&hl=en
touchpal is good too. they got chinese pack and handwriting pack.

go to System Setting > Language & keyboard > System Language. Then, scroll down and check PinYin option. You can choose handwriting too.
Later, when you're at a text box you will can toggle between English and Chinese using a "EN" key at left side of your spacebar.
xinn3r said:
What if I want stock ICS keyboard to have Chinese? Any way I can do that?
I really like the stock keyboard and I don't want to use third party keyboard if at all possible
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Chinese Input on Kindle Fire
Anybody know which Chinese IME works for Kindle Fire. I root it successfully. Try to install Google PinYin, but it say not compatible with your device. The download button even not available.
Thanks

[q] change language via physical keybaord

do anybody knows what keys to press on the physical keyboard to be able to change the input language?
i have Hebrew keyboard as well and i couldn't find any way to change the the language input on physical keyboard.

This is a limitation of the Android OS - you cannot change the language of the physical keyboard that easily - I never found a way to do it, but theoretically it would involve access to the software or a configfile for the text prediction so that it suypplies cues from the physical keyboard to another predictor for another language

Long-press individual keys for alternate letters, and there may be an app for converting the physical keyboard, but it will almost invariably require root. I would also try finding other nationalities who accomplished this and learn from them. -Ara
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

as the mapping using the virtual keyboard of AnySoftKeyboard supports physical keyboard mapping i mange to make it work only when i change the virtual keyboard to Hebrew first and then slide the keyboard out.
this is very inconvenience cos every time i want to change the language i need to close the keyboard and switch to virtual one, change the language and star over.
maybe there is a way to add input option via the power button? like using jkay deluxe or something?

I can tell, how this problem is solved in case of russian layout, but not sure, if it works for hebrew.
Root, then use an app, called Keyboard swither from market.
After that, I installed the special verison of Russian keyboard, that had a layout, compatible with glide.
This version can be downloaded from here

the problem with keyboard switcher is that he just put an icon on desktop.
if i'm using sms app i need to close it to use the switcher, so its not the solution i need.
thanks for the help tough, we need to find a way to make a shortcut via combination of keys
to achieve this, maybe a script for int.d that can apply shortcut function on physical keyboard.

taiber2000 said:
the problem with keyboard switcher is that he just put an icon on desktop.
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Oops, sorry, i've named the wrong app, its called Keyboard manager (com.ne0fhykLabs.android.utility.kmLauncher).
How it works: it sets 3 types of keyboard for every device status - landscape, portrait, and the slide out one.
So, if you set the apropriate keyboard with a right layout and ability to swith languages via alt+space (like russian keyboard), you can use your HW keyboard with right char set (the software keyboard itself is hidden in this state).

braintweaker said:
Oops, sorry, i've named the wrong app, its called Keyboard manager (com.ne0fhykLabs.android.utility.kmLauncher).
How it works: it sets 3 types of keyboard for every device status - landscape, portrait, and the slide out one.
So, if you set the apropriate keyboard with a right layout and ability to swith languages via alt+space (like russian keyboard), you can use your HW keyboard with right char set (the software keyboard itself is hidden in this state).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks man, that work great keyboard manger and the anysoftkeyboard combination is the fix i needed. i think it work as well when i'll upgrade to ics later on

taiber2000 said:
i think it work as well when i'll upgrade to ics later on
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Click to collapse
Yep, it does. I use it at ICS rom with no problems.

anysoftkeyboard doesnt work for arabic
Thank you for sharing this, this method is great! it works for me with bulgarian keyboard but it doesn't with arabic.
Is there anyway I can use the physical keyboard to type in arabic?

are you on ICS or JB? cos if you are with stcok GB you wont have the arabic fonts.

taiber2000 said:
are you on ICS or JB? cos if you are with stcok GB you wont have the arabic fonts.
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I'm on ICS, I tried go keyboard with the same method it worked but its showing lots of non Arabic letters, probably Farsi or Urdu I guess, I'm still looking for another keyboard with physical support, I just looked at the language packs of AnySoftKeyboard, they say that they support physical keyboard mapping for Hebrew and Russian and probably other languages but not Arabic
If you know any other keyboards with multi-language physical support please share.

you should try it with anysoftkeyboard anyhow maybe it will work.
unfourtantly i don't know about other keybaord that support mapping of physical keybaord escpasly our right to left languages.

Samsung Notes foreign langauge (Hebrew) handwriting recognition with a 3rd part KB

Hey there.
When the Samsung Keyboard is set as the default, Samsung notes can recognize both English & Hebrew. However, when a different keyboard is set as the default, be it Swiftkey or Goggle keyboard (and others, I guess), Samsung notes will only recognize English writing. Again, I'm not talking about recognition within the keyboard itself, but the recognition in the Notes app, being affected by whether the Samsung keyboard is set as the active keyboard or not. When the Samsung Keyboard is set as default, Hebrew can be selected in the Notes app settings. When another keyboard is set as the default, Hebrew simply disappear and English is the only option (When Hebrew is selected, both English & Hebrew are recognized). Now I'm guessing that the Notes app somehow relies on the Samsung keyboard handwriting recognition engine to function, but I can't understand why shouldn't be able to it when it is simply not set as the default. In addition, I have talked with some other Hebrew speaking friends who do not suffer from this issue, even when they are using a different keyboard. We couldn't understand why.
I appreciate any idea and suggestion
Thanks!