Maliit

Revision as of 20:34, 28 April 2011

Maliit provides a flexible and cross graphical user interface toolkit input method framework. It is usable on all MeeGo user experiences, and in other GNU/Linux distributions as well.

Communication channels

Mailing list: meego-inputmethods@lists.meego.com (listinfo | archives)

Bugtracker: bugs.meego.com, Product: OS, Component: Virtual Keyboard (open bugs | file new bug)

IRC: Visit us in #meego-inputmethods at freenode.net (webchat)

News

• 08.04.2011 - MeeGo Keyboard is relicensed with BSD license: Announcement
• 29.03.2011 - Held first offical IRC meeting: How can we simplify development and maintenance of input contexts?
• 04.03.2011 - API/ABI break in 0.20.0: meego-im-framework is removing dependency to libmeegotouch from its API
• 23.02.2011 - Packages available for Ubuntu Lucid/Maverick to ease development. Blogpost, documentation
• 17.02.2011 - Claudio Saavedra started on Meego+Gtk integration work, focusing on input methods. Blogpost
• 13.02.2011 - Meego Tablet UX demoed at Mobile World Conference, with Swype keyboard. Pictures
• 01.02.2011 - API/ABI break in 0.19.41: meegoimframework interfaces related to orientation change will be changed
• 15.11.2010 - Architect and Lead Developer of Maliit give talk at Meego Conference. Info, Recording
• 15.11.2010 - Linpus shows off Meego based slate at Meego Conference, with keyboard based on Maliit.
• 30.06.2010 - Meego Handset UX Day 1 release, first public release of Meego Input Methods. Announcement

Roadmap

See Maliit/Roadmap

Upcoming events

• May 23-25th - Meego Conference San Fransisco. Proposed sessions: Introduction, Developing input method plugins, Input method and application interaction
• August 6th-12th - Desktop Summit Berlin. Proposed session: Meego Input Methods - not just for Meego (currently not published)

Goals

The overall goal of Maliit is to be the input method project for MeeGo and other GNU/Linux-based embedded/mobile platforms. To achieve this we aim to:

Provide a solid input method framework

This includes explicit support for traditional input methods like hardware and virtual keyboards. More exotic input methods like handwriting recognition and voice input, and special purpose input methods like date/time pickers, tag clouds, et.c. should also be possible.

Provide a core set of input methods

The default set of input methods should demonstrate the core capabilites of the framework, and provide a good user experience that device manufacturers and integrators can use with little to no adaptation.

Empower third-party developers

Customizing existing or developing powerful new input methods should be simple, regardless of whether it is for profit, research or fun.

Have a diverse community of contributors

Employees from different companies, freelancers, members of academia, hackers and volunteers should all be welcomed and encouraged to contribute to the project.

Features

For end users

Following are the high level end-user features supported by Maliit:

• Multitouch virtual keyboard
  • Landscape and portrait QWERTY with dedicated symbol views
  • Support for multiple languages and scripts (e.g. latin, cyrillic, arabic, chinese)
    • See current layouts at MeeGo gitorius
  • Number/phone number layouts for entering numbers/phone numbers
• Context sensitive and dynamic action key
  • e.g. replacing enter icon with search icon and highlighting the key in search fields - and respective search key inactive when search field empty
• Context sensitive layouts
  • e.g. replacing ',' key with '@' in e-mail address fields
• Simple interactions (as defined in MeeGo Basics)
  • Swipe sideways to easily switch between different active keyboard layouts and other input methods
  • Swipe down to close virtual keyboard or alternatively tap outiside the active input area to close keyboard
• Low-latency haptics typing feedback (with feedback framework backend); sound,tactile

• Cut/Copy/Paste for text input
  • Separate text editor widget for text input fields
• Error correction / word prediction for virtual keyboard (with error correction / prediction engine)
  • Separate widget for correction/prediction candidates
• Hardware keyboard
  • Long pressing of keys either to autorepeat (e.g. arrow keys, backspace) or to input secondary characters (e.g. numbers, symbols)
  • Possibility to extend hardware keys with virtual keys (e.g. for additional symbols)

• Toolbar for appliction specific input content
  • For placing buttons, labels etc.
  • Toolbar located on top of virtual keyboard, with hardware keyboard in the bottom of the screen

• External input methods
  • e.g. Bluetooth keyboards

For integrators and developers

• Input Methods can be implemented as plugins
• Error correction/prediction engines can be implemented as plugins
• Framework is licensed LGPL
• Keyboard has theming abilities via CSS file
• Meego Keyboard has customizable layout files
• Meego Feedback framework has swappable backends (for haptics et.c.)
• Support for additional toolkits can be done by using the DBus connection for the Input Context

Maliit in action

Maliit is used on a number of devices and form factors, and can easily be adapted to run on new ones.

• Linpus Slate (screenshot showing Linpus virtual keyboard)
• Intel MeeGo Tablet (pictures showing Swype keyboard)

MeeGo 1.1 Netbook with MeeGo Keyboard on Lenovo S10-3T Ideapad	MeeGo 1.1 Handset with MeeGo Keyboard on Aava Mobile	MeeGo 1.2 prerelease on Advent Vega, Tegra2
Ubuntu Lucid (10.04)

Ideas

See Maliit/Ideas

Developers

See Maliit/Development

Documentation

See Maliit/Documentation