Revision as of 21:09, 28 February 2011

About Maliit - the MeeGo Input Methods project

Maliit provides a flexible and cross graphical user interface toolkit input method framework. It is usable on all MeeGo user experiences.

Features

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)
    • See current layouts at MeeGo gitorius
  • Number/phone number layouts for entering numbers/phone numbers
• 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

• 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

Maliit in action

• Linpus Slate (screenshot showing Linpus virtual keyboard)
• Intel MeeGo tablet with Swype keyboard
• Installed on MeeGo 1.1 Netbook release with MeeGo own keyboard

• MeeGo 1.1 Handset on Aava Mobile with MeeGo own keyboard

Developers

Packages for Ubuntu (10.04 Lucid Lynx / 10.10 Maveric Meerkat)

The MeeGo Input Methods are not in any official Ubuntu repository. However, the packages are available through Launchpad. They are provided to ease development of input method plugins, without the need of using the MeeGo SDK or even scratchbox.

To install the packages, you will need to add two Launchpad PPA's to your system's software sources:

• Under System → Administration → Software Sources, select "Other Software" or
  • Alternatively you can run Synaptics Package Manager and choose the menu Setting --> Package Sources where you can add the following PPA's in the tab "Other Software"
• Add ppa:openismus-team/openismus-meego-im
• Add ppa:kubuntu-ppa/backports (needed for Qt 4.7, on Lucid/Meerkat)
• Install meego-keyboard-dev and meegotouch-demos-widgetsgallery (for simple testing) through Synaptics Package Manager or
  • using this command line command(make sure that Synaptics is closed already):

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install meego-keyboard-dev meegotouch-demos-widgetsgallery

To quickly test your installation, it is recommended to use the widgetsgallery:

1. Make sure you have a compositing window manager running: Go to System → Appearance, select "Visual Effects" and choose either normal or extra.
2. Start the meego-im-uiserver (responsible for handling input method plugins and communication with the application) using a shell:

 meego-im-uiserver -software -bypass-wm-hint

1. Test virtual keyboard in MeeGo Touch's widgetsgallery (in a seperate shell):

 QT_IM_MODULE=MInputContext widgetsgallery

Repositories

• meego-im-framework:

 git clone git@gitorious.org:meegotouch/meegotouch-inputmethodframework.git

• meego-im-engine:

 git clone git@gitorious.org:meegotouch/meegotouch-inputmethodengine.git

• meego-keyboard:

 git clone git@gitorious.org:meegotouch/meegotouch-inputmethodkeyboard.git

Open bug reports

MeegoGraphics: found EGL_NOK_image_shared

MThemePrivate: pixmapChangedSlot - pixmap reload failed (null handle): "default_pixmap_meegotouch-keyboard-key-highlighted-pressed_0_0" 
MThemePrivate: pixmapChangedSlot - pixmap reload failed (null handle): "default_pixmap_meegotouch-keyboard-key-selected-highlighted_0_0" 
MThemePrivate: pixmapChangedSlot - pixmap reload failed (null handle): "default_pixmap_meegotouch-keyboard-key-pressed-selected-highlighted_0_0" 
MThemePrivate: pixmapChangedSlot - pixmap reload failed (null handle): "default_pixmap_meegotouch-keyboard-function-key-disabled_0_0" 
MThemePrivate: pixmapChangedSlot - pixmap reload failed (null handle): "default_pixmap_meegotouch-keyboard-function-key-selected-highlighted_0_0" 
MThemePrivate: pixmapChangedSlot - pixmap reload failed (null handle): "default_pixmap_meegotouch-keyboard-function-key-pressed-selected-highlighted_0_0" 
void MVirtualKeyboard::setLayout(int) 
  ""  ->  "en_gb.xml"  index= 0 

Communication channels

Mailing list

• (request pending)

Bug reports and feature requests

• Please use bugs.meego.com for bug reports and feature requests. New ideas should first be discussed on the mailing list.

IRC

Visit us in #meego-inputmethods at freenode.net

Team

• Michael Hasselmann (dev)
• Richard Sun (PM)
• Mohammad Anwari (Architect)