Apple Chinese Language Kit User Manual

Page 66

Chapter 4

Entering Chinese Characters Using the ABC Input Mode

Using the ABC input mode, you enter Chinese characters by typing Roman characters to spell
the character phonetically. The phonetic spelling is based on the Pinyin phonetic
transcription of the Chinese character. (See the Appendix, “Phonetic Transcription Systems
for Chinese,” on page 97 for a table of the phonetic transcription systems.)
The ABC input mode has two variations:
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ABC Standard lets you enter Chinese characters using the standard Pinyin spelling.

ABC Double Type lets you enter Chinese characters by typing two keys for the Pinyin
spelling. (See “Using the ABC Double Type Input Mode” on page 68.)

You can also enter characters by pressing keys for strokes when using either the ABC
Standard or ABC Double Type input mode. (See “Using Stroke Input With the ABC Input
Mode” on page 71.)

Using the ABC Standard Input Mode

ABC Standard input mode lets you enter Chinese characters using standard Pinyin or
Simplified Pinyin. (See “Using Simplified Pinyin” on page 70.)
The ABC Standard input mode also lets you enter characters by pressing keys for strokes,
either by themselves or combined with Pinyin input keys. (See “Using Stroke Input With the
ABC Input Mode” on page 71.)
To enter a Chinese character using the ABC Standard input mode, follow these steps:

Choose ABC Standard from the Pencil menu.
Note: If the menu shows ABC Double Type, choose Preferences from the Pencil menu and
select the ABC Standard option. (See “Selecting ABC Preferences” on page 88.)