Release 10.1A: OpenEdge Development:
Internationalizing Applications

> ## Using the keyboard and mouse

> To accommodate the large number of characters in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, applications that use these languages typically use an input method editor. An input method editor (IME) is a program that accepts a keystroke combination, displays double-byte characters, and lets the user select one of them (by using the mouse or the keyboard). An input method maps a sequence of keystrokes to double-byte characters.

> Note: On Windows, OpenEdge does not provide its own input methods or IMEs. Rather, OpenEdge supports the input methods and IMEs that Microsoft supplies and those that fully support the Microsoft standard.

> ##### Data flow in single-byte applications

> Using an IME affects the flow of input through OpenEdge applications. In single-byte applications, which do not need IMEs, input data travels as follows:

> 1. From the user.

> 2. Through the keyboard.

> 3. Through the keyboard buffer.

> 4. Through the OpenEdge application.

> 5. Through the OpenEdge screen frame.

> 6. To the monitor screen.

> Once the input data reaches the keyboard buffer, the programmer can query it using the 4GL’s `LASTKEY` function and `READKEY` statement.

> Figure 8–3 illustrates the flow of data through an application that does not use an input method editor.

> Figure 8–3: Application that does not use an input method editor

> ##### Data flow in double-byte applications

> In double-byte applications, which use IMEs, input data travels as follows:

> 1. From the user.

> 2. Through the keyboard.

> 3. Through the IME.

> 4. Through the keyboard buffer.

> 5. Though the OpenEdge application.

> 6. Through the OpenEdge screen frame.

> 7. To the screen.

> As before, once input data reaches the keyboard buffer, the programmer can query it using the 4GL’s `LASTKEY` function and `READKEY` statement.

> Figure 8–4 illustrates the flow of data through an application that uses an input method editor.

> Figure 8–4: Application that uses an input method editor

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