Sinhala input methods

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A screencast showing Sinhala text being entered using the Intelligent Input Bus into Firefox under Linux. As shown in the video, under the Singlish method, to input විකිපීඩියා (Wikipedia), wikipIdiyaa is entered.

Sinhala input methods are ways of writing the Sinhala language, spoken primarily in Sri Lanka, using a computer. Sinhala input methods can be broadly classified into two main groups: ones based on typewriter keyboard layouts, and ones that are meant to be typed on QWERTY keyboards using an input method, known as "Singlish". [1]

Contents

Wijesekara keyboard

The Wijesekara keyboard is the standard typewriter keyboard for the Sinhala script. This keyboard layout was first created and approved by the government of Sri Lanka in 1964.

Windows Sinhala layout Sinhala keyboard win.png
Windows Sinhala layout

In 2004, it was given the SLS standards as the Sri Lanka Sinhala Character Code for Information Interchange, SLS 1134 : 2004. [2]

Implementations

The first standards compliant Sinhala Keyboard for Apple iOS was created by Bhagya Silva. This implementation featured a copyrighted custom layout that was based on SLS 1134:2004 optimised for mobile keyboards. [3]

Virtual Keyboards

The first Sinhala virtual keyboard is Helakuru. Helakuru was developed by Bhasha Lanka (Pvt) Ltd for Android and iOS devices. It was first released on Android in 2011 and in 2015 it was released on App Store also. [4] In 2019, Apple allowed Sinhala to be a keyboard layout and an iPhone language to boost Apple product sales in Sri Lanka.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinhala script</span> Abugida writing system

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virtual keyboard</span> Software component

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keyboard layout</span> Arrangement of keys on a typographic keyboard

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleksy</span> Virtual keyboard

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madura English–Sinhala Dictionary</span> Sri Lankan free electronic dictionary service

Madura English–Sinhala Dictionary is a free electronic dictionary service developed by Madura Kulatunga. It is available as computer software, an online website and an android app. The dictionary contains over 230,000 definitions including various technical terms. As of 2016, the dictionary has been downloaded approximately 1,000,000 and ranks 100th most visited sites in Sri Lanka. The dictionary is distributed as freeware. It was initially released on 23 November 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Typewise</span> Virtual keyboard featuring hexagonal keys

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dream Keyboard</span> A mobile app for Android

Dream Keyboard is a Sinhala virtual keyboard app for Android devices. It's originally developed by a Sri Lankan app developer called Malith Dasanayaka and was first released for Android in November 2020. It was later developed into the Huawei App Gallery. It's an application that can type Sinhala language using the Standard Wijesekara method and the Singlish method which is popular among Sri Lankans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meitei input methods</span>

Meitei input methods are the methods that allow users of computers to input texts in the Meitei script, systematically for Meitei language.

References

  1. Kishino, Fumio; Itoh, Yuichi; Hayashi, Yoshihiko; Goonetilleke, Sandeva (2007). "An Efficient and User-friendly Sinhala Input Method Based on Phonetic Transcription". Information and Media Technologies. 2 (4): 1228–1247. doi:10.11185/imt.2.1228. ISSN   1881-0896.
  2. "SLS 1134 : 2004 (Sinhala ICT standard)". icta.lk.
  3. "Sinhala for iOS - Apple AppStore". appstore.com. Retrieved 2015-09-02.
  4. "හෙළකුරු (Helakuru) – Real-time Unicode and Sinhala Font". classifylanka.com. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2021.