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[[Chu Bong-Foo]] invented a common input method in 1976 with his [[Cangjie input method]], which assigns different "roots" to each key on a standard computer keyboard. With this method, for example, the character 日 is assigned to the A key, and 月 is assigned to B. Typing them together will result in the character 明 ("bright").
Despite its steeper learning curve, this method remains popular in Chinese communities that use [[traditional Chinese character]]s, such as [[Hong Kong]] and [[Taiwan]]; the method allows very precise input, thus allowing users to type more efficiently and quickly, provided they are familiar with the fairly complicated rules of the method. It was the first method that allowed users to enter more than a hundred Chinese characters per minute. Its popularity is also helped by its omnipresence on traditional Chinese computer systems, since Chu has given up its patent in 1982, stating that it should be part of the cultural asset. Developers of Chinese systems can adopt it free of charge, and users do not have the hassle of it not being available on devices with Chinese support.
All methods have their strengths and weaknesses. The [[pinyin method]] can be learned rapidly but its maximum input rate is limited. The ''[[Wubi method|Wubi]]'' takes longer to learn, but expert typists can enter text much more rapidly with it than with phonetic methods. However, Wubi is a proprietary software, and a version of it has become freely available only after its inventor lost a patent lawsuit in 1997.
Due to these complexities, there is no "standard" method.
In mainland China, the [[Wubi method|wubi]] (shape-based) and pinyin methods such as [[Sogou Pinyin]] and [[Google Pinyin]] are the most popular; in [[Taiwan]], [[
Other methods include [[handwriting recognition]], [[Optical character recognition|OCR]] and [[Speech recognition|voice recognition]]. The computer itself must first be "trained" before the first or second of these methods are used; that is, the new user enters the system in a special "learning mode" so that the system can learn to identify their handwriting or speech patterns. The latter two methods are used less frequently than keyboard-based input methods and suffer from relatively high error rates, especially when used without proper "training", though higher error rates are an acceptable trade-off to many users. In recent years, online IME have become more scarce, owing to the proliferation of cellphones and apps.<ref>[https://www.chineseconverter.com/en/convert/type-in-chinese-online-ime Type in Chinese Online (IME)]</ref>
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