Implement input methods easily for Windows via Text Services Framework:

• LibIME contains a library which aims to be a simple wrapper for Windows Text Service Framework (TSF).
• PIMETextService contains an backbone implementation of Windows text service for using libIME.
• The python server part requires python 3.x and pywin32 package.

All parts are licensed under GNU LGPL v2.1 license.

Development

Tool Requirements

• CMake >= 3.0
• Visual Studio 2019
• Rust Toolchain (Stable channel with i686-pc-windows-msvc target)
• git
• Node.js (Required for some backends like McBopomofo)

How to Build

• Get source from github.

  git clone https://github.com/EasyIME/PIME.git
  cd PIME
  git submodule update --init
  

• Ensure the 32-bit Rust target is installed:

  rustup target add i686-pc-windows-msvc
  

• Use build.bat to build everything, or use the following CMake commands to generate Visual Studio project.

  cmake . -Bbuild -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A Win32
  cmake --build build --config Release
  
  # For 64-bit Text Service (Required for 64-bit apps)
  cmake . -Bbuild64 -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64
  cmake --build build64 --config Release --target PIMETextService
  

• The generated installer will be in the installer folder after running makensis.

TSF References

• Text Services Framework
• Guidelines and checklist for IME development (Windows Store apps)
• Input Method Editors (Windows Store apps)
• Third-party input method editors
• Strategies for App Communication between Windows 8 UI and Windows 8 Desktop
• TSF Aware, Dictation, Windows Speech Recognition, and Text Services Framework. (blog)
• Win32 and COM for Windows Store apps
• Input Method Editor (IME) sample supporting Windows 8

Windows ACL (Access Control List) references

• The Windows Access Control Model Part 1
• The Windows Access Control Model: Part 2
• Windows 8 App Container Security Notes - Part 1
• How AccessCheck Works
• GetAppContainerNamedObjectPath function (enable accessing object outside app containers using ACL)
• Creating a DACL

Install

• Copy PIMETextService.dll to C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME\x86.

• Copy PIMETextService.dll to C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME\x64.

• Copy the folder python to C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME\

• Copy the folder node to C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME\

• Use regsvr32 to register PIMETextService.dll. 64-bit system need to register both 32-bit and 64-bit PIMETextService.dll

  regsvr32 "C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME\x86\PIMETextService.dll" (run as administrator)
  regsvr32 "C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME\x64\PIMETextService.dll" (run as administrator)
  

• NOTICE: the regsvr32 command needs to be run as Administrator. Otherwise you'll get access denied error.

• In Windows 8, if you put the dlls in places other than C:\Windows or C:\Program Files, they will not be accessible in metro apps.

Uninstall

• Use regsvr32 to unregister PIMETextService.dll. 64-bit system need to unregister both 32-bit and 64-bit PIMETextService.dll

  regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME\x86\PIMETextService.dll" (run as administrator)
  regsvr32 /u "C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME\x64\PIMETextService.dll" (run as administrator)
  

• Remove C:\Program Files (X86)\PIME

• NOTICE: the regsvr32 command needs to be run as Administrator. Otherwise you'll get access denied error.

Bug Report

Please report any issue to here.

Debugging

If you encounter issues, you can run PIMELauncher.exe with the /console argument:

PIMELauncher.exe /console

This opens a console window which displays debug logs, making it easier to troubleshoot backend communication and other internal events.