Programming + Smartphone input is Galapagos in Japan, and "one-stroke writing" is the mainstream in the world

Don't you want to type Japanese easily on your smartphone?

About two and a half months ago, I wrote an article titled "The most productive input method on smartphones is not flicking, but single-stroke writing." “One-stroke” input is a method of inputting by “tracing” without lifting your finger from the screen instead of tapping keys one by one on the keyboard.

I've just started using an app called "Swype Keyboard", and I wanted to convey how pleasant it feels (only the Android version supports Japanese). However, someone who read it pointed out that the Swype introduced by Mr. Endo was just one example.

"In the alphabet world," one-stroke writing "has become commonplace."

. In English, it is called "Swipe" or "gesture", and in the case of Google, it is called "glide" (the input method I use is "Swype Keyboard" = spelling caution). .

For example, when entering "Satoshi Endo", flicking "Endo Satoshi " is 8 flicks, and romaji is "endo satoshi ", usually 10 touches. You can input where to do it with two strokes. In other words, the input speed is very fast. It feels like scribbling because you never take your finger off the screen. Even if it doesn't pass over the key exactly, it seems to recognize the "whole shape", and it seems to be strong even in a swaying car.

Even so, I feel like I got my point when inputting "one-stroke writing" has become commonplace overseas. My last post was pretty embarrassing. So, I will correct the previous manuscript and write it in the range of "the world seems to be like this" (I haven't tried all the apps in detail, so just in case).

Alphabet-speaking countries, as well as Chinese and Korean, have “one-stroke” input.

Is “one-stroke” input really common overseas? Try searching for review articles like "Best keyboard apps selected". By the way, input methods are a big theme even in the English-speaking world, and many apps have been created for iOS and Android, and software keyboard apps are simply called “keyboards”.

In the new article, there is "15 of the best keyboards for the iPhone". One was compatible with "one-stroke writing" input. “One-stroke writing” is a standard, and it is always appealing in introduction videos of each application. Below, the application and whether it supports "one-stroke writing" is shown.

Gboard One-stroke support Swiftkey One-stroke support FleksySwype One-stroke support MinuumThemeboardGo Keyboard One-stroke support Touchpal One-stroke support

CNET's "13 best downloadable keyboards for Android" article also notes that 9 out of 12 keyboards, excluding one dedicated to GIFs, are "straight-handed".

Gbaord, Chrooma for one-stroke writing, Swype for one-stroke writing, SwiftKey for one-stroke writing, Minuum Flexy Slash Keyboard Hub Keyboard for one-stroke writing, Ginger Keyboard for one-stroke writing, TouchPal for one-stroke writing, ai.type for one-stroke writing, GO Keyboard for one-stroke writing Supports one-stroke writing

Every article recommends roughly the same keyboard, but even in the article "10 best Android keyboards", which takes up a relatively strange one, 7 out of 10 support "scribble" input. rice field.

ai.type Chrooma for one-stroke writing Gboard for one-stroke writing Kii Keyboard 2 for one-stroke multiling O Keyboard for one-stroke writing Minuum Redraw for one-stroke writing Smart Keyboard ProSwiftKey for one-stroke writing Typani for one-stroke writing

Of course, there are also other distinctive features for sale, but "one-stroke writing" is now a common function. In other words, not everyone in the English-speaking world uses "one-stroke writing", but it seems to be true that it has become commonplace.

By the way, since these are English articles, they don't go into much detail about things other than English, but many of them are multilingual, and Google uses Chinese pinyin input and Korean as well. "Write" provides input.

An example of Japanese input using Swype introduced last time. I can actually type quickly and comfortably, but... (The test sentence was borrowed from Dr. Eiichi Wada's comment on the comfortable input environment HHKB).

Why is Japan the only unproductive flick?

While writing this article, Mr. Toshiyuki Masui said, "Everyone is deceived by Jobs!" In an interview article called "Ha", it was preached that a keyboard is necessary for a smartphone.

Masui: PDA had functions to support creative people, but smartphones have fewer of them. The main reason is the lack of keyboards and pens. With a PDA, it was easy to draw with a pen and type with a keyboard. Without such hardware support, I think it would be difficult for people to become creative.

Smartphones are still "phones" in that they don't have QWERTY keyboards. From a PDA point of view, it may be said that the numeric keypad input is a degeneration of Garake (although it is strictly related to input).

When it comes to this kind of formula in the field of technology, it tends to be fundamentalist. So for me, who has a lot of words, I don't have much meaning in discussing the correct key (because the user decides whether it's correct or not = I'm afraid that this column of yours will be said to have no users, so I'll leave it here). In that sense, Mr. Masui's remarks are wonderful, knowing that QWERTY is not the best ergonomic arrangement.

There seems to be an opinion that ``Isn't the QWERTY keyboard and flicking the same amount of time and effort for romaji input?'' It is also true that it is easier to flick with both hands. But it's not about reason. By the way, I'm talking about QWERTY for "single-stroke writing," while Mr. Masui says that a keyboard itself is necessary, so we don't necessarily agree.

Then why is flick input only in Japan? First of all, it is stressful to accidentally press other keys on QWERTY. There is also a predictive conversion, so you don't have to type a lot because "candidates" will appear just by entering one character. In fact, the number of touches compared earlier is often the same as Swype, with two flicks. However, that is not what Mr. Toshiyuki Masui pointed out, but it is a case of non-creativity.

This is true if the focus is on the exchange of routine messages, but it is about what kind of language space we live in and how we can demonstrate it on smart devices.

There may be an answer other than "writing with a single stroke." But what if there's no decent "one-stroke writing" app?

This time, when I was looking at keyboard apps for the alphabet world, I found an input app called "Minuum" to be a little interesting. QWERTY is compressed vertically to the limit, typing mistakes are already incorporated, and it is possible to input candidates including it.

The biggest feature of this is that the keyboard takes up a lot less screen space. The height of the keyboard part is only about 1/3 of the general input application. It is similar to stroke writing in that it assumes ambiguous input. Looking at the official website, it is also provided for smart watches, and it is possible to input properly in the video.

The keyboard "Minuum", which crushes QWERTY to the limit, also supports smartphones. The photo is an example of usage on a smartphone. It seems that EdgeWrite can be used for smartphones, but if QWERTY can be used, I think it would be better.

In the "T9" method on the numeric keypad (a method in which characters with consonants are also entered by pressing the Akasatana key = "Endo" is entered as "Awataa" and selected from the candidates), It was pointed out that too many words were suggested for the same keystroke (the "T9onyms" problem).

Swype gives similar duplicate suggestions. In particular, the learning dictionary in the initial state is quite useless, so it seems to be disgusting, but once you enter it once, it will be recognized as smooth from the next time. In conclusion, it can be said that the stress caused by too many candidates for the same input in Swype is almost eliminated (it is about the same level as kana-kanji conversion). That's my impression after using it for the first month and two and a half months after the last column.

Swype doesn't have enough "motivation" to support Japanese, so I think it's better to throw it away. The Japanese dictionary is too bad (there is also a problem with dictionary registration). I have learned a lot of dictionaries by myself, but the accuracy of the candidates does not improve unless the learning progresses, and at first some people may feel that "Is this level of accuracy?" But one of the tips for a productive and creative Japanese input method is “hitodaki”.

It's too lame for Japanese people to flick up, down, left, and right, while foreigners are typing at a tremendous speed like a brush.

Can someone make a nice stroke input app using Mozc?

Satoshi Endo

Director and chief researcher at Kadokawa ASCII Research Institute. After working as editor-in-chief of Monthly ASCII, he assumed his current position in 2013. Kadokawa ASCII Research Institute conducts surveys and consulting on people's lifestyles in the age of smartphones and the Internet. Since 2016, he has been in charge of "Programming +" within ASCII.JP. His publications include "The Age of Social Natives", "General Purpose Technology" (co-authored with Yukio Noguchi, ASCII Shinsho), and "NHK IT White Box: The World's Most Efficient Internet Power Training Course" (Kodansha).