[SCIM] Re: SCIM help for M17N input methods (was: Custom Keyboard Layout Editor/Interpreter for SCIM)

[Kenichi Handa]

In article <s3td5wmesgo.fsf_-_@magellan.suse.de>, Mike FABIAN <mfabian@suse.de> writes:
> But to do more than that, I guess scim-m17n needs to ask the m17n
> input method somehow for a help text, i.e. m17n input methods probably
> need a function which returns a help text. Currently there seems to be
> no such feature in m17n, but maybe that could be added?

I'm also thinking about a way to give such a help text.
It's easy to add this kind of specification in *.mim file.

(help-text "This input method is for ...")

But, usually the helpful text should be formatted properly
in some ways (e.g. showing keys and the corresponding
characters in a table).  And, for an input method simulating
a localized keyboard, it is better to display the keyboard
layout, which is not easy just by supplying a plain text.

Here are some random thoughts:

Perhaps, one way is to have this kind of line in *.mim file:

(url "http://www.m17n.org/m17n-lib/im/XXX.html")

and scim-m17n try to show that page by some web browser on
usr's request.

Embedding a help text in XSL will be cleaner (but do we have
multilingual XSL formatter?)

Another much simplar way is to provide a dump image of
properly formatted help text to each input method.

What do you think?

---
Ken'ichi HANDA
handa@m17n.org