Preface#
Recently, I have been using xlog to publish some articles on blockchain, and this time I used the feature of shadow identity. This feature allows your secondary account to publish and delete your blog posts on the blockchain. It is suitable for people who often use hardware wallets but are not accustomed to carrying them when going out.
This article is about a beginner's guide to double pinyin input method. The inspiration for this article came from a Twitter user, @HiTw93, who was struggling with choosing an input method, so I wrote an article recommending the double pinyin input method.
I have been using the double pinyin input method solution since my sophomore year, which has been 5 years now. The reason for switching to the double pinyin solution was twofold. Firstly, it was due to sensitivity towards privacy. I didn't fully trust the input methods available on the market to protect my privacy. Secondly, it was for the convenience of being able to type quickly regardless of the device I was using (such as the Win7 system in the computer room or the Switch system on gaming devices) without having to install other typing methods.
Looking back now, adapting to the double pinyin input method early on has been very beneficial, especially for my involvement in the crypto industry. It can fundamentally avoid some security risks.
Brief Introduction to Double Pinyin#
As the name suggests, the double pinyin solution consists of two letters that can form a character.
For example, the character "双" (shuāng) requires typing "shuang" in full pinyin, which takes 6 keystrokes, and then selecting the character "双" (shuāng).
With the double pinyin method, you can directly type "ud" and then select the character "双" (shuāng) to input it.
The principle behind the double pinyin solution is that it replaces all initials and finals with a single letter. For example, "sh" is replaced with "u" and "uang" is replaced with "d".
By typing one letter for the initial and one letter for the final, you can type a character in just 3 keystrokes.
If a character can already be typed with just one letter, such as the initial of the character "草" (cǎo) being "c", you can simply type "c", and the final "ao" is abbreviated to "k". So typing "ck" is equivalent to "cao".
Let's calculate the difference in keystrokes between typing the following poem in double pinyin and full pinyin. How many keystrokes can be saved?
Types of Double Pinyin#
When I was learning the double pinyin input method, I searched for some solutions. Currently, common double pinyin solutions on the market include:
Natural Code, Xiaohe Double Pinyin, Microsoft Double Pinyin, Pinyin Plus Double Pinyin, Zhongzhou Yun Double Pinyin, and so on.
Let me introduce two of the double pinyin solutions in detail. Natural Code was the solution I initially used, but later I transitioned to Microsoft Double Pinyin, and I am still using Microsoft Double Pinyin.
Natural Code Solution#
Natural Code is a common input method solution with the following main advantages:
- Simple and easy-to-learn code table: The code table of Natural Code is relatively simple, with only 26 keystrokes, each keystroke representing a single letter, making it easy to remember and master.
- Fast typing speed: The code table of Natural Code takes into account the frequency of use and structural characteristics of Chinese characters, resulting in shorter finger movements and faster typing speed.
- High input efficiency: In the code table of Natural Code, each keystroke can correspond to multiple Chinese characters, allowing for input of more Chinese characters through simple combinations and improving input efficiency.
- Wide applicability: Natural Code is not only suitable for Chinese character input, but also for input of English, numbers, and other characters, making it widely applicable.
- Easy to remember: Each keystroke in the code table of Natural Code corresponds to a letter, and the letter is related to the pronunciation of the Chinese character, making it easy to remember and master.
After learning the Natural Code solution, it is very convenient to transition to any other solution.
Since Apple has hidden the Natural Code solution, I switched to the Microsoft Double Pinyin solution later.
PS: Apple did not remove Natural Code. In macOS, you can still find the built-in Natural Code input method by entering the following content in the terminal:
defaults write com.apple.inputmethod.CoreChineseEngineFramework shuangpinLayout 5
Microsoft Double Pinyin Solution#
The Microsoft Double Pinyin solution has only minor differences in keystrokes compared to Natural Code, using 27 keystrokes for input.
Microsoft Double Pinyin
The additional keystroke is ";" which represents "ing". Natural Code uses "y" to represent "ing". So the transition between the two solutions only has a slight difference.
Mastering Double Pinyin in a Week#
I remember back then, I printed out a key layout of Natural Code and became proficient in it within a week through chatting on QQ. (Now I recommend directly using snipaste on a MacBook and pasting it directly on the screen.)
While typing, I would think about which letter to use to represent the initial. This process is very interesting for beginners learning double pinyin.
I believe that within a week, your ability to use double pinyin will greatly improve.