前言#
Recently, I have been publishing some articles on the blockchain using xlog, and this time I used the shadow clone feature. The shadow clone operation allows you to use your alternate account to publish and delete your blog posts on the blockchain. This is suitable for people who often use hardware wallets but are not accustomed to carrying wallets when going out.
This article is about a beginner's guide to double pinyin input method. The inspiration for the article came from the Twitter user @HiTw93's dilemma in 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 is twofold. First, it stems from sensitivity to privacy. I don't really trust input methods on the market to protect your privacy. Second, it is for the convenience of being able to type quickly regardless of the device being used. (For example, there is no need to install other typing solutions on the win7 system in the computer room or the switch system on the gaming device.)
Now looking back at the early adaptation to the double pinyin input method, it has been very beneficial, especially for later work in the crypto industry. It can fundamentally avoid some security risks.
Brief Introduction to Double Pinyin#
The double pinyin solution, as its name suggests, consists of two letters that can form a character.
For example, the character "双" (shuāng), if typed in full pinyin, requires you to type "shuang" for 6 times, and then select the character "双".
With the double pinyin, you can directly type "ud" and then select the character "双".
The principle is that the double pinyin solution 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, for example, the initial of the character "草" (cǎo) is "c", then you can simply type "c", and the initials "ao" can be abbreviated as "k". So typing "ck" is equivalent to "cao".
So when typing the following poem, let's calculate how many fewer keystrokes there are compared to full pinyin.
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. The Natural Code solution is the one I initially used, but later transitioned to the Microsoft Double Pinyin solution, and I am still using the Microsoft Double Pinyin solution.
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 key positions, each key position has only one letter, making it easy to remember and master.
- Fast typing speed: The code table of Natural Code is designed considering the frequency of use and structural characteristics of Chinese characters, which reduces the distance fingers need to move while typing and increases typing speed.
- High input efficiency: In the code table of Natural Code, each key position can correspond to multiple Chinese characters, so more Chinese characters can be inputted through simple combinations, improving input efficiency.
- Wide applicability: Natural Code is not only suitable for Chinese character input, but also for inputting other characters such as English and numbers, making it widely applicable.
- Easy to remember: In the code table of Natural Code, each key position has a letter that is related to the pronunciation of Chinese characters, 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 the Natural Code solution. Under 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 key positions compared to the Natural Code, using 27 key positions for input.
Microsoft Double Pinyin
The additional key position is ";" which represents "ing". In the Natural Code, "y" is used to represent "ing". So the transition only has a slight difference.
Mastering Double Pinyin in a Week#
I remember that at that time, I printed out a key position chart of the Natural Code and became proficient in it within a week through QQ chat. (Now I recommend directly using snipaste on the MacBook and pasting it directly on the screen.)
While typing, think about which letter to use to represent the initial. This process is very interesting for beginners learning double pinyin.
So within a week, I believe your ability to use double pinyin will greatly improve.