UniKey User Guide

1.1 Getting started with UniKey

If for some reason you don't understand what this document says but still want to try UniKey. Please try to read and follow the entry 6.1 to item 6.5 . In section 6.5 Please select the code table Unicode.

If you see UniKey's red icon is text E then click the left mouse button on it to change it to text V. Finally, turn on Outlook Express or Word and try typing Vietnamese (if you selected TELEX type in step 6.4 ) or Tie6ng1 Vie6t5 (If you choose VNI in step 6.4 ). Hope you see the text Vietnamese on the screen.

1.2 Please read carefully

Please read the entire Frequently Asked Questions section. In fact, 90%'s questions sent to the author are common problems that almost everyone has encountered. Most of these problems can be solved immediately if you read the user manual.

Therefore, the fastest method to help you solve difficulties when using UniKey is to read the manual, especially the Frequently Asked Questions. Consider sending a letter to the author as a last resort, and it will likely take a long time before you receive an answer.

2.1 A few things about unicode

Unicode is an international standard encoding that is designed to be used as a single encoding for all different languages in the world. In principle, Unicode also uses 2 bytes. Unlike Vietnam's 2-byte encodings, Unicode is an international standard. So Unikey has been and will be supported in operating systems and application programs.

Although currently the number of applications that support Unicode is not many, the trend of using Unicode will increase. Unicode has been supported right from the core of the Windows NT operating system and now Windows 2000.

Windows 9x systems also have support for Unicode, although it is not yet complete. Current popular programs that support Unicode include: Internet Explorer 5, Microsoft Outlook Express 5, Microsoft Office 97/2000, Netscape 6...

According to experts, Unicode appears to be a complete solution to the problem of Vietnamese encoding. Especially for Internet applications, the use of Vietnamese Unicode is increasingly more advantageous than other Vietnamese encodings.

2.2 Code table system in UniKey

• Unicode: builtin unicode.
• Composed Unicode: unicode combination.
• ABC, VNI, VISCII, VPS, VIETWARE, BKHCM: These are old encodings, which will gradually no longer be used.
• MS CP 1258: Vietnamese code table specified by Microsoft. If you use this encoding in programs that support Microsoft's unicode such as Office, Outlook Express... it gives the same result as combined unicode.
• VIQR: Actually, this is not a code table but just a "rudimentary" representation of Vietnamese through standard characters. This form is still widely used in email exchanges.
• UTF-8 Literal, NCR Decimal, NCR Hexadecimal: These are essentially different representations of built-in Unicode. If you're a regular user and haven't heard of them, chances are you'll never need them.
• These formats are mainly intended to serve professional Web editors when the Web authoring program does not allow direct unicode editing. Currently many people use NCR Decimal in the program Yahoo chat to exchange accented Vietnamese.
• X UTF-8: special form to compose unicode in programs originating from Unix and Linux environments such as Emacs, gVim.

3.1 General principles

To type Vietnamese letters with accents, you must type the main letter first, then type the diacritics, carets, and brackets. Different Vietnamese typing methods will prescribe different keystrokes for tone marks, caret marks and bracket marks.

Although you can type the diacritic key right after the original letters, this can easily lead to inconsistent punctuation.

For example, the word math can be written as math. With UniKey, you should type the mark at the end of the word and UniKey will always automatically place the correct mark on the necessary letter.

The upper case state, usually depends on the state of the SHIFT and CAPS LOCK keys. With 1-byte encodings (TCVN 3, BK HCM1, VISCII, VPS), you must use uppercase fonts to get accented uppercase letters. With regular fonts, you can only type capital letters without capital letters: Â, ã, Ê, Ô, Ó, U, Đ.

You can use UniKey control panel to turn off the function of removing diacritics at the end of words.

3.2 TELEX typing method

For example:

Vietnamese = Vietnamese
dduwowngf = sugar

With encodings that have accented uppercase letters (Unicode, or 2-byte encodings), you only need to type the original letter in uppercase, and the bars and carets can be typed in lowercase.

With 1-byte encodings (TCVN 3, BK HCM1, VISCII, VPS), you must use uppercase fonts to get accented uppercase letters. If you use a regular font, you can only type uppercase letters: Â, ã, E, Ô, Ó, U, Đ.

In case you type the wrong mark and have not moved away from the word you are typing, you can type over the new mark. For example: toanfs = math, toansz = acidosis.

You should type the accent key at the end of the word so that UniKey places the accent in the correct Vietnamese spelling. For example: to type the word “royal”, instead of typing hofang good Hoafng, type Hoangf.

3.3 VNI typing method

VNI typing method uses number keys to type Vietnamese letters.

For example:

tie6ng1 Vie6t5 = Vietnamese
d9u7o7ng2 = sugar

You can also type carets, hooks, and moons at the end of words (provided you have to enable this function of UniKey). Then you can type: duong9772 = sugar.

With 1-byte encodings (TCVN 3, BK HCM1, VISCII, VPS), you must use uppercase fonts to get accented uppercase letters. With regular fonts, you can only type capital letters without capital letters: Â, ã, Ê, Ô, Ó, U, Đ.

In case you type the wrong mark and have not moved away from the word you are typing, you can type over the new mark. For example: acid21 = math, toan10 = acidosis

3.4 VIQR typing method

It is necessary to distinguish the VIQR typing method from the VIQR code table. Typing method is the method you use to enter Vietnamese characters, and is independent of the encoding. The code table is a way to represent Vietnamese characters.

You can use the VIQR typing method to enter Vietnamese for the encodings (fonts) Unicode, VNI, TCVN... Conversely, you can also type TELEX, or VNI for the encodings VIQR, Unicode...

For example:

tie^'ng Vie^.t = Vietnamese
ddu+o+`ng = ddu+o+ng` = sugar

You can also type carets, hooks, and moons at the end of words (provided you have to enable this function of UniKey). Then you can type: duongd++` = sugar.

With 1-byte encodings (TCVN 3, BK HCM1, VISCII, VPS), you must use uppercase fonts to get accented uppercase letters. With regular fonts, you can only type capital letters without capital letters: Â, ã, Ê, Ô, Ó, U, Đ.

In case you type the wrong mark and have not moved away from the word you are typing, you can type over the new mark. For example: acid`' = math, toan'0 = acidosis.

To type question marks and periods without UniKey handling the accent key, you can press the escape key (\) before pressing those keys. For example: tan? = dissipation, tan \ ? = tan?.

3.5 Use TELEX or VNI to type Vietnamese VIQR

VIQR (VIetnamese Quoted Readable) is actually just a symbolic display of Vietnamese letters. Only with characters in the ASCII code table. VIQR is now very commonly used in email exchange, because there is no need to add special Vietnamese fonts.

The disadvantage of VIQR is that the text is relatively difficult to read. Although VIQR does not require any keyboard software, with UniKey you can type TELEX or VNI to get Vietnamese VIQR. That way you won't have to change your typing habits.

To type VIQR, select the VIQR code table in dashboard or in menu.

For example:

• Type VIQR with TELEX: Vietnamese = tie^'ng Vie^.t
• Type VIQR with VNI: tie6ng1 Vie6t5 = tie^'ng Vie^.t

3.6 Type Vietnamese together with other languages

When you often have to type Vietnamese mixed with English (or another language), you may feel inconvenient when some English words are misinterpreted as Vietnamese accents. To fix this while not having to frequently switch Vietnamese mode on and off, you can use double typing mechanism. With this mechanism, if any character is interpreted as a Vietnamese accent, you just need to type that character one more time and UniKey will restore the character you need.

For example:

TELEX type: WWindows =Windows, or guitarr = guitar
VNI type: e11 = e1

You can also use the CTRL key to tell UniKey not to punctuate previously typed letters.

For example:

TELEX type: a CTRL sk = ask
VNI type: a CTRL 8 = a8

5.1 Main control panel

Main control panel in Figure 1 allows you to set all UniKey operating parameters to suit your needs. The main control panel can be turned on from UniKey's menu or use hotkey combination CTRL+SHIFT+F5.

Figure 1. Main control panel

UniKey is equipped with 2 interface languages: English and Vietnamese. If UniKey cannot display Vietnamese on your device, please check it out UniKey installation instructions. UniKey's dialog box has 2 modes:

• Extended mode: allows setting all operating parameters of UniKey
• Minimized mode: set only the most frequently used parameters.

You can change the conversation mode by clicking the button Zoom Out or Extend.Console items

• Vietnamese interface/Vietnamese interface: Select the display language to be English or Vietnamese.
• Code table: Select Vietnamese encoding. You must choose the correct encoding corresponding to the Vietnamese font you are using.
• Keystroke style: Allows you to choose Vietnamese typing method: Telex, VNI, or VIQR.
• Transfer key: Set up hotkey combinations used to turn Vietnamese on and off with. You choose 1 of 2 combinations: CTRL + SHIFT or ALT + Z.
• Allows typing carets and hooks at the end of words: If this option is enabled, carets, brackets, and moons do not have to be typed immediately after the original letter. For example:
  

  TELEX type: duongwwfd = dduwowngf = sugar
  VNI type: duong9772 = d9u7o7ng2 = sugar

  This option allows users to type VNI without having to change their hands a lot (first type the letter keys and then the number keys). Users of TELEX typing method should disable this function to avoid confusion.

• You must remove the accent immediately after the vowel: If you enable this option, you must type the accent key immediately after the original letter. This option is only intended to serve those who are used to typing like this up to now.
• You should turn off this function to allow UniKey to automatically remove accents accurately and with correct spelling.
• Omit the signs o o o u (instead of o o o, uu): There are two different concepts about the placement of the diaphragm in the sounds oa, oe, and uy when they appear at the end of words.
  • Classic style: the accent is placed on the front vowel for balance. For example: chemistry, water, health.
  • New style: accents are placed according to pronunciation rules. For example: chemistry, water, health.

  According to many linguists, the "new style" is considered the correct spelling.

• Allow typing shortcuts: Enable support features type off
• Definition of shortcut: Allows you to compose shortcut board
• Default: Click this button to reset UniKey's parameters to default values.
• Enable daily dialogue on startup: Allows you to turn on and off the dialog box every time UniKey starts.
• Start with Windows: Automatically turn on UniKey every time Windows starts. If you select this item, remember to remove the UniKey shortcut in the Startup Menu if there is one.
• Information:See more information about UniKey.
• Close: Close UniKey's control panel
• End: Turn off UniKey

5.2 Menu and status icon (taskbar icon)

Figure 2. UniKey menu and status icons

The UniKey icon always appears in the lower right corner of the screen. Effects of the icon:

• Displays the current status of the keyboard. Letter icon V Turn on Vietnamese. Letter E (English) is short for Vietnamese.
• Press the left mouse button: toggle Vietnamese language on and off.
• Press the right mouse key: display UniKey's menu.
• Double left click: turn on UniKey's control panel.

Through the menu you can: open the control panel, open the toolbox, execute Fast switching via clipboard, select typing method (TELEX, VNI, VIQR) or Vietnamese code table. If you don't see the codepage you need displayed in the menu, open the panel and select it, and it will appear in the menu.

5.3 UniKey Toolkit – Vietnamese transcoding tool

In addition to being a Vietnamese percussion tool, UniKey also has UniKey Toolkit provides you with Vietnamese language processing tools. Version 3.5 currently only has Vietnamese transcoding feature.

Dialog box UniKey Toolkit can be called from Menu or via hotkey combination CTRL+SHIFT+F6.

Figure 3. Vietnamese transcoding dialog box

You can use one of two types of transcoding: Clipboard transcoding and regular text file transcoding.

5.4 Setting up typing shortcuts – AutoText

Shortcut support feature allows you to type words or phrases quickly. For example, if you often have to type words Information technology You can set up a typing shortcut that allows you to simply type Cntt and UniKey will automatically fill in the phrase Information technology for you.

Attention: If you do not want a defined shortcut phrase (For example vn=Vietnam) to be converted by UniKey, after typing the shortcut phrase (VN), please type the key Pause/Break. see more 6.8 . In case you want to type a space after the shortcut (vn) without changing vn, you can hold down the key. SHIFT when typing a space.

To set up shortcut mode, you need to do the following two things:

• Turn on selection Allow typing shortcuts in UniKey control panel (This option is off by default).
• Definition of shortcut entries. You only need to do this once and UniKey will remember these entries on your device for a long time. To define shortcuts, select Shortcut table in UniKey control panel. You will then see a dialog box similar to this Figure 4.

Figure 4. Definition of shortcut entries

In Figure 4, the left column allows you to enter Shortcut sequence, the right column is for entering replacement phrases corresponding to the shortcut sequence. You can add, delete, and edit shortcut definitions.

Attention: You need to note the following points when defining shortcuts

• The shortcut string must be a maximum of 15 characters long, containing only unsigned letters or numbers
• Shortcut sequences are case-sensitive. For example, you can define Cntt To be Information technology and IT To be INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
• You can define up to 1024 shortcut entries, each replacement phrase can be a maximum of 512 Vietnamese characters, the total maximum capacity of the shortcut table is 64 KB. These limits are generally sufficient for most users.
• For UniKey version for all Windows: (not special edition UniKey NT). Due to limitations on the fonts used in Windows 9x, UniKey must use the VIQR display format when you define keyboard shortcuts.
• Although a bit difficult to read, the VIQR format allows you to distinguish between upper and lower case letters. UniKey only uses VIQR when defining shortcuts, but when you apply shortcuts, UniKey will automatically convert according to the encoding you use.Figure 4 that you see in this document is the version's shortcut definition box UniKey NT. This version is for Windows NT/2000/XP and uses unicode fonts so it can display full Vietnamese.

5.5 Hotkeys

For quick and convenient use, UniKey has defined hotkey combinations for the most commonly used features as follows:

• CTRL+SHIFT+F5: Open UniKey's main control box
• CTRL+SHIFT+F6: Open UniKey's toolbox
• CTRL+SHIFT+F9: Perform transcoding of the clipboard with the selections set in the toolbox
• CTRL+SHIFT+F1: Select Unicode encoding
• CTRL+SHIFT+F2: Select TCVN3 (ABC) code table
• CTRL+SHIFT+F3: Select VNI-Windows code table
• CTRL+SHIFT+F4: Select VIQR code table

6.1 Start and end UniKey

• Start UniKey: run the UniKey.exe file
• Finish UniKey: select item End in menu or click the button End in dashboard.

You can create a shortcut on the Windows desktop or taskbar to conveniently start UniKey.

6.2 Turn on and off Vietnamese mode

You can only type Vietnamese when UniKey's status is turn on.

The on-off status of UniKey is shown above status icon located in the lower right corner of the screen.

There are 2 ways to turn UniKey on and off

• Click the left mouse button on the icon
• Use hotkey combinations CTRL+SHIFT or ALT+Z. This combination is specified in Dashboard.

6.3 Automatically turn on UniKey when starting Windows

If you want UniKey to automatically run UniKey every time you turn on the computer, select the item Start with Windows in dashboard.

6.4 Choose Vietnamese typing method

To choose the Vietnamese typing method TELEX or VNI or VIQR, open it Dashboard then choose Typing style.

6.5 Select Vietnamese encoding

To select the Vietnamese encoding, open it Dashboard then choose Code table.

The most popular encoding today is Unicode. In the future, Unicode will replace all other Vietnamese encodings.

6.6 Definition of shortcut – AutoText

To define shortcuts, please Dashboard then choose Shortcut table and follow the instructions in section 5.4 .

Attention: You must enable the feature Allow typing shortcuts in the control panel, you can perform shortcuts using UniKey.

6.7 Vietnamese code conversion

UniKey supports Vietnamese transcoding in text files or clipboard.

6.8 Suspension of UniKey

If you want Unikey not to remove Vietnamese marks or shortcut the key you are about to type, you can pause Unikey with the key Pause/Break.

For example:

or = oh
o PAUSE r = or
VN. = Vietnam. (If vn is defined, abbreviation is Vietnam)
vn PAUSE . = vn.

This is especially meaningful with Unikey 3.6 with the shortcut typing feature that works even when Vietnamese mode is turned off.