| android.view.inputmethod.InputMethod |
 Known Indirect Subclasses
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The InputMethod interface represents an input method which can generate key events and text, such as digital, email addresses, CJK characters, other language characters, and etc., while handling various input events, and send the text back to the application that requests text input. See InputMethodManager for more general information about the architecture.
Applications will not normally use this interface themselves, instead relying on the standard interaction provided by TextView and EditText.
Those implementing input methods should normally do so by deriving from InputMethodService or one of its subclasses. When implementing an input method, the service component containing it must also supply a SERVICE_META_DATA meta-data field, referencing an XML resource providing details about the input method. All input methods also must require that clients hold the BIND_INPUT_METHOD in order to interact with the service; if this is not required, the system will not use that input method, because it can not trust that it is not compromised.
The InputMethod interface is actually split into two parts: the interface here is the top-level interface to the input method, providing all access to it, which only the system can access (due to the BIND_INPUT_METHOD permission requirement). In addition its method createSession(android.view.inputmethod.InputMethod.SessionCallback) can be called to instantate a secondary InputMethodSession interface which is what clients use to communicate with the input method.
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| InputMethod.SessionCallback | |||||||||||
| Constants | |||||||||||
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| String | SERVICE_INTERFACE | This is the interface name that a service implementing an input method should say that it supports -- that is, this is the action it uses for its intent filter. | |||||||||
| String | SERVICE_META_DATA | Name under which an InputMethod service component publishes information about itself. | |||||||||
| int | SHOW_EXPLICIT | Flag for showSoftInput(int, ResultReceiver): this show has been explicitly requested by the user. | |||||||||
| int | SHOW_FORCED | Flag for showSoftInput(int, ResultReceiver): this show has been forced to happen by the user. | |||||||||
| Public Methods | |||||||||||
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Called first thing after an input method is created, this supplies a
unique token for the session it has with the system service.
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Bind a new application environment in to the input method, so that it
can later start and stop input processing.
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Create a new InputMethodSession that can be handed to client
applications for interacting with the input method.
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Request that any soft input part of the input method be hidden from the user.
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This method is called when the state of this input method needs to be
reset.
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Disable and destroy a session that was previously created with
createSession(android.view.inputmethod.InputMethod.SessionCallback).
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Control whether a particular input method session is active.
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Request that any soft input part of the input method be shown to the user.
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This method is called when the application starts to receive text and it
is ready for this input method to process received events and send result
text back to the application.
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Unbind an application environment, called when the information previously
set by bindInput(InputBinding) is no longer valid for this input method.
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This is the interface name that a service implementing an input method should say that it supports -- that is, this is the action it uses for its intent filter. (Note: this name is used because this interface should be moved to the view package.)
Name under which an InputMethod service component publishes information
about itself. This meta-data must reference an XML resource containing
an
<input-method>
tag.
Flag for showSoftInput(int, ResultReceiver): this show has been explicitly requested by the user. If not set, the system has decided it may be a good idea to show the input method based on a navigation operation in the UI.
Flag for showSoftInput(int, ResultReceiver): this show has been forced to happen by the user. If set, the input method should remain visible until deliberated dismissed by the user in its UI.
Called first thing after an input method is created, this supplies a unique token for the session it has with the system service. It is needed to identify itself with the service to validate its operations. This token must not be passed to applications, since it grants special priviledges that should not be given to applications.
Note: to protect yourself from malicious clients, you should only accept the first token given to you. Any after that may come from the client.
Bind a new application environment in to the input method, so that it can later start and stop input processing. Typically this method is called when this input method is enabled in an application for the first time.
| binding | Information about the application window that is binding to the input method. |
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Create a new InputMethodSession that can be handed to client applications for interacting with the input method. You can later use revokeSession(InputMethodSession) to destroy the session so that it can no longer be used by any clients.
| callback | Interface that is called with the newly created session. |
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Request that any soft input part of the input method be hidden from the user.
| flags | Provides additional information about the show request. Currently always 0. |
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| resultReceiver | The client requesting the show may wish to be told the impact of their request, which should be supplied here. The result code should be InputMethodManager.RESULT_UNCHANGED_SHOWN, InputMethodManager.RESULT_UNCHANGED_HIDDEN, InputMethodManager.RESULT_SHOWN, or InputMethodManager.RESULT_HIDDEN. |
This method is called when the state of this input method needs to be reset.
Typically, this method is called when the input focus is moved from one text box to another.
| inputConnection | Optional specific input connection for communicating with the text box; if null, you should use the generic bound input connection. |
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| attribute | The attribute of the text box (typically, a EditText) that requests input. |
Disable and destroy a session that was previously created with createSession(android.view.inputmethod.InputMethod.SessionCallback). After this call, the given session interface is no longer active and calls on it will fail.
| session | The InputMethodSession previously provided through SessionCallback.sessionCreated() that is to be revoked. |
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Control whether a particular input method session is active.
| session | The InputMethodSession previously provided through SessionCallback.sessionCreated() that is to be changed. |
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Request that any soft input part of the input method be shown to the user.
| flags | Provides additional information about the show request. Currently may be 0 or have the bit SHOW_EXPLICIT set. |
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| resultReceiver | The client requesting the show may wish to be told the impact of their request, which should be supplied here. The result code should be InputMethodManager.RESULT_UNCHANGED_SHOWN, InputMethodManager.RESULT_UNCHANGED_HIDDEN, InputMethodManager.RESULT_SHOWN, or InputMethodManager.RESULT_HIDDEN. |
This method is called when the application starts to receive text and it is ready for this input method to process received events and send result text back to the application.
| inputConnection | Optional specific input connection for communicating with the text box; if null, you should use the generic bound input connection. |
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| info | Information about the text box (typically, an EditText) that requests input. |
Unbind an application environment, called when the information previously set by bindInput(InputBinding) is no longer valid for this input method.
Typically this method is called when the application changes to be non-foreground.
