Typing Pīnyīn directly using WinVNkey (work on Notepad)

[pazu]

Typing Pīnyīn directly using WinVNkey 4.0

While there are some websites to convert pīnyīn with numbers to tonal markers (zhong1guo2ren2 -> zhōngguórén), it seems that there're not much programs designed to type pīnyīn with tonal markers *directly*. And of course there're some programs (macros) to convert tonal markers by Microsoft Word, but it's quite a hassle to copy and paste all the time.

WinVNkey 4.0 maybe a solution. It's a free program designed for typing Việtnamese, but with a little macro you can type Chinese pīnyīn too.

This method works on Unicode system only.

1. Download a copy of WinVNkey at http://winvnkey.sourceforge.net/

2. After installation, set the program as below:

Charset: 4. Unicode

Output Method: <Automatic>

Typing Method: VIQR - fast

Keyboard Mode: Combine On Request (English)

3. Check the end of this post, copy and paste the macro file on Notepad, and save the file as "pinyin.txt".

4. Copy pinyin.txt to "..MacrosAutoExp1" folder. For example if you have your WinVNkey installed at "C:Programs FilesWinVNkey" , then the macro file should be placed at

"C:Program FilesMacrosAutoExp1".

3. Okay, now back to the WinVNkey program itself, click "Options..."

4. Click Macros.

5. Tick the checkbox "pinyin" and press OK.

6. Tick the checkbox "Auto Expansion - Level 1" and press OK.

From now on, when you type pi1nyi1n, you will get pīnyīn instead. If you want to stop typing the tonal markers temporarily, click the Windows system tray icon of WinVNkey once.

Note:

1. This works on Unicode system only, such as Windows XP with Notepad, some old editors may ruin the fine codings of unicode.

2. Type v5 for ü, v3 for ǚ, etc.

3. Be careful of the location of the tonal marker, xiang2 should be written as "xiáng" instead of "xíang", check your Chinese textbook for more information or the following websites

for more information.

4. If you have any problems of displaying pīnyīn on you website, check http://pinyin.info/unicode/marks3.html

Pazu

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; beginning of the macro file, don't include this line ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

; Comment lines are either blank or starting with "; " (semicolon in

; column 1 and a space in column 2)

; Keyword lines start with ". " (a period in col 1 and a space in col 2)

; The file header is terminated with a line beginning with ";xxx"

; Macro definition is of the form "macroname =replacement text"

; There must be a space between the macroname and the equal sign.

; Everything to the left of this space belongs to the macroname.

; The replacement text begins immediately after '=' and can continue on

; several lines. Each continuation line must start with "& " (ampersand

; in col 1 and space in col 2).

; The continuation feature is not supported in format 1 yet.

. Format: 1

. Charset: Unicode (16 bit Little Endian)

. Display Name:

. Description:

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Don't delete this line!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

a1 =ā

a2 =á

a3 =ă

a4 =à

e1 =ē

e2 =é

e3 =ĕ

e4 =è

i1 =ī

i2 =í

i3 =ĭ

i4 =ì

o1 =ō

o2 =ó

o3 =ŏ

o4 =ò

u1 =ū

u2 =ú

u3 =ŭ

u4 =ù

v1 =ǖ

v2 =ǘ

v3 =ǚ

v4 =ǜ

v5 =ü

A1 =Ā

A2 =Á

A3 =Ă

A4 =À

E1 =Ē

E2 =É

E3 =Ĕ

E4 =È

I1 =Ī

I2 =Í

I3 =Ĭ

I4 =Ì

O1 =Ō

O2 =Ó

O3 =Ŏ

O4 =Ò

U1 =Ū

U2 =Ú

U3 =Ŭ

U4 =Ù

V1 =Ǖ

V2 =Ǘ

V3 =Ǚ

V4 =Ǜ

V5 =Ü

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; end of the macro file, don't include this line ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

[nnt]

You can input Pinyin characters by customizing your keyboard using MS Word: Input-->Special characters and choose the right hotkeys for the Pinyin characters (chose English IME and keyboard for example). Your customization must be consistent with the other Word hotkeys

[pazu]

But that method can't work on Notepad.

[pazu]

::::: This is a better version of the macro ::::::::::;

;;;;; You can now type zhong1 instead of zho1ng to get zhōng, etc ;;;;

; Comment lines are either blank or starting with "; " (semicolon in

; column 1 and a space in column 2)

; Keyword lines start with ". " (a period in col 1 and a space in col 2)

; The file header is terminated with a line beginning with ";xxx"

; Macro definition is of the form "macroname =replacement text"

; There must be a space between the macroname and the equal sign.

; Everything to the left of this space belongs to the macroname.

; The replacement text begins immediately after '=' and can continue on

; several lines. Each continuation line must start with "& " (ampersand

; in col 1 and space in col 2).

; The continuation feature is not supported in format 1 yet.

. Format: 1

. Charset: Unicode (16 bit Little Endian)

. Display Name:

. Description:

;xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Don't delete this line!!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AI1 =ĀI

AI2 =ÁI

AI3 =ĂI

AI4 =ÀI

AO1 =ĀO

AO2 =ÁO

AO3 =ĂO

AO4 =ÀO

A1 =Ā

A2 =Á

A3 =Ă

A4 =À

EI1 =ĒI

EI2 =ÉI

EI3 =ĔI

EI4 =ÈI

E1 =Ē

E2 =É

E3 =Ĕ

E4 =È

IAO1 =IĀO

IAO2 =IÁO

IAO3 =IĂO

IAO4 =IÀO

I1 =Ī

I2 =Í

I3 =Ĭ

I4 =Ì

OU1 =ŌU

OU2 =ÓU

OU3 =ŎU

OU4 =ÒU

O1 =Ō

O2 =Ó

O3 =Ŏ

O4 =Ò

ONG1 =ŌNG

ONG2 =ÓNG

ONG3 =ŎNG

ONG4 =ÒNG

UAI1 =UĀI

UAI2 =UÁI

UAI3 =UĂI

UAI4 =UÀI

U1 =Ū

U2 =Ú

U3 =Ŭ

U4 =Ù

ai1 =āi

ai2 =ái

ai3 =ăi

ai4 =ài

ao1 =āo

ao2 =áo

ao3 =ăo

ao4 =ào

a1 =ā

a2 =á

a3 =ă

a4 =à

ei1 =ēi

ei2 =éi

ei3 =ĕi

ei4 =èi

e1 =ē

e2 =é

e3 =ĕ

e4 =è

iao1 =iāo

iao2 =iáo

iao3 =iăo

iao4 =iào

i1 =ī

i2 =í

i3 =ĭ

i4 =ì

ou1 =ōu

ou2 =óu

ou3 =ŏu

ou4 =òu

o1 =ō

o2 =ó

o3 =ŏ

o4 =ò

ong1 =ōng

ong2 =óng

ong3 =ŏng

ong4 =òng

uai1 =uāi

uai2 =uái

uai3 =uăi

uai4 =uài

u1 =ū

u2 =ú

u3 =ŭ

u4 =ù

v1 =ǖ

v2 =ǘ

v3 =ǚ

v4 =ǜ

v5 =ü

an1 =ān

an2 =án

an3 =ăn

an4 =àn

en1 =ēn

en2 =én

en3 =ĕn

en4 =èn

ang1 =āng

ang2 =áng

ang3 =ăng

ang4 =àng

eng1 =ēng

eng2 =éng

eng3 =ĕng

eng4 =èng

AN1 =ĀN

AN2 =ÁN

AN3 =ĂN

AN4 =ÀN

EN1 =ĒN

EN2 =ÉN

EN3 =ĔN

EN4 =ÈN

ANG1 =ĀNG

ANG2 =ÁNG

ANG3 =ĂNG

ANG4 =ÀNG

ENG1 =ĒNG

ENG2 =ÉNG

ENG3 =ĔNG

ENG4 =ÈNG