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AIX Version 4.3 General Programming Concepts: Writing and Debugging Programs

Greek Input Method (GIM)

The Greek Input Method (GIM) is similar to the Single-Byte Input Method (SIM), but has been extended to handle both Latin and Greek character sets. This is accomplished by providing two layers or states of keyboard mappings, which correspond to the two character sets.

The keyboard is initially in the Latin input state. However, if the left-shift key is pressed while the left-alt key is held down, the keyboard is put in the Greek input state. The keyboard can be returned to the Latin state by pressing the right-shift key, while the left-alt key is held down. These are locking shift keys, since the state is locked when they are pressed.

While in the Greek state, the input method recognizes the following diacritical characters and valid subsequent characters for diacritical composing.

Greek Composing Characters
Keysym Valid Composing Characters

Uppercase and Lowercase:
dead_acute alpha, epsilon, eta, iota, omicron, upsilon, omega
dead_diaeresis iota, upsilon

Lowercase Only:
dead_accentdiaeresis iota, upsilon

In the Latin state, there are no composing diacriticals, and the above keys are treated as simple graphic characters.

The Greek and Single-Byte Input Methods also differ in their handling of illegal diacritical composing sequences. In such cases, the GIM beeps and returns no characters. The SIM does not beep and returns both the diacritical character and a graphic character associated with the invalid key.

Note: The Alt-Graphic (right-alt) key can be used to generate additional characters within each keyboard state.

Keymap:

el_GR.ISO8859-7.imkeymap.

Keysyms:

The GIM uses the keysyms in the XK_LATIN1, XK_GREEK, and XK_MISCELLANY groups.

Reserved keysyms:

XK_dead_acute 0x180000b4
XK_dead_grave 0x18000060
XK_dead_circumflex 0x1800005e
XK_dead_diaeresis 0x180000a8
XK_dead_tilde 0x1800007e
XK_dead_caron 0x180001b7
XK_dead_breve 0x180001a2
XK_dead_doubleacute 0x180001bd
XK_dead_degree 0x180000b0
XK_dead_abovedot 0x180001ff
XK_dead_macron 0x180000af
XK_dead_cedilla 0x180000b8
XK_dead_ogonek 0x180001b2
XK_dead_accentdieresis 0x180007ae

The preceding keysyms are unique to the input method of this system.

Related Information

National Language Support Overview for Programming, Input Method Overview.


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