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Introduction
The CKC Chinese Input System uses a maximum of 4 digits ("0" - "9") to represent a Chinese character. All possible shapes of strokes that forms any given Chinese character are classified into 10 groups, each represented by one of the ten possible digits 0-9. Chinese characters can then be input by following the order in which the strokes are identified at the 4 corners of the character. As a result of this simplicity in coding using the ten numeric digits, users typically need to use only a numeric keypad to input Chinese.
Implementations for both Traditional and Simplified Chinese are available though the coding principle applies to both. In other words, users only need to be trained once and the skill can be applied equally well to both Traditional and Simplified Chinese version of the CKC Input System.
Training courses on the CKC Chinese Input System are provided by training centres in CKC Centre for the Development of Information Technology for Chinese Language Teaching (http://www.ckcitlang.net/) of The Hong Kong Institute of Education (http://www.hkied.edu.hk/), IVE Haking Wong (http://www.gockc.net/) and [1] (http://www.chineseedu.hku.hk/CKC/CKClab/index.htm) of Hong Kong University (http://www.hku.edu.hk/)
The mapping
The mapping between groups of stokes and their corresponding digits 0-9 can be described by the following :
一橫二豎三點捺, 叉四插五方塊六, 七角八八九是小, 撇與左勾都是零 (http://www.ckcitlang.net/course/shape1_files/frame.htm)
Coding principle : single character
Coding principle : phrase
software availability
The software can be downloaded from The CKC Chinese Input System web site (http://www.ckcsys.com.hk/) and can be run on the Microsoft Windows environment. Other platforms such as Linux, Palm and Pocket PC are under development.
WebCKC
It is also possible to use the CKC Chinese Input System without installing it on a PC. The WebCKC (http://www.ckcsys.com.hk/webckc/zhr.htm) allows any PC connected to Internet using the MS Internet Explorer to input Chinese Characters using the CKC Chinese Input System. Text entered are stored in the clipboard and therefore ready to be pasted to any desired application.
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