Input method v1

Input method context

Corresponds to a text input on the input method side. An input method context is created on text input activation on the input method side. It allows receiving information about the text input from the application via events. Input method contexts do not keep state after deactivation and should be destroyed after deactivation is handled.

Text is generally UTF-8 encoded, indices and lengths are in bytes.

Serials are used to synchronize the state between the text input and an input method. New serials are sent by the text input in the commit_state request and are used by the input method to indicate the known text input state in events like preedit_string, commit_string, and keysym. The text input can then ignore events from the input method which are based on an outdated state (for example after a reset).

Warning! The protocol described in this file is experimental and backward incompatible changes may be made. Backward compatible changes may be added together with the corresponding interface version bump. Backward incompatible changes are done by bumping the version number in the protocol and interface names and resetting the interface version. Once the protocol is to be declared stable, the 'z' prefix and the version number in the protocol and interface names are removed and the interface version number is reset.

destroy()
commit_string(serial: uint, text: string)
Argument
Type
Description
serialuint
serial of the latest known text input state
textstring
Commit string

Send the commit string text for insertion to the application.

The text to commit could be either just a single character after a key press or the result of some composing (pre-edit). It could be also an empty text when some text should be removed (see delete_surrounding_text) or when the input cursor should be moved (see cursor_position).

Any previously set composing text will be removed.

preedit_string(serial: uint, text: string, commit: string)
Argument
Type
Description
serialuint
serial of the latest known text input state
textstring
commitstring
Pre-edit string

Send the pre-edit string text to the application text input.

The commit text can be used to replace the pre-edit text on reset (for example on unfocus).

Previously sent preedit_style and preedit_cursor requests are also processed by the text_input.

preedit_styling(index: uint, length: uint, style: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
indexuint
lengthuint
styleuint
Pre-edit styling

Set the styling information on composing text. The style is applied for length in bytes from index relative to the beginning of the composing text (as byte offset). Multiple styles can be applied to a composing text.

This request should be sent before sending a preedit_string request.

preedit_cursor(index: int)
Argument
Type
Description
indexint
Pre-edit cursor

Set the cursor position inside the composing text (as byte offset) relative to the start of the composing text.

When index is negative no cursor should be displayed.

This request should be sent before sending a preedit_string request.

delete_surrounding_text(index: int, length: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
indexint
lengthuint
Delete text

Remove the surrounding text.

This request will be handled on the text_input side directly following a commit_string request.

cursor_position(index: int, anchor: int)
Argument
Type
Description
indexint
anchorint
Set cursor to a new position

Set the cursor and anchor to a new position. Index is the new cursor position in bytes (when >= 0 this is relative to the end of the inserted text, otherwise it is relative to the beginning of the inserted text). Anchor is the new anchor position in bytes (when >= 0 this is relative to the end of the inserted text, otherwise it is relative to the beginning of the inserted text). When there should be no selected text, anchor should be the same as index.

This request will be handled on the text_input side directly following a commit_string request.

modifiers_map(map: array)
Argument
Type
Description
maparray
keysym(serial: uint, time: uint, sym: uint, state: uint, modifiers: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
serialuint
serial of the latest known text input state
timeuint
symuint
stateuint
modifiersuint
Keysym

Notify when a key event was sent. Key events should not be used for normal text input operations, which should be done with commit_string, delete_surrounding_text, etc. The key event follows the wl_keyboard key event convention. Sym is an XKB keysym, state is a wl_keyboard key_state.

grab_keyboard(keyboard: new_id<wl_keyboard>)
Argument
Type
Description
keyboardnew_id<wl_keyboard>
Grab hardware keyboard

Allow an input method to receive hardware keyboard input and process key events to generate text events (with pre-edit) over the wire. This allows input methods which compose multiple key events for inputting text like it is done for CJK languages.

key(serial: uint, time: uint, key: uint, state: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
serialuint
serial from wl_keyboard::key
timeuint
time from wl_keyboard::key
keyuint
key from wl_keyboard::key
stateuint
state from wl_keyboard::key
Forward key event

Forward a wl_keyboard::key event to the client that was not processed by the input method itself. Should be used when filtering key events with grab_keyboard. The arguments should be the ones from the wl_keyboard::key event.

For generating custom key events use the keysym request instead.

modifiers(serial: uint, mods_depressed: uint, mods_latched: uint, mods_locked: uint, group: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
serialuint
serial from wl_keyboard::modifiers
mods_depresseduint
mods_depressed from wl_keyboard::modifiers
mods_latcheduint
mods_latched from wl_keyboard::modifiers
mods_lockeduint
mods_locked from wl_keyboard::modifiers
groupuint
group from wl_keyboard::modifiers
Forward modifiers event

Forward a wl_keyboard::modifiers event to the client that was not processed by the input method itself. Should be used when filtering key events with grab_keyboard. The arguments should be the ones from the wl_keyboard::modifiers event.

language(serial: uint, language: string)
Argument
Type
Description
serialuint
serial of the latest known text input state
languagestring
text_direction(serial: uint, direction: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
serialuint
serial of the latest known text input state
directionuint
surrounding_text(text: string, cursor: uint, anchor: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
textstring
cursoruint
anchoruint
Surrounding text event

The plain surrounding text around the input position. Cursor is the position in bytes within the surrounding text relative to the beginning of the text. Anchor is the position in bytes of the selection anchor within the surrounding text relative to the beginning of the text. If there is no selected text then anchor is the same as cursor.

content_type(hint: uint, purpose: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
hintuint
purposeuint
invoke_action(button: uint, index: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
buttonuint
indexuint
commit_state(serial: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
serialuint
serial of text input state
preferred_language(language: string)
Argument
Type
Description
languagestring

Input method

An input method object is responsible for composing text in response to input from hardware or virtual keyboards. There is one input method object per seat. On activate there is a new input method context object created which allows the input method to communicate with the text input.

activate(id: new_id<zwp_input_method_context_v1>)
Argument
Type
Description
idnew_id<zwp_input_method_context_v1>
Activate event

A text input was activated. Creates an input method context object which allows communication with the text input.

Argument
Type
Description
contextobject<zwp_input_method_context_v1>
Deactivate event

The text input corresponding to the context argument was deactivated. The input method context should be destroyed after deactivation is handled.


Interface for implementing keyboards

Only one client can bind this interface at a time.



set_toplevel(output: object<wl_output>, position: uint)
Argument
Type
Description
outputobject<wl_output>
positionuint
Set the surface type as a keyboard

Set the input_panel_surface type to keyboard.

A keyboard surface is only shown when a text input is active.

set_overlay_panel()
Set the surface type as an overlay panel

Set the input_panel_surface to be an overlay panel.

This is shown near the input cursor above the application window when a text input is active.


Compositor Support

Mutter
Mutter
45.4
KWin
KWin
6.0.1
Sway
Sway
1.9
Hyprland
Hyprland
0.35
Weston
Weston
13
Mir
Mir
...
GameScope
GameScope
...
zwp_input_method_v1
x
x
x
x
1
x
x
zwp_input_panel_v1
x
x
x
x
1
x
x

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