Editing Chinese characters (section)

==== Input methods ====
{{Further|Chinese input method|Japanese input method}}
[[File:Interface of Weasel Input Method.png|thumb|Chinese IME displaying candidates based on pinyin spelling]]
Chinese characters are predominantly input on computers using a standard keyboard. Many input methods (IMEs) are phonetic, where typists enter characters according to schemes like [[pinyin]] or [[bopomofo]] for Mandarin, [[Jyutping]] for Cantonese, or [[Hepburn romanization|Hepburn]] for Japanese. For example, {{zhc|c=香港|l=Hong Kong}} could be input as {{code|xiang1gang3}} using pinyin, or as {{code|hoeng1gong2}} using Jyutping.{{sfn|Li|2020|pp=152–153}}

Character input methods may also be based on form, using the shape of characters and existing rules of handwriting to assign unique codes to each character, potentially increasing the speed of typing. Popular form-based input methods include [[Wubi method|Wubi]] on the mainland, and [[Cangjie input method|Cangjie]]—named after the mythological inventor of writing—in Taiwan and Hong Kong.{{sfn|Li|2020|pp=152–153}} Often, unnecessary parts are omitted from the encoding according to predictable rules. For example, {{zhc|c=疆|l=border}} is encoded using the Cangjie method as {{code|NGMWM}}, which corresponds to the components {{lang|zh|{{code|弓土一田一}}|italic=no}}.{{sfn|Zhang|2016|p=422}}

Contextual constraints may be used to improve candidate character selection. When ignoring [[Tone (linguistics)|tone]]s, {{lang|zh|知道}} and {{lang|zh|直刀}} are both transcribed as {{code|zhidao}}; the system may prioritize which candidate appears first based on context.{{sfn|Su|2014|p=222}}