[whatwg] inputmode feedback

[Michael[tm] Smith]

Yoichi Osato <yoichio at google.com>, 2013-12-06 15:46 +0900:

> Our Google Japan members working around IME discussed about inputmode.
> 
> Proposal:
>  Remove "kana", "katakana" and "full-width-latin" from inputmode attribute.
> Because above attributes and others are independent as others say.
> For web developers that want to manage IME state like native applications,
> the inputmode attribute lacks some modes
> like "half-width-katakana".

What modes other than "half-width-katakana" are we lacking?

> But it might cause more confusing to add such attributes to inputmode.

I think it might cause even more confusion to add half-width-katakana input
support to any new IME-related API or UI, anywhere. In particular, it might
cause people to think that half-width katakana is actually useful to them
or needed for something these days. Which it's not, as far as I can see.

Have you identified any actual current use cases for half-width katakana input?

In particular, any uses cases for half-width katakana input on the Web?

> We are discussing to propose IME mode management as new API.
> Its mode contains "alphabet, kana, katakana, full-width-latin,
> half-width-katakana" as a native OS provides.

I don't think the fact that OS IMEs provide support for half-width katakana
input means that it's necessary or useful for us to provide half-width
katakana input support in any new IME APIs for the Web.

If the goal is to have consistency with OS IMEs, then I think a better
solution at this point would be to lobby OS IME vendors to finally drop
support for half-width katakana input.

  --Mike

-- 
Michael[tm] Smith http://people.w3.org/mike