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androidime

Android: switch to a different IME programmatically


http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/text/creating-input-method.html#GeneralDesign reads:

Because multiple IMEs may be installed on the device, provide a way for the user to switch to a different IME directly from the input method UI.

Let's assume I have the source of two input methods and can modify it. I want to let the user switch between them quickly and am ready to reserve a button for that. How do I "switch to a different IME directly from the input method UI"?


Solution

  • Switching to the previous input method from the current input method is:

    //final String LATIN = "com.android.inputmethod.latin/.LatinIME";
    // 'this' is an InputMethodService
    try {
        InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager) this.getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
        final IBinder token = this.getWindow().getWindow().getAttributes().token;
        //imm.setInputMethod(token, LATIN);
        imm.switchToLastInputMethod(token);
    } catch (Throwable t) { // java.lang.NoSuchMethodError if API_level<11
        Log.e(TAG,"cannot set the previous input method:");
        t.printStackTrace();
    }
    

    If you want to switch to a particular input method whose ID you know, you may do as the commented-out lines suggest.

    EDIT @pRaNaY suggested a single .getWindow() in a silent edit (click "edited" below to see the history). I remember that it did not work for Android 2.3; if you consult the docs, you will see that the first call, InputMethodService.getWindow() returns a Dialog (which is not a subclass of Window), and the second call, Dialog.getWindow() returns a Window. There is no Dialog.getAttributes(), so with a single .getWindow() it will not even compile.