TypeDuck Windows

TypeDuck Windows is a Cantonese input method for Windows users in Hong Kong, built on Microsoft Text Services Framework and a TypeDuck Rime runtime.

TypeDuck Windows 係為香港 Windows 用戶而設嘅粵語輸入法，使用 Microsoft Text Services Framework，並配合 TypeDuck Rime Runtime 提供候選字、粵拼同字典式提示。

Features / 功能

• TypeDuck Cantonese IME registered under Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong) / zh-HK.
  TypeDuck 粵語輸入法會註冊喺「中文（繁體，香港）」/ zh-HK。
• Candidate, Jyutping, and dictionary-style details in a Windows candidate window.
  候選窗會顯示候選字、粵拼同字典式資料。
• A bilingual installer, settings window, about dialog, and Start Menu shortcuts.
  雙語安裝程式、設定視窗、關於視窗同開始功能表捷徑。
• Local settings stored per user, with Rime-affecting options applied through the TypeDuck runtime.
  每位用戶有獨立設定；影響 Rime 嘅選項會經 TypeDuck Runtime 套用。

Install / 安裝

Download and run the latest installer from TypeDuck-Windows releases.

請喺 TypeDuck-Windows releases 下載並執行最新安裝程式。

After installation, choose TypeDuck 粵語輸入法 / TypeDuck Cantonese IME under Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong).

安裝完成後，請喺「中文（繁體，香港）」下面揀 TypeDuck 粵語輸入法 / TypeDuck Cantonese IME。

Usage / 用法

1. Open any Windows app that accepts text.
   開啟任何可以輸入文字嘅 Windows 應用程式。
2. Switch to Chinese (Traditional, Hong Kong), then select TypeDuck.
   切換至中文（繁體，香港），再揀 TypeDuck。
3. Type Cantonese Jyutping and choose a candidate from the TypeDuck candidate window.
   輸入粵拼，喺 TypeDuck 候選窗揀字。
4. Open IME Settings from the Start Menu or launcher tray icon to adjust preferences.
   如要調整設定，可由開始功能表或工具列圖示開啟 輸入法設定 IME Settings。

User Settings / 用戶設定

The settings app includes controls for candidate count, display languages, Chinese typeface, Jyutping visibility, completion, correction, sentence composition, input memory, reverse lookup display, and Cangjie version.

設定程式提供各種控制項，包括每頁候選數量、顯示語言、中文字體、候選詞粵拼、自動完成、自動校正、自動組詞、輸入記憶、反查顯示同倉頡版本。

Repositories

• Frontend and installer: TypeDuck-HK/TypeDuck-Windows
• Backend runtime: TypeDuck-HK/TypeDuck-Windows-backend

Architecture

TypeDuck Windows is split into two repositories that ship together:

Windows TSF host apps
        |
        v
TypeDuckTextService.dll
        |
        | per-user named pipe, protobuf frames
        v
TypeDuckLauncher.exe
        |
        | stdin/stdout, protobuf frames
        v
TypeDuckRuntime/server.exe
        |
        v
librime + TypeDuck Rime data + dictionary lookup filter

The frontend repository owns TSF registration, COM entry points, candidate UI, launcher IPC, settings/about UI, setup helper, runtime staging, and the installer. The backend repository owns the Go runtime process, protobuf conversion, Rime service, librime binding, settings application to Rime configuration, and packaged runtime output.

Build Prerequisites

• Windows 10 or Windows 11 for development and validation.
• Visual Studio 2022 with MSVC and Windows SDK.
• CMake 3.21 or newer.
• PowerShell 7 or newer; use pwsh for repository scripts.
• Inno Setup 6 for installer builds.
• Go matching the backend module requirement.
• Protocol Buffers protoc 33.5 or a local protobuf source tree.
• A TypeDuck Rime schema source directory to pass as -RimeDataSource. The directory must include a build folder containing the artifacts pre-compiled by librime.

Build

Build the Windows frontend binaries:

pwsh -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/build.ps1

The build script applies the TypeDuck-owned submodule patches required for the checked-out third-party code. To prepare or verify them without building, run:

pwsh -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/Apply-TypeDuckSubmodulePatches.ps1
pwsh -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/Apply-TypeDuckSubmodulePatches.ps1 -CheckOnly

Build the full installer after the backend runtime and schema source are available:

pwsh -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/_all_in_package.ps1 -RimeDataSource <schema-source>

The installer is written to:

installer/dist/typeduck-windows-ime-setup.exe

Installer Command-Line Flags

TypeDuck uses an Inno Setup installer. For managed or bulk deployment, run the installer from an elevated shell:

typeduck-windows-ime-setup.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /LOG="C:\Temp\TypeDuck-install.log"

• /SILENT runs installation with a progress window and no wizard pages.
• /VERYSILENT runs installation without the wizard or progress window. This is the recommended flag for bulk installation.
• /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES answers standard installer message boxes automatically where possible. Use it with /SILENT or /VERYSILENT.
• /NORESTART prevents the installer from restarting Windows automatically. If TSF files are locked, TypeDuck may finish registration after a later restart.
• /LOG="path" writes an installer log for deployment diagnostics.
• /DIR="path" overrides the install directory. The default is %ProgramFiles(x86)%\TypeDuckIME.

The silent installer still registers the TSF text service, installs the launcher startup entry, and runs the settings-apply path. It does not open the Settings or About windows at the end.

The uninstaller is installed as %ProgramFiles(x86)%\TypeDuckIME\unins000.exe and accepts the same silent/logging flags:

& "$env:ProgramFiles(x86)\TypeDuckIME\unins000.exe" /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /LOG="C:\Temp\TypeDuck-uninstall.log"

Interactive uninstall asks whether to delete personal TypeDuck settings and dictionary data. Silent uninstall skips that prompt and preserves roaming user data under %APPDATA%\TypeDuckIME; local TypeDuck logs/cache under %LOCALAPPDATA%\TypeDuckIME are removed by the uninstaller.

Runtime Layout

The installed application uses this product layout:

TypeDuckIME/
├── TypeDuckLauncher.exe
├── TypeDuckSettings.exe
├── TypeDuckAbout.exe
├── TypeDuckSetupHelper.exe
├── TypeDuckTextService.dll
├── x64/TypeDuckTextService.dll
├── resources/
└── TypeDuckRuntime/
    ├── server.exe
    └── input_methods/rime/

User data and logs use TypeDuck-specific folders:

• Preferences: %APPDATA%\TypeDuckIME\TypeDuckPreferences.json
• Rime user data: %APPDATA%\TypeDuckIME\Rime
• Logs: %LOCALAPPDATA%\TypeDuckIME\Log

Testing

Build first, then run CTest against a configured Win32 build:

ctest --test-dir build-vs32 -C Debug --output-on-failure

Useful focused checks:

pwsh -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/Test-TypeDuckProtocolContract.ps1 -RepoRoot . -Strict
pwsh -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/Test-TypeDuckCandidateData.ps1 -RepoRoot . -Strict
pwsh -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/Test-TypeDuckSettingsPersistence.ps1 -RepoRoot . -Strict
pwsh -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/Test-TypeDuckReleaseArtifacts.ps1 -RepoRoot . -Strict

Cross-repo runtime verification should include the backend test suite and a runtime package build from TypeDuck-Windows-backend.

Protocol

Frontend and backend communicate with Protocol Buffers over length-prefixed binary frames. Protocol changes must update both repository schemas and regenerated bindings:

• The frontend protobuf schema.
• The backend protobuf schema.
• Generated C++ and Go protobuf outputs.

Do not edit generated protobuf files directly.

Release

The release workflows build on windows-2022, checkout both TypeDuck Windows repositories, download the TypeDuck schema release artifact, download protobuf tooling, run the packaging script, and upload the installer asset. Release validation should cover:

• Installer file name and signature/hash evidence.
• Clean install, upgrade, uninstall, and reboot-required registration paths.
• Win32 and x64 TSF DLL registration.
• zh-HK language profile registration.
• Candidate window and dictionary lookup behavior.
• Settings persistence and Rime side effects.

License

This repository is licensed under the MIT License.

Acknowledgement

Thanks to the Moqi IME project for its earlier Windows IME engineering work.