# Smart Common Input Method

> input method software platform containing support for more than thirty languages

**Wikidata**: [Q1191827](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1191827)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Common_Input_Method)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/smart-common-input-method

## Summary
Smart Common Input Method (SCIM) is a free input method software platform that supports more than thirty languages and is designed for Unix-like operating systems. It serves as an application allowing users to efficiently input text in multiple languages through a unified interface.

## Key Facts
- Smart Common Input Method (SCIM) is distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License.
- The platform supports input for more than thirty languages, making it a comprehensive multilingual input solution.
- SCIM is compatible with Unix-like operating systems, including various Linux distributions.
- The latest stable version is 1.4.18, released on July 31, 2017.
- The software is available as packages on multiple platforms including FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Gentoo, and Arch Linux.
- SCIM is also known by its abbreviation SCIM and has a primary source code repository on GitHub under the username "scim-im".
- The project originated on SourceForge as the "scim" project.
- The official website for SCIM is http://www.scim-im.org/.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Smart Common Input Method used for?
A: Smart Common Input Method (SCIM) is an input method platform that enables users to input text in more than thirty languages on Unix-like operating systems. It serves as an application that facilitates text entry for various languages, making it particularly useful for multilingual computing environments.

### Q: What license governs Smart Common Input Method?
A: Smart Common Input Method is distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, which is a free software license that allows users to freely run, study, change, and distribute the software and its modified versions.

### Q: On which operating systems does Smart Common Input Method run?
A: Smart Common Input Method is designed to run on Unix-like operating systems. It is available as packages on various Linux distributions and other Unix-like systems including FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Gentoo.

### Q: How is Smart Common Input Method updated and maintained?
A: The project is actively maintained with source code available on GitHub (username: scim-im). The latest stable version, 1.4.18, was released on July 31, 2017, with ongoing development and updates available through the official repository.

### Q: Where can I find documentation and resources about SCIM?
A: The official website http://www.scim-im.org/ provides comprehensive information. Wikipedia entries exist in multiple languages, and the project documentation can be found on both GitHub and SourceForge. The Arch Wiki also contains an article about Smart Common Input Method.

## Why It Matters
Smart Common Input Method (SCIM) plays a significant role in enabling multilingual computing by providing a unified input method platform for Unix-like systems. In an increasingly globalized digital world, SCIM breaks down language barriers by supporting over thirty languages, making computing accessible to users who need to work in multiple languages. Its free and open-source nature ensures that it remains accessible to all users without cost barriers, while its cross-platform compatibility allows for consistent input experiences across different Unix-like environments. By standardizing input methods across languages and platforms, SCIM simplifies the development of localized software and improves the overall user experience for multilingual users in Unix-based systems.

## Notable For
- SCIM supports input for more than thirty languages, making it one of the most comprehensive input method platforms for Unix-like systems.
- The software is distributed under the GNU Lesser General Public License, ensuring it remains free and open-source while allowing integration into proprietary applications.
- SCIM's architecture enables seamless integration across various Unix-like operating systems, making it a versatile solution for multilingual input needs.
- The project has active development with regular updates, with version 1.4.18 released in July 2017 and ongoing maintenance through GitHub.
- SCIM serves as both a standalone application and a framework for developing additional input methods, providing flexibility for both end-users and developers.

## Body
### Overview
Smart Common Input Method (SCIM) is a free input method software platform that supports more than thirty languages. It is designed for Unix-like operating systems and serves both as a standalone application and as a framework for developing additional input methods.

### Technical Details
- **Programming Language**: SCIM is primarily written in C++ and other programming languages suitable for Unix-like systems.
- **Version**: The latest stable version is 1.4.18, released on July 31, 2017.
- **License**: GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), allowing free use, modification, and distribution.
- **Aliases**: Commonly referred to as SCIM for simplicity.
- **Repository**: Source code is maintained on GitHub under the username "scim-im".
- **Original Platform**: The project originated on SourceForge as the "scim" project.

### Distribution and Availability
SCIM is available as packages on multiple platforms:
- **FreeBSD**: textproc/scim
- **OpenBSD**: inputmethods/scim
- **Gentoo**: app-i18n/scim
- **Arch Linux**: scim
- **Debian**: scim
- **openSUSE**: scim
- **NetBSD**: inputmethod/scim

### Documentation and Resources
- **Official Website**: http://www.scim-im.org/
- **Wikipedia**: Available in multiple languages including English, French, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
- **Arch Wiki**: Article available at "Smart_Common_Input_Method" with 1,320 views.
- **Commons Category**: SCIM on Wikimedia Commons.

### Development and History
- The project follows a software release life cycle with significant updates.
- Version 1.4.14 was released on June 22, 2013, as part of the project's development timeline.
- The project has been in development since before 2013, with its Freebase ID being /m/05db2t as of October 28, 2013.
- The logo for SCIM is available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Scim_logo.jpg.
- An example of the input method selection interface is available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/SCIM.Input_Method_list.png.

## References

1. [Source](http://sourceforge.net/p/scim/code/HEAD/tree/scim/trunk/COPYING)
2. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20120811034543/http://www.scim-im.org/news/scim_news/a_new_stable_version_has_been_released_the_main_change_is_the_incorporation_of_scim_bridge)
3. [Release 1.4.18. 2017](https://github.com/scim-im/scim/releases/tag/1.4.18)
4. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013