Chinese layer

Table of ContentsClose

1. Description
- 1.1. Features:
2. Install
- 2.1. Layer
- 2.2. Configuration
3. Key bindings
- 3.1. Youdao Dictionary
- 3.2. Find-by-pinyin-dired
4. Additional Notes

1. Description

This layer adds support for traditional Chinese script to Spacemacs.

1.1. Features:

Support for the Pinyin (拼音) input method via chinese-pyim.
Support for the Wubi (五笔) input method via chinese-wbim.
Integration of the native input method framework fcitx via cute-jumper/fcitx.el.
Integration of the Youdao (有道) Dictionary via youdao-dictionary.
Support for file searches in dired using Chinese Pinyin characters via find-by-pinyin-dired.
Support for jumping to Chinese Pinyin characters with ace-jump-mode via ace-pinyin.
Support for conversion between simplified and traditional Chinese texts via chinese-conv.
Automatic visual separation of Chinese and Latin characters via coldnew/pangu-spacing.
Automatic joining of consecutive Chinese lines into a single long line without unwanted space when exporting org-mode to html.

2. Install

2.1. Layer

To use this configuration layer, add it to your ~/.spacemacs. You will need to add chinese to the existing dotspacemacs-configuration-layers list in this file.

2.2. Configuration

2.2.1. Configure the Default Input Method (配置默认中文输入法)

The default Chinese input method is Chinese-pyim, if you are a Wubi (五笔) user, you could set the variable chinese-default-input-method to wubi:

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '(
  (chinese :variables chinese-default-input-method 'wubi)))

2.2.2. Configure the `Chinese-pyim` Input Method (配置中文拼音输入法)

The first time you use Chinese-pyim, you need to install the lexicon (词库) file. Call pyim-dicts-manager to open up the settings buffer and press i e to install the default lexicon. The lexicon is about 20MB, so you should be patient when downloading starts. After the lexicon file is downloaded, just press s to save and R to restart configuration.

2.2.3. Configure `chinese-conv` (配置简繁转换)

The chinese-conv package requires either opencc or cconv installed.

By default, opencc will be used as the backend, set

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '((chinese :variables
                                                           chinese-conv-backend "cconv")))

to use cconv as the backend.

There is no default key binding for the conversions. Run

M-x chinese-conv

to replace arbitrary input, or

M-x chinese-conv-replace

to replace the current selection in-place.

2.2.4. Enable fcitx

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '((chinese :variables
                                                           chinese-enable-fcitx t)))

If you don't need to type Chinese in minibuffer, you can temporarily disable fcitx in the minibuffer with the following configuration.

Enable Fcitx5

If you want to use fcitx5 instead of fcitx4, enable the variable chinese-use-fcitx5:

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers
              '((chinese :variables
                         chinese-use-fcitx5 t
                         chinese-enable-fcitx t)))

(fcitx-aggressive-setup)

Requirement
1. Linux
  You need to install fcitx on your machine.
  
  It's recommended to use the dbus interface to speed up fcitx a little:
```
(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '((chinese :variables
                                                           chinese-enable-fcitx t
                                                           chinese-fcitx-use-dbus t)))
```
  But notice that this may lead to command lag.
2. macOS
  We don't have a fcitx in macOS yet but we already added an emulation called fcitx-remote to make you happy with other Chinese input-methods.
  
  You can install fcitx-remote-for-osx from homebrew.
```
brew install fcitx-remote-for-osx --with-input-method=baidu-pinyin
```
  --with-input-method=baidu-pinyin means install for Baidu-pinyin Input Method.
  
  You can use brew info fcitx-remote-for-osx to get more options info for input method support.
```
--with-input-method=
  Select input method: baidu-pinyin(default), baidu-wubi, sogou-pinyin, qq-wubi, squirrel-rime, osx-pinyin
```
3. Windows
  
  In order to use fcitx.el in Windows, you should install fcitx-remote-for-windows.

2.2.5. Enable YouDao (有道) Dictionary (激活有道字典)

The YouDao Dictionary is disabled by default, if you want enable it. You should set chinese-enable-youdao-dict to t.

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '((chinese :variables
                                                           chinese-enable-youdao-dict t)))

2.2.6. Set monospaced font size (设置等宽字体)

If you are mixing Chinese script with Latin script, the text is not perfectly aligned in org table. That's because normally the Chinese font size is not equal to the Latin font size. You could call spacemacs//set-monospaced-font with your own Chinese font name in dotspacemacs/user-config function.

Example configuration:

;; Note: The Hiragino Sans GB is bundled with macOS.
;; If you are not using macOS, you should change it to another Chinese font name.
(spacemacs//set-monospaced-font   "Source Code Pro" "Hiragino Sans GB" 14 16)

2.2.7. Enable/Disable ace-pinyin in `avy-goto-char`

You can use avy-goto-char with pinyin supported by default, if you want to disable it. You can set chinese-enable-avy-pinyin to nil.

(setq-default dotspacemacs-configuration-layers '((chinese :variables
                                                           chinese-enable-avy-pinyin nil)))

3. Key bindings

Currently, there are no built-in key bindings for this layer. You could define your own preference.

Here are a few suggested key bindings (remember that SPC o is reserved for personal usage, spacemacs won´t put any binding under this prefix):

3.1. Youdao Dictionary

Bind SPC o y to youdao-dictionary-search-at-point+.

3.2. Find-by-pinyin-dired

Bind SPC o d to find-by-pinyin-dired

4. Additional Notes

If default ELPA repositories are slow in your network repository, you may try to use mirror sites. Add the following in dotspacemacs-user-config

(setq configuration-layer-elpa-archives
      '(("melpa-cn" . "http://mirrors.bfsu.edu.cn/elpa/melpa/")
        ("org-cn" . "http://mirrors.bfsu.edu.cn/elpa/org/")
        ("gnu-cn" . "http://mirrors.bfsu.edu.cn/elpa/gnu/")
        ("non-gnu" . "https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/")))

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