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"?
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.