Abstract: A computer operating system Text Services Manager (TSM) operates as an interface between an application and a selection of text services, enabling the user to efficiently select from among a variety of text services without regard to the specific protocol requirements of the application. The TSM architecture consists of an application program which receives user input through the input event manager of the operating system toolbox routine. The TSM receives the user input event and controls the transmission of the event to a component manager for redirection to a specific text services component, based on the instructions of the TSM. The text services component processes the input method and returns the processed input to the TSM, where the TSM directs the generation of an appropriate protocol for return of the processed input event to the application.

Abstract: A Text Services Manager (TSM) maintains and uses TSM documents to ensure proper communication between applications and their needed input methods. A TSM document comprises information about the input methods and text services used by a particular instance of an application. One TSM document is preferably associated with each working document represented by an application window. Through use of the TSM document, the TSM provides for multiple instances of a particular input method, and the automatic synchronization of the input method to the active window. The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises novel methods that provide this functionality including: methods for opening or closing a TSM aware application, methods for creating and disposing of TSM documents, and methods for activating and deactivating a TSM document.