What is Text Entry

Support for the Semitic language on mobile devices, while not yet universal, is becoming more ubiquitous. Many items and data contents written in Arabic or Hebrew, for example, can be seen on a whole range of mobile devices. It is not uncommon, however, to encounter difficulties in entering and displaying Semitic text; as experienced mobile/computer users know, there is in fact a variety of different Semitic input methods and character encoding schemes. The challenge involved in constructing a text entry system for Semitic scripts is amplified by the fact that existing resources are inadequate. This chapter attempts to review the current state of affairs regarding text entry for Semitic scripts on mobile devices in order to provide a stepping ground for further investigation in this area.