In-Game: Add support for desktop platforms to block the use of an IME during gameplay

[offalynne]

Description

Windows IME bugs out Runner

Expected Change

Windows IME should be selectively disabled for the Runner application

Steps To Reproduce

1. Install support for any language that using Input Method Editor eg. CJK
2. Enable IME from taskbar or hotkey eg. Ctrl+CapsLock
3. Run GM, observe that keyboard input is broken and any key press pops the IME open in the corner of the screen

How reliably can you recreate this issue using your steps above?

Always

Which version of GameMaker are you reporting this issue for?

2024.2.0 (Monthly)

Which platform(s) are you seeing the problem on?

Windows

Contact Us Package Attached?

• I have attached my Contact Us Package

Sample Project Added?

• I have included a small sample project

[adam-coster]

@shichen85 if you want to share anything about your solution this would be the place!

[adam-coster]

Note that GameMaker receives VK Code 229 when the user tries to input with an IME (at least for Chinese), so in the absence of disabling the IME automatically you can at least detect that it is being used and tell the player to disable it.

[rwkay]

Do you have any documentation links on how to disable the IME?

[shichen85]

@rwkay You can use this win32 API: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/api/imm/nf-imm-immassociatecontext
Examples can be seen here: https://ftp.zx.net.nz/pub/Patches/ftp.microsoft.com/MISC/KB/en-us/171/154.HTM

[adam-coster]

Note that the ideal GameMaker behavior for this would be to have functions to enable/disable IME, and check to see if it is active. It should probably default to disabled.

That way we can disable it for regular game inputs but re-enable it when we want the user to actually be able to input text.

[yoyo-danielc]

This is fixed on the 2024.06 branch.

The key code 229 (VK_PROCESSKEY) doesn't get translated into GM now, and it is possible to disable IMEs by calling keyboard_virtual_hide() (and keyboard_virtual_show() to re-enable them).

[adam-coster]

@yoyo-danielc Some follow-ups to the new feature:

• Is there a function or readonly variable for checking if IME is currently active?
• What happens if I call keyboard_virtual_show() if it's already active? And the same for hide? (I'm hoping it just doesn't do anything, rather than, say, throwing.)

[yoyo-danielc]

@adam-coster

• keyboard_virtual_status()
• Yep, no-op

Also FYI, the status reported by keyboard_virtual_status() is whether or not IMEs are allowed, not whether the user specifically has one activated at this moment.

[alicemoretti]

Can we get a sample project to verify this please?

[alicemoretti]

Verified fixed on IDE v2024.6.1.160 Runtime v2024.6.1.208.
Thank you.