[Android General] nugroho2:
Taking Advantage of Google Keyboard – The Best Keyboard for Sliding

With secondary language dictionary, INDONESIAN: for Rooted Phones

There are two types of people; those who prefer typing, and those who like sliding/gesturing on the keyboard. Quite probably those type 1 persons are not aware of the advantage of sliding, or they do not have the facility to turn their keyboards into something very easy and smooth, particularly those who opt for foreign language dictionary.

I will share mine, an Indonesian dictionary, with words carefully chosen; the result of my years of work. I have gained a lot from XDA and other forums; now is my turn to give back. As this is for Indonesians, I will provide a Indonesian translation below.

It is clear that Google Keyboard for Android 4 has most advantage over other keyboards for those who choose sliding. This advantage can be further boosted by providing a double dictionary (point #1 above table) that I will give to you. Point #5 can be overcome by using the wonderful Shaftamle’s keyboard (see below) that he modified from Google Keyboard so as to be able to be installed as normal application. So, of all the 7 points I describe above, only #6, arrows, that is missing from the keyboard. Shame to Google engineers who does not seem to notice the importance of arrows in keyboards. Also for (1) making unacceptable changes in Lollipop keyboard that causes it not to recognize previous version’s personal dictionary, and (2) eliminating one of the most important features, that is point #4.

What do I mean by “Show expansion in ONE stroke” in point #4? It mean, I slide over the keyboard, and suddenly the expanded word or sentence is shown in the text. I do not have to choose it again from the list above the keyboard as the case in Lollipop keyboard (in Redmi Note 2) or SlideIt. This saves hundreds of typing (or choosing) each day. What if one gets the wrong sentence? With one back-space, the whole sentence will be deleted. Easy…

Principles:

The Google personal dictionary is kept under User Dictionary application and not LatinIME.apk or Google keyboard.apk

The file name of the user dictionary is userdict.db.

This is a SQL database that can be opened by most SQL database editors. It can be send to PC, and easily modified there.

Installation Requirements:

You must be rooted.

You must be on Android 4.0 or higher. Further requirements can be read from Shaftamle page (Read here http://xdaforums.com/android/apps-games/lollipop-keyboard-phones-root-t2910268)

Download Shaftamle Lollipop+123+keyboard.apk (Version 1.1) (https://www.androidfilehost.com/?fid=95855108297850885). You can choose other themes if you wish.

Download SQL Debugger from Google Play

Download userdict.db from here (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByRj7PCj9eX8LTlaeUwwSVNubUE).

If you intent to make extensive modification to the user dictionary, download SQLite editor to the PC; most easily, use Portable Apps (http://portableapps.com/apps/development/sqlite_database_browser_portable). If not, don’t download.

For learning shortcuts, the file can be downloaded here (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0ByRj7PCj9eX8aE94V2hrSjBmbTQ).

Installation

Install Shaftamle keyboard.apk normally

Put the userdict.db in Sdcard and remember its location (e.g. I choose sdcard1)

Install SQL Debugger on phone

Open SQL Debugger --> App --> User Dictionary --> userdict.db. This will be displayed. Click that.

(Remember, the old userdict.db will be erased and overwritten! Backup with Titanium if you will.)

Choose “Restore from File”.

Browse and find the downloaded userdict.db. Click, and …

Done… You have a Google keyboard with 123 number row above plus double language dictionary.

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Also read: Typing, Sliding, Shortcut in Google Keyboard

How to modify the personal dictionary:

The simplest: modify straight from Google keyboard settings in your phone: See here

Use the SQLite Debugger application in phone: see here

Use portable SQLite Database Browser in PC: see here

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How to modify shortcuts:

Any word or letter combination can be used as shortcut, for instance for “President Obama” you can use “ APQKH” for the shortcut, but will you remember that?

Use shortcuts that you quite probably will remember (certainly you can not remember ALL of them).

“PRESO” might work, but may be complicated by other similar shortcuts. I guess “PRESOB” would be better. Just try and try until you can find a shortcut that work most of the time.

Choose neighboring letters if you can, or letters that are in line with the finger stroke

If a shortcut fail you 50% of the time, you may want to change that shortcut. 80% success rate should be the target (i.e. the gesture fails only one in five attempts).

Big thanks to @Shaftamle !!! without his work, this will not work in Lollipop