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Stroke count method

Stroke count method is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Stroke count method rather than just read about it. In short: The Stroke Count Method (Chinese: 笔画; pinyin: bǐ huà), Wubihua method, Stroke input method or Bihua IME (Chinese: 五笔画输入法; pinyin: wǔ bǐhuà shūrù fǎ or Chinese: 筆劃輸入法; pinyin: Bǐhuà shūrù fǎ) (lit. 5-stroke input method) is a relatively simple Chinese input method for writing text on a computer or a mobile phone. It is based on the stroke order of a word, not pronunciation.

Stroke count method — main illustration
Stroke count method — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Stroke count method belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Stroke count method to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Stroke count method from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Stroke Count Method (Chinese: 笔画; pinyin: bǐ huà), Wubihua method, Stroke input method or Bihua IME (Chinese: 五笔画输入法; pinyin: wǔ bǐhuà shūrù fǎ or Chinese: 筆劃輸入法; pinyin: Bǐhuà shūrù fǎ) (lit. 5-stroke input method) is a relatively simple Chinese input method for writing text on a computer or a mobile phone. It is based on the stroke order of a word, not pronunciation. It uses five or six buttons, and is often placed on a numerical keypad. Although it is possible to input Traditional Chinese characters with this method, this method is often associated with Simplified Chinese characters. The Wubihua method should not be confused with the Wubi method. Each of the five keys from 1 to 5 are assigned a certain type of stroke (resembling the Eight Principles of Yong; these five are sometimes called 橫竖撇捺折 (橫豎撇捺折; héng-shù-piē-nà-zhé) with each character of this phrase being a one-syllable description of the respective five strokes:

A horizontal stroke from left to right (一) A vertical stroke from top to bottom (丨) A long diagonal stroke downward from right to left (丿) A very short dash stroke downward from left to right (丶) A horizontal stroke from left to right, ending with a downwards hook to the left (乙) To input any character, the user simply presses the keys corresponding to the strokes of a character then select from a list of matching characters. The list of suggestions to choose from becomes more and more specific as more digits of the code are entered. The system will not recognize a character input with an incorrect stroke order. Some people find this method of entering characters into a mobile phone to be faster than pinyin. In fact, as pinyin is based upon Mandarin Chinese, many Chinese people – particularly in the southern regions of China like Hong Kong and Macau – who speak other varieties of Chinese and never learned pinyin relied solely on this method of entering characters on their phones, until touchscreen-based smartphones allowed the possibility of handwriting recognition. Wubihua is one of the easiest to learn methods because it is simple and does not require knowledge of pronunciation or pinyin. However, it tends to be vague, as a Wubihua code will normally match ten characters, and each character has one correct code, which confuses users whose stroke orders are wrong. Strokes map to Wubihua input generally according to the following table:

See also Wubi method Chinese input methods for computers Stroke (CJK character) Eight principles of yong: how stroke styles are taught to student calligraphers

Notes

References

External links Wubihua For Speakers of English Thesis on chinese language processing and computing – Wubihua

Illustrations

Stroke count method: Keyboard of a Chinese mobile phone, showing roles of the numbers 1–5 in the Wubihua method
Keyboard of a Chinese mobile phone, showing roles of the numbers 1–5 in the Wubihua method
Stroke count method: T9 keypad of a Chinese mobile phone, showing roles of the numbers 1–5 in the Wubihua method
T9 keypad of a Chinese mobile phone, showing roles of the numbers 1–5 in the Wubihua method
Stroke count method: Decomposition of some characters by their basic strokes. Some implementations of this input method assign the keys "h", "s", "p", "n" and z", which are the first letter of the pinyin of the name of the basic stroke they correspond to
Decomposition of some characters by their basic strokes. Some implementations of this input method assign the keys "h", "s", "p", "n" and z", which are the first letter of the pinyin of the name of the basic stroke they correspond to

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Stroke count method

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Stroke count method claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Stroke count method before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Stroke count method ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Stroke count method

In research
Stroke count method appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Stroke count method in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Stroke count method is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics CJK input methods, Input methods, Mobile computer stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Stroke count method outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Stroke count method in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Stroke count method means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Stroke count method out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stroke count method in simple terms?

The Stroke Count Method (Chinese: 笔画; pinyin: bǐ huà), Wubihua method, Stroke input method or Bihua IME (Chinese: 五笔画输入法; pinyin: wǔ bǐhuà shūrù fǎ or Chinese: 筆劃輸入法; pinyin: Bǐhuà shūrù fǎ) (lit. 5-stroke input method) is a relatively simple Chinese input method for writing text on a computer or a…

Why does Stroke count method matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Stroke count method?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Stroke count method.

Tags

  • CJK input methods
  • Input methods
  • Mobile computer stubs
  • Writing system stubs

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