Pinyin Keyboard
There are two ways to write in Pinyin : using the tone number (e.g. Zhong1wen2) or using the virtual keyboard.
Two ways to type tone marks, and when each one is faster
Tone marks are the reason writing pinyin on an ordinary keyboard is awkward. There is no key for a third-tone a, and the character map is slow. Two habits solve it, and this editor supports both.
The first is the tone number, and it is the one experienced typists use: write the syllable, then the number of its tone, and the mark appears in the right place. Zhong1wen2 comes out with its marks in place. It is fast because your hands never leave the keyboard, and it is unambiguous because the number says which tone you meant rather than which vowel carries the mark. That placement rule is not obvious, and the editor applies it for you: on a, e or o when one of them is present, otherwise on the last vowel of the syllable.
The second is the on-screen keyboard, for the occasional syllable, for a device where typing is uncomfortable, or when you know the shape of the mark but not the tone number. It writes the same characters. Text produced either way is ordinary Unicode: it can be pasted into a document, an email or a web page and it will show correctly anywhere a modern font is installed.