InputMethodHighlight (Java Platform SE 8 )
Keywords: java.awt.im.InputMethodHighlight class
Date: 2026-04-22

java.awt.im

## Class InputMethodHighlight

- java.lang.Object
- - java.awt.im.InputMethodHighlight

-     public class InputMethodHighlight
      extends Object

  An InputMethodHighlight is used to describe the highlight attributes of text being composed. The description can be at two levels: at the abstract level it specifies the conversion state and whether the text is selected; at the concrete level it specifies style attributes used to render the highlight. An InputMethodHighlight must provide the description at the abstract level; it may or may not provide the description at the concrete level. If no concrete style is provided, a renderer should use `Toolkit.mapInputMethodHighlight(java.awt.im.InputMethodHighlight)` to map to a concrete style.

  The abstract description consists of three fields: `selected`, `state`, and `variation`. `selected` indicates whether the text range is the one that the input method is currently working on, for example, the segment for which conversion candidates are currently shown in a menu. `state` represents the conversion state. State values are defined by the input method framework and should be distinguished in all mappings from abstract to concrete styles. Currently defined state values are raw (unconverted) and converted. These state values are recommended for use before and after the main conversion step of text composition, say, before and after kana->kanji or pinyin->hanzi conversion. The `variation` field allows input methods to express additional information about the conversion results.

  InputMethodHighlight instances are typically used as attribute values returned from AttributedCharacterIterator for the INPUT_METHOD_HIGHLIGHT attribute. They may be wrapped into `Annotation` instances to indicate separate text segments.

  Since:
    1.2
  See Also:
    `AttributedCharacterIterator`

- - ### Field Summary

    Fields
    Modifier and Type | Field and Description
    --- | ---
    `static int` | `CONVERTED_TEXT` Constant for the converted text state.
    `static int` | `RAW_TEXT` Constant for the raw text state.
    `static InputMethodHighlight` | `SELECTED_CONVERTED_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT` Constant for the default highlight for selected converted text.
    `static InputMethodHighlight` | `SELECTED_RAW_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT` Constant for the default highlight for selected raw text.
    `static InputMethodHighlight` | `UNSELECTED_CONVERTED_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT` Constant for the default highlight for unselected converted text.
    `static InputMethodHighlight` | `UNSELECTED_RAW_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT` Constant for the default highlight for unselected raw text.

  - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `InputMethodHighlight(boolean selected, int state)` Constructs an input method highlight record.
    `InputMethodHighlight(boolean selected, int state, int variation)` Constructs an input method highlight record.
    `InputMethodHighlight(boolean selected, int state, int variation, Map<TextAttribute,?> style)` Constructs an input method highlight record.

  - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `int` | `getState()` Returns the conversion state of the text range.
    `Map<TextAttribute,?>` | `getStyle()` Returns the rendering style attributes for the text range, or null.
    `int` | `getVariation()` Returns the variation of the text range.
    `boolean` | `isSelected()` Returns whether the text range is selected.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

      `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- - ### Field Detail

    - #### RAW_TEXT

          public static final int RAW_TEXT

      Constant for the raw text state.
      See Also:
        Constant Field Values

    - #### CONVERTED_TEXT

          public static final int CONVERTED_TEXT

      Constant for the converted text state.
      See Also:
        Constant Field Values

    - #### UNSELECTED_RAW_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT

          public static final InputMethodHighlight UNSELECTED_RAW_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT

      Constant for the default highlight for unselected raw text.

    - #### SELECTED_RAW_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT

          public static final InputMethodHighlight SELECTED_RAW_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT

      Constant for the default highlight for selected raw text.

    - #### UNSELECTED_CONVERTED_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT

          public static final InputMethodHighlight UNSELECTED_CONVERTED_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT

      Constant for the default highlight for unselected converted text.

    - #### SELECTED_CONVERTED_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT

          public static final InputMethodHighlight SELECTED_CONVERTED_TEXT_HIGHLIGHT

      Constant for the default highlight for selected converted text.

  - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### InputMethodHighlight

          public InputMethodHighlight(boolean selected,
                                      int state)

      Constructs an input method highlight record. The variation is set to 0, the style to null.
      Parameters:
        `selected` - Whether the text range is selected
        `state` - The conversion state for the text range - RAW_TEXT or CONVERTED_TEXT
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if a state other than RAW_TEXT or CONVERTED_TEXT is given
      See Also:
        `RAW_TEXT`, `CONVERTED_TEXT`

    - #### InputMethodHighlight

          public InputMethodHighlight(boolean selected,
                                      int state,
                                      int variation)

      Constructs an input method highlight record. The style is set to null.
      Parameters:
        `selected` - Whether the text range is selected
        `state` - The conversion state for the text range - RAW_TEXT or CONVERTED_TEXT
        `variation` - The style variation for the text range
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if a state other than RAW_TEXT or CONVERTED_TEXT is given
      See Also:
        `RAW_TEXT`, `CONVERTED_TEXT`

    - #### InputMethodHighlight

          public InputMethodHighlight(boolean selected,
                                      int state,
                                      int variation,
                                      Map<TextAttribute,?> style)

      Constructs an input method highlight record. The style attributes map provided must be unmodifiable.
      Parameters:
        `selected` - whether the text range is selected
        `state` - the conversion state for the text range - RAW_TEXT or CONVERTED_TEXT
        `variation` - the variation for the text range
        `style` - the rendering style attributes for the text range, or null
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException` - if a state other than RAW_TEXT or CONVERTED_TEXT is given
      Since:
        1.3
      See Also:
        `RAW_TEXT`, `CONVERTED_TEXT`

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### isSelected

          public boolean isSelected()

      Returns whether the text range is selected.

    - #### getState

          public int getState()

      Returns the conversion state of the text range.
      Returns:
        The conversion state for the text range - RAW_TEXT or CONVERTED_TEXT.
      See Also:
        `RAW_TEXT`, `CONVERTED_TEXT`

    - #### getVariation

          public int getVariation()

      Returns the variation of the text range.

    - #### getStyle

          public Map<TextAttribute,?> getStyle()

      Returns the rendering style attributes for the text range, or null.
      Since:
        1.3

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