A text entry interface is an interface that is used to put text information into an electronic device. For example, the QWERTY

QWERTY

QWERTY is the most common modern-day keyboard layout. The name comes from the first six letters appearing in the topleft letter row of the keyboard, read left to right: Q-W-E-R-T-Y. The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter and sold to Remington in the...

 keyboard layout.

Background

With the increasing popularity of mobile electronic information management, there have been a growing number of text entry interfaces produced. We use them primarily to communicate and record information and data.

Computer keyboard text entry

Computers and other typing devices offer many different keyboard

Keyboard (computing)

In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...

 layouts for inputting data in different languages. The standard English keyboard layout is known as QWERTY. The keyboard is laid out with many keys, which can be individually pressed

ITU-T text entry (phone keyboard)

With the popularity of text messaging

Text messaging

Text messaging, or texting, refers to the exchange of brief written text messages between fixed-line phone or mobile phone and fixed or portable devices over a network...

, text entry with mobile phones has become very popular. A key is pressed multiple times to select one of the available letters for that key. This is frequently used in conjunction with predictive text

Predictive text

Predictive text is an input technology used where one key or button represents many letters, such as on mobile phones and in accessibility technologies. Each key press results in a prediction rather than repeatedly sequencing through the same group of "letters" it represents, in the same,...

 entry.

Virtual keyboards

Virtual keyboards are similar to computer keyboards, though they have no physical buttons. These may be implemented on systems using a screen or projected onto a surface. The individual letters may be selected by touching them as on a touch screen or surface, or by clicking them like a virtual computer keyboard. Multi-touch screens can even support virtual chorded keyboards

Chorded keyboard

A keyset or chorded keyboard is a computer input device that allows the user to enter characters or commands formed by pressing several keys together, like playing a "chord" on a piano...

.

Voice recognition

Many electronic systems and software can now recognise human voice, the voice can then be translated into text by speech recognition

Speech recognition

Speech recognition converts spoken words to text. The term "voice recognition" is sometimes used to refer to recognition systems that must be trained to a particular speaker—as is the case for most desktop recognition software...

Individual letter selection

This is commonly used on electronic systems where text entry is not important. such examples include television channel naming and text entry in video game systems such as the Sony PSP. usually arrows or similar are used to highlight a letter or number, then an enter key used to select the letter.