Windows Installation

Windows support for Gõ Nhanh (Coming Soon)

Windows support is currently in development. This page describes planned features and architecture for developers interested in contributing.

Gõ Nhanh for Windows will provide a native Vietnamese input method using modern Windows APIs.

Current Status

Coming Soon — Active development in progress.

Follow development on GitHub or check Releases for updates.

Planned Features

The Windows version will include:

• Vietnamese input using Telex and VNI methods
• Custom abbreviations
• Exception list for applications
• System tray menu with quick settings
• Auto-start with Windows
• Per-application input mode memory
• Dark/Light theme support
• Portable installation option

System Requirements

Planned requirements for the Windows version:

• Windows 10 (1809+) or Windows 11
• .NET 8.0 Runtime (included in installer)
• 64-bit processor

Input Methods

Telex Mode

Type	Result
as, af, ar, ax, aj	á, à, ả, ã, ạ
aa, aw, ee, oo	â, ă, ê, ô
ow, uw, dd	ơ, ư, đ

Example: Type tiengw vieetj → tiếng việt

VNI Mode

Type	Result
a1, a2, a3, a4, a5	á, à, ả, ã, ạ
a6, a8, o6, e6	â, ă, ô, ê
o7, u7, d9	ơ, ư, đ

Example: Type tie61ng vie65t → tiếng việt

Architecture Overview

For developers interested in the technical implementation:

Technology Stack

• Frontend: WPF (.NET 8.0) for modern Windows UI
• Backend: Rust core library (same engine as macOS/Linux)
• Keyboard Hook: Win32 Low-Level Keyboard Hook API
• Text Insertion: SendInput API with Unicode support
• Settings: Windows Registry

Project Structure

platforms/windows/
├── GoNhanh/
│   ├── GoNhanh.csproj      # WPF project
│   ├── App.xaml            # Application entry point
│   ├── Core/
│   │   ├── RustBridge.cs   # FFI to Rust core
│   │   ├── KeyboardHook.cs # Low-level hook
│   │   └── TextSender.cs   # SendInput wrapper
│   ├── Views/
│   │   ├── TrayIcon.cs     # System tray
│   │   ├── SettingsWindow  # Settings UI
│   │   └── AboutWindow     # About dialog
│   └── Native/
│       └── gonhanh_core.dll # Rust library
└── README.md

Keyboard Hook Implementation

Uses SetWindowsHookEx with WH_KEYBOARD_LL for system-wide keyboard interception:

// Low-level keyboard hook (similar to CGEventTap on macOS)
SetWindowsHookEx(WH_KEYBOARD_LL, KeyboardProc, hInstance, 0);

Text Insertion Method

Uses SendInput API with KEYEVENTF_UNICODE flag:

// Unicode character insertion for Vietnamese diacritics
SendInput(inputs.Length, inputs, Marshal.SizeOf<INPUT>());

Building from Source

Developers can build the Windows version from source:

1. Install prerequisites

   Required software:

   • Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
   • Visual Studio 2022 with C++ and .NET workloads
   • Rust toolchain with MSVC target
   • .NET 8.0 SDK

   Install Rust:

   # Download from https://rustup.rs
   rustup target add x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
   

   Install .NET 8.0 SDK from dotnet.microsoft.com

2. Clone repository

   git clone https://github.com/khaphanspace/gonhanh.org.git
   cd gonhanh.org
   
3. Run setup script

   powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/setup/windows.ps1
   
4. Build Rust core

   powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/build/core-windows.ps1
   
5. Build WPF application

   Using command line:

   cd platforms/windows/GoNhanh
   dotnet build -c Release
   

   Or open platforms/windows/GoNhanh/GoNhanh.csproj in Visual Studio 2022.

Known Considerations

Antivirus False Positives

Low-level keyboard hooks may trigger antivirus warnings. Solutions:

• Code signing with a valid certificate
• Submit to Microsoft for SmartScreen reputation
• Add to antivirus exclusions during development

UAC and Admin Rights

The application should work without admin rights for most applications. However:

• Some elevated applications may not receive keyboard input
• This is a Windows security limitation

UWP App Compatibility

Some Windows Store apps may block low-level keyboard hooks due to app container isolation.

Settings Storage

Settings are stored in Windows Registry:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\GoNhanh

Auto-start configuration:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Contributing

Interested in helping develop the Windows version?

1. Check existing issues

   Visit GitHub Issues for open tasks

2. Read development docs

   See platforms/windows/README.md for detailed architecture

3. Join discussions

   Participate in GitHub Discussions

Stay Updated

Get notified when Windows support launches:

• Watch the GitHub repository
• Check Releases page
• Follow the project README

License

Gõ Nhanh for Windows will be licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later.

The core Vietnamese input engine is shared across all platforms (macOS, Linux, Windows) and is licensed under BSD-3-Clause.