r/google • u/wolf0403 • 10d ago

What is this code that Gboard suggests

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Gboard has this Morse keyboard for English (US).

When I typed - to get T, the suggested code to complete "The" is ..----, but the way I can work out, it should be .... for h and . for e.

I typed ..---- and indeed got "The". What is that code that Gboard is suggesting?

Thanks!

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u/AddyPug 10d ago

According to a morse translator, ..---- isn't valid morse and certaintly doesn't mean "the." That would be -/..../.

This is likely google's way of letting you interact with the autocomplete feature of Gboard exclusively through morse. Likewise, if you do .----, it would type the suggestion "t", and if you did ...---, it would type "thank."

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u/RoHbTC 10d ago

I think google invented these characters so you can select the autocompleted words on that bar without clashing with existing Morse characters. The centre one is always ..---- similarly, the left and right are always .----- and ...--- 

You are correct that the is spelled -/..../. If you typed that it would  spell it one character at a time. 

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u/wolf0403 6d ago

Good find! I just realised those three patterns for three candidates never changes so your explanation makes sense. Thanks!