{ime-mode} CSS Property | CSS: Presentation Layer
Standards Based Development
ime-mode property sets or retrieves the state of an ime (Input Method Editor); default value is auto where the ime is not affected. In ime-mode:disabled state (in ie), the user cannot activate the ime.
ime-mode property controls the state of the ime for text fields.
ime-mode was introduced by ie 5.5 as a proprietary extension.
Keyword Values
auto Keyword
ime-mode:auto (default value) no change is made to the current input method editor state.
normal Keyword
ime-mode:normal the ime state should be normal; this value can be used in a user style sheet to override the page setup.
Note: ime-mode:normal is not supported by Internet Explorer.
active Keyword
ime-mode:active the ime is initially active; text entry is performed using it unless the user specifically dismisses it.
Note: ime-mode:active is not supported on Linux.
inactive Keyword
ime-mode:inactive the ime is initially inactive, but the user may activate it if they wish.
Note: ime-mode:inactive is not supported on Linux.
disabled Keyword
ime-mode:disabled the ime is disabled and may not be activated by the user.
Cross-Browser Compatibility
ie does not allow ime-mode to apply to password editing fields; Firefox does. Even though Firefox does, this is shitty ux, and password fields should disable the ime. Users may correct the inappropriate behavior of sites that don't follow this recommendation by placing the following styles into their user style sheet:
input[type=password]{
ime-mode:auto !important;
}
Note: it is not appropriate for a public web site to manipulate ime mode setting! Use it for web applications and the like.
Note: Macintosh version of Gecko 1.9 (Firefox 3) cannot recover the previous state of the ime when a field for which it disabled loses focus, so it's not ideal to disable it for Mac users.
Note: do not rely on disabling ime to prevent extended characters from passing through your form. Even with ime disabled, users can still paste extended chracters into your form's fields.