IME composition shows Pinyin in table cells on iOS Safari
OS: iOS 16+ · Device: Mobile (iPhone/iPad) Any · Browser: Safari 16+ · Keyboard: Chinese (IME) - iOS Chinese Input
Open case →Scenario
Chinese Pinyin candidate window in table cells (Safari and cross-browser)
When editing Chinese Pinyin inside a table cell—especially on iOS Safari—the IME candidate window can be clipped, positioned incorrectly, or behave differently than in a plain paragraph. Other browsers (Firefox, Edge, Chrome) also show layout-specific quirks.
ime
Scenario ID
scenario-ime-table-cell-pinyin-safari
Details
When editing Chinese Pinyin inside a table cell—especially on iOS Safari—the IME candidate window can be clipped, positioned incorrectly, or behave differently than in a plain paragraph. Other browsers (Firefox, Edge, Chrome) also show layout-specific quirks.
Problem Overview
IME UI is anchored to the caret rect; table layout, overflow, and nested contenteditable regions change that rect and stacking context, so the candidate list may not appear where users expect.
Observed Behavior
- Candidate window obscured by cell borders or scroll containers.
- Different behavior between cell vs block content outside tables.
Impact
Users cannot see candidates; they commit wrong characters or cancel composition.
Browser Comparison
Safari on iOS is frequently reported; Edge vs Chrome can differ on desktop with complex tables.
Solutions
- Avoid
overflow: hiddenon immediate ancestors of the caret during composition if possible. - Test Pinyin input in
<td contenteditable>with real devices. - Consider lifting the editable surface or using a portal for IME-heavy locales (advanced).
Related Cases
References
- WebKit Bugzilla: search for IME + table / contenteditable
Scenario flow
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Variants
Each row is a concrete case for this scenario, with a dedicated document and playground.
| Case | OS | Device | Browser | Keyboard | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ce-0237-chinese-ime-pinyin-table-ios-safari-en | iOS 16+ | Mobile (iPhone/iPad) Any | Safari 16+ | Chinese (IME) - iOS Chinese Input | draft |
| ce-0238-chinese-ime-pinyin-table-edge-en | Windows 10/11 | Desktop Any | Edge (Chromium-based) 120+ | Chinese (IME) - Windows Chinese Input | confirmed |
| ce-0239-chinese-ime-pinyin-table-firefox-en | macOS 13+ | Desktop (Mac) Any | Firefox 120+ | Chinese (IME) - macOS Chinese Input | confirmed |
Browser compatibility
This matrix shows which browser and OS combinations have documented cases for this scenario. Click on a cell to view the specific case.
| Browser | Windows | iOS | macOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edge (Chromium-based) | — | — | |
| Firefox | — | — | |
| Safari | — | — |
Confirmed
Draft
— No case documented
Cases
Open a case to see the detailed description and its dedicated playground.
IME composition in table cells works correctly in Edge
OS: Windows 10/11 · Device: Desktop Any · Browser: Edge (Chromium-based) 120+ · Keyboard: Chinese (IME) - Windows Chinese Input
Open case →IME composition in table cells works correctly in Firefox
OS: macOS 13+ · Device: Desktop (Mac) Any · Browser: Firefox 120+ · Keyboard: Chinese (IME) - macOS Chinese Input
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