1. A computer system for transliterating a first text string containing characters from a first language into a second text string containing characters from a second language as it is input to the computer, the system comprising; (a) a storage; (b) means for creating a plurality of transliterator objects, each of the plurality of transliterator objects having a plurality of transliteration rules arranged in the storage in a preferred order, each of the plurality of transliteration rules having a first language character string and a second language character string, the transliterator object further having an object method for comparing the first language character string in each of the transliteration rules to the first text string to determine a subset of transliteration rules which exhibit a match; (c) a display for displaying text as it is entered into a computer; (d) means responsive to the first text string for selecting one of the plurality of transliterator objects; (e) means responsive to the first language characters in the first text string for calling the object method in the selected transliterator object; and (f) means responsive to the preferred order for selecting one of the subset of transliteration rules to the first text string and displaying the second language character string of the selected transliteration rule on the display; wherein each of the plurality of transliterator objects comprises a method for displaying a transliterator icon representing the transliterator object on the display and the means for selecting one of the plurality of transliterator objects comprises means responsive to a selection of a displayed transliterator icon for selecting a corresponding transliterator object.
1. A computer system for transliterating a first text string containing characters from a first language into a second text string containing characters from a second language as it is input to the computer, the system comprising; (a) a storage; (b) means for creating a plurality of transliterator objects, each of the plurality of transliterator objects having a plurality of transliteration rules arranged in the storage in a preferred order, each of the plurality of transliteration rules having a first language character string and a second language character string, the transliterator object further having an object method for comparing the first language character string in each of the transliteration rules to the first text string to determine a subset of transliteration rules which exhibit a match; (c) a display for displaying text as it is entered into a computer; (d) means responsive to the first text string for selecting one of the plurality of transliterator objects; (e) means responsive to the first language characters in the first text string for calling the object method in the selected transliterator object; and (f) means responsive to the preferred order for selecting one of the subset of transliteration rules to the first text string and displaying the second language character string of the selected transliteration rule on the display; wherein each of the plurality of transliterator objects comprises a method for displaying a transliterator icon representing the transliterator object on the display and the means for selecting one of the plurality of transliterator objects comprises means responsive to a selection of a displayed transliterator icon for selecting a corresponding transliterator object. 3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first text string is contained in a document represented by a document icon and the means for selecting the transliterator object comprises means for selecting a transliterator object by moving one of the transliterator icons and the document icon into a display area.