The advent of the computer has proved to be a major breakthrough in the development of 20th century science and technology. It has found wide applications in all kinds of institutions, schools and businesses, particularly in the field of data processing, where it has greatly improved working efficiency. Academic, industrial and business circles in the Republic of China have not fallen behind in conducting research and development of computer science.

To meet local demand, the National Science Council has encouraged leading academies, government departments and private businesses in Taiwan to undertake research work into Chinese language computer systems.

As a result of these efforts, there has been rapid development in Chinese character input/output systems. While output can be printed in the form of dot matrix character patterns by static or wire impact printers, input is more complicated. Since there are tens of thousands of Chinese characters, whose structure is complex and diversified, two types of input device are necessary. The first method involves selecting thousands of Chinese characters which are most frequently used and making each one of them an input unit. The second method is to build up a character using one of three systems: a combination of the radicals under the four-and three-digit index system of Chinese characters; using phonetics such as national symbols or romanization; and a combination of these two. After breaking down each character into its constituent units－radicals, components, digits and phonetic symbols－it takes only a few months or even weeks to train an operator.

At present, Taiwan is able to make the Chinese keyboard, and CRT (cathode ray tube) character display and printer. The Industrial Technology Research Institute in the Hsinchu Science Industrial Park in northern Taiwan recently started to manufacture the most important computer components, integrated circuits (ICs), so that each element in a system is stored in a wafer less than half a centimeter long.

Computer science is being increasingly applied to daily life in Taiwan. Since it was introduced to the telephone directory system provided by the Telecommunications administration, for instance, an operator can look up a number in five seconds instead of 17 seconds as previously.

The police administration can also store files and information on criminals in a computer to modernize their operations. This not only helps them to identify a criminal correctly, but also serves to protect human rights by ensuring that innocent people are not victimized. Bills sent out by the Taiwan Power Co., Taipei Waterworks and Taiwan Telecommunications Administration are also printed by computer. Since there are about 1.7 million telephone subscribers alone in Taiwan, it would take a huge volume of manpower to do the work without computers.

Other operations done largely by computer are the compiling and publication of college and university entrance examination results, trade mark organization of the National Bureau of Standards, salary payments at the National Taiwan University Hospital, registration at the National Tsinghua University, licensing at the Taiwan Highway Bureau, taxation arrangements of the National Tax Administration, and the business operations of the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. Large private enterprises, such as Tatung Co., use computers to process information on personnel sales and buying.

The Chinese computer System is also of great help to cultural bodies. The National Chiaotung University, for instance, has established a program to print out Chinese books, magazines and newspapers.

Many research institutions in the Republic of China are now making efforts to produce a Chinese language electronic typewriter which uses the computer input/ output system. As industry and commerce develop quickly in the Republic of China, the Chinese computer system is expected to contribute a great deal to reducing the need for manpower and improving efficiency.

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Bills sent out by the Taiwan Power Co., Taipei Waterworks and Taiwan Telecommunications Administration are printed by computer, which greatly improves working efficiency.

With the introduction of Chinese language computers to the telephone directory system provided by the Telecommunications administration, it takes one third of the previous time for an operator to look up a number.

With the introduction of Chinese language computers to the telephone directory system provided by the Telecommunications administration, it takes one third of the previous time for an operator to look up a number.