Re: tlug: Re: Japanese input

["Matthew J. Francis" <asbel@example.com>]

On 16-Jun-98 Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:
> >>>>> "Matt" == Matthew J Francis <asbel@example.com> writes:
>
>      Matt> One very real problem, however, could be the combination of
>      Matt> programs that have been designed with horizontal Entry
>      Matt> widgets with languages that are only written vertically.
>  
>  Good point.  Let's remember this one.

Fortunately, the vast majority of scripts are legible horizontally.
(what, if any, are the relevant exceptions?)


>      Matt> These points are good - but we are skipping, I think, a
>      Matt> little too far ahead of implementation. Once there is code,
>      Matt> it will stand criticism of its generality and
>      Matt> future-proofness.
>  
>  Then you and I disagree about the state of the art and the size of the
>  problem.  You're much more optimistic than I am.


Not necessarily, but at least willing to take a stab at it and be proved
wrong. I merely believe that (borrowing the words of Fred Brooks) there
is more of accident than of essence in the current problems of code i18n.
That is not to say that there aren't essential problems, only that they
are outweighed by the 'accidentally difficult'.

"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it
frankly and try another. But above all, try something."
 (Quote from F.D.Roosevelt, title page of TMMM 20th AE ch. 11)


>      Matt> Are there good Free fonts for Arabic and Devanagari?
>  
>  Free fonts exist in the Mule distribution; good redistributable ones,
>  maybe, in the redistributable Unicode fonts.  (Bitstream has
>  contributed one maybe?)

Looking at the docs for Bitstream Cyberbit (which is free but not Free),
it seems to support Arabic but not Devanagari. Perhaps one of their
non-free fonts does, I haven't looked.

  One interesting thing I did notice in the Cyberbit notes is that a
table is included inside the font, to help sort out the mess of
Arabic initial/medial/final glyph differences. Useful.


>  OK, you're ready to start coding, and I'm ready to start criticizing.
>  Let's go!

Right. Unicode library, here I come...


Cheers,
-Matt.

"The results of this intrusion into your life will be used 'responsibly'
in ways you cannot even begin to imagine. Of course, the innocent have
nothing to fear from the rapidly expanding data industry."
 - Radiohead, Airbag/How Am I Driving?

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