Subject: Arabic keycaps
From soc.culture.arabic
From: axast2+@pitt.edu (A. Aziz)
[1] Re: Need an
Arabic Keyboard
Date: Mon Apr 10 23:57:18 PDT 1995
You may also buy a set of IBM keycaps instead of buy a whole keyboard. In the USA there is a company called DataCalc has keycaps and stickers (a very good one)
Aziz
Subject: Ascii encoding of Arabic
>I'd like to make a program to email mixed Arabic/Ascii text. The text of the messages would be sent in printable ascii through a normal 7-bit email, no MIME and niceties, then saved to an ASCII file, and then be taken by my program, which would be an editor than could display the arabic parts of the message in arabic script, edit it, and save it again in printable ascii. The ASCII coding for Arabic should be somewhat readable, just in case the program is not at hand in a given moment.
I'd like to suggest that you use the 7-bit ASMO 449 code page. The characters are in the same positions as they are in the 8-bit ASMO 708 code page, so conversion would be easy. Sakhr includes the ASMO 449 code page, so if you have that program you can try it out for e-mail. One of the problems, of course, will be separating the Latin from the Arabic. Sakhr does this with a hot key, but because of this you cannot read Latin and Arabic at the same time. Another advantage of ASMO 449 is that it can be read into an ArabTeX file and scanned. Unlike ArabTeX transliteration, however, it would not be legible without Arabic screen fonts loaded.
Nicholas Heer
Nicholas Heer <heer@u.washington.edu>
Subject: for Gerdsooz/dispiscii users and other interested parties...
From: anoosh@simorgh.gpg.com (Anoosh Hosseini)
Newsgroups:
soc.culture.iranian
Date: 17 Apr 1995 02:12:03 GMT
Doostan aziz
if you are a Gerdsooz or dispsicii user, you will be interested in the source release of gsz2isi, a Gerdsooz to ISIRI-3342 encoding converter, and what it can do for you.
So what will gsz2isi do?
* tosicii/dispscii can be replaced with gsz2isi/PMosaic as your Gerdsooz viewer, a much more powerful tool.
* You can create multi-media hypertext Persian/English documents employing Gerdsooz to create the Persian portions!
OK if you understood all that, and just need the location of the source here it is, (anonymous ftp)
ftp://gpg.com/pub/util/gsz2isi.l
Instructions on how to compile are at the top of the file. You can read more about PMosaic by using Netscape and point to
http://gpg.com/pmosaic/docs/help-about.html
Information on how to use Gerdsooz to create Persian hypertext
http://gpg.com/pmosaic/docs/pmosaic-docs.html
---------------------------
So what is all the fuss about? PMosaic? Why are we doing all this? Because language is a big part of any culture. What would our great poetry be if expressed in a different language? Will it have the same symbolism, create the same feelings or emotions? We would like to apply technology to help preserve and promote our language, Persian. On this quest we have produced PMosiac, the localized version of NCSA Mosaic, capable of displaying mutli-media hypertext documents in our language. If you have used Mosaic or Netscape you know the power of the World Wide Web technology. Anything you see in English can be in Persian by using PMosaic.
On the WWW server gpg.com we have been promoting the use of Persian hypertext with articles, reports, online books, and poetry. Also on tehran.stanford.edu, you will find "fAleh-hAfez" returning PMosaic compatible text, and of course Farhad has been kind to place the PMosaic binaries on the ftp server there.
Any one of you can develop Persian HTML and distribute it on the net. PMosaic and gsz2isi are available free of charge. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination. I hope you will step up to the challenge and responsibility to preserve and promote our language and culture.
Anoosh Hosseini
Simorgh Software/Global Publishing Group
anoosh@gpg.com
Subject: ICEMCO 5 (fwd)
From: Thomas Milo <76414.727@compuserve.com>
ICEMCO 96 is from 11-13 April 1996 in Cambridge, UK. Themes will be:
1. The central theme - Super-Highways and Mult-Lingual computing a. politics, the new world order and information; security and welfare of nations, unrestricted flow of information and democracy b. international networks: the relationship bewteen owners and users c. 2000 and beyond: mono-lingualism or multi-lingual computing?
(papers welcome on the following, computer-based...)
2. Editing Arabic
manuscripts
3. multi-lingual data bases
4. multi-lingual maps
5.
lexicography and machine translation
6 teaching of languages
a. Arabic or
othe ME languages
b. Other languages to Arab students
7. notation of
oriental music
8. archaeology and Islamic architecture
9. multi-lingual
computers and the handicapped 10. in hard-ware and software industry in the
Arab world. a. status in each country (past, present, future) b. relations
between consumer, trade and industry, possibilty of a consumer charter
c.
protecting creativity in the Arab world d. developing affordable soft- and
hardware for the Arab markets e. mail marketing in the Arab world
11. Other
Semitic languages
12. Persian, Urdu, Turkish (Osmanli)
13. multi-lingual
e-mail
14. user groups in the Arab world
15. international networks vs.
multi-lingual computing and ME issues
16. open forum.
One day Hardware and software exhibition. Postgraduate students and people invilved in projects /studies are welcom to present their work in A1 sized poster form.
For more information contact the convenor, Dr Ahmad Ubaidli at AU100@cam.ac.uk
That's all for the moment
Tom Milo
DecoType
+31-20-6625172
+31-20-6642363
Kind regards,
Tom
Subject: Multilingual PC Directory on WWW
I am pleased to announce new availability of The Multilingual PC Directory, the source guide to multilingual and foreign language software for IBM PCs and compatibles.
1. The full text is now on the World Wide Web at the site:
http://www.knowledge.co.uk/xxx/
2. It's also in Windows Help File format at the site:
ftp://vespucci.iquest.com/tatro-enterprises/insoft-l.arc/classifieds/ babel.zip: 1K description. mpcdir.zip: 625K full-text WinHelp format.
3. A 256-page book is also available.
You'll find a 1200 word description at these sites, or on request from me at 72240.3447@compuserve.com
-Ian Tresman, Publisher
Subject: naskh font review
"The DecoType Professional Font Series
for MicroSoft Windows: DTP Naskh"
A Review by Paul Roochnik
A number of Arabic font packages are available on the market today, and many of them can produce at- tractive results on the screen and on the page. None of them, however, has satisfied me as much as DTP Naskh. DecoType has gone to great lengths to bring us Arabic fonts that represent the true naskh not just beautifully, but accurately as well.
DecoType had to delve deeply into the study of the handwriting and typography of the old Uthmanli texts, in order to master every single ligature, every possible sequence of Arabic letters, and every variant thereof. By the way, the designer chose the calligraphy of the school of Mustafa Izzet Efendi, "Sheikh ul-Khattateen" as his model. The result is a masterpiece.
The DTP package includes 2 base fonts and 5 supplementary fonts. These latter 5 include ligature variants, exten- sions, swashes, kashidas, and Arabic / Islamic phrases, such as BismilLahi 'r-Rahmani 'r-Rahim. Each font has 3 spacing variations (normal, condensed, and expanded) and 3 voweling variations. All together there are 31 font files. In this way Arabic functionality is introduced to Windows: calligraphic style control, word space control, harakaat control and kashidah control. Hopefully, future arabic software will incorporate these concepts as extra controls, but at least you don't have to wait for them. The fonts are well organized, and the principles and possibilities are explained in a booklet that comes with the fonts.
Due to the 7-bit limitation of email on the internet, I cannot offer a sample of the Arabic that you can produce with DTP Naskh. And this is a shame, since words just will not suffice to describe the results. But do not take my word for it. See for yourself.
(A calligraphic poster showing what you can do with the font pack is available from DecoType. Just drop them line and they will mail a copy in case you missed the one that's included as a folder in Arabic Word for Windows.)
DTP Naskh might be available from dealers, but I ordered mine directly from DecoType:
P.O. Box 55518, Amsterdam, 1007 NA, The Netherlands;
fax: 31-20-664-2363. E-mail 76414,727@compuserve.com.
Try it and let me know how you like it... we can compare notes.
Cheers from Paul.
Paul Roochnik <roochnik@ios.com>
Subject: Re: Need an Arabic Keyboard
In article <3md0q7$k26@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, Khalid A Al Mubireek <kalmubir@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> wrote:
In article <3mcir4$p27@nic.scruz.net>,
>Michael Hall <michael.hall@nitelog.com> wrote:
>O
O
>****-----ooO (_) Ooo--------- Your Message
-------------------------****
>>Does anyone know where I can by an
actual arabic keyboard with arabic letters printed on the keys or if it exists
a keyboard with arabic and english on the keys?? I can only find vendors
selling them in lots of 20, so if anyone knows where I can buy just one, leave
the name, address, telephone of the company please. I am here in the U.S. and
cant really find any, so I would appreciate any company that has them from any
middle eastern country or wherever..I would appreciate any help..
>****------------------------- Thank You -------------------------****
>Michael:
>Yes, the keyboards you're looking for are available in
almost all ME countries. I have a Mac SE with genuine extended bilingual A/E
keyboard. A friend of mine also have just got an identical keyboard from Saudi
Arabia for his Mac, the cost is around $$$ 260. However, that keyboard has all
the features, which you can even extend into two pieces. So, the more you pay
the more sophisticated keyboard you'll get. Again the price range is $$$
220-320 for the Mac. For the IBMs will be close to the previous range, if not
less.
>There are lots of IBM dealers you can reach in SA for price quotes and deal. El-Majaales Co, El-Jafffali, Al'Alamieyya are good companies in the Eastern Province of SA. For the Mac, Al-Jeraisi is the authorized dealer across the country.
>Good luck and hope this helps...
>YOURS,
>***** Khalid Mubireek ***** kalmubir@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
>*****
Check out my (anonymous ftp) graphic images at
>Location:
ohstmvsa.acs.ohio-state.edu
>Directory: 'kalmub.ftp'
Last I checked the Arabic Extended Keyboard II for the Mac was $175, list and $125 educational price.
If you are patient, I have transfer Arabic letters you can use to Arabize the keyboard of your choice.
You need to decide on a layout [check your software], put the letters on the keys and spray some coating on the keys to protect the Arabic letters.
For the coating, I used a can of acrylic that arts students cover watercolors with.
Good luck
--
alex khalil iskandar@tamu.edu
Texas A&M Univers. Arabic script software
mailing list, maintainer
ftp rama.poly.edu (128.238.10.212) in
pub/reader
ftp.u.washington.edu (140.142.56.1) in public/reader
Subject: Re: Need an Arabic Keyboard
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 1995 09:55:08 +0200
From: Knut S. Vikor <knut.vikor@smi.uib.no>
To: Ahmad Hashem
<ahm@smi.med.pitt.edu>
At 19:47 11.4.95, Alexandre Khalil wrote:
>Yes, you can change the layout by editing the keyboard resource using
ResEdit.
>This is not a trivial task, but still doable.
>Knut Vikor -in the cc: field- has done it already. Also, a phonetic keyboard layout is/should be in ~reader/mac: maybe not what you want, but a proof that it can be done.
I haven't done it productively (on the Arabic side, I mean), but I think I did check it out once just to see that it works. Which to my memory it did.
If you don't know ResEdit, you should acquaint yourself with it first. It is a hacker's tool, not a user's; you can do irreparable harm to your System without even noticing. However, if you make sure only to work on a copy of the System (always!), creating a new keyboard layout is fairly inoccuous. [If you don't want to copy the whole system, option-drag the "Arabic portable" script/keyboard file out of the System file, to create a working copy just of the keyboard file. There is also an "Arabic" file, but this file is only visible when WorldScript (Arabic) is not active on the machine, e.g. with extensions off. But you may use the Portable as a basis for the hack, the difference is in the numbers row with Option pressed].
Procedure: Open the KCHR resources of the copy of your Arabic system or script file. Duplicate the Arabic KCHR (ID 17920, I believe). Give the copy another name (->Get Info box), and a free ID number *between 17920 and 18431*. This is essential; it is this ID number range that lets the System identify it as Arabic.
Open the new resource. On the top are all available keys in a table. Below is a map of the keyboard. Drag the keys you want from the table at the top to the keyboard map. Hold down the Shift, Option etc. keys to access these keyboards (don't touch the table on top right). Save & restart with this as the active System file. Your new keyboard appears in the keyboard control panel and menu (to make it default in Arabic, select it in the cp, not the menu). You may have to create a new sicn or kcs resource with the same ID number as you picked (just duplicate the 17920 one) to give it a nice crescent in the keyboard menu.
As I said, I *think* I remember that this works fine. It is a breeze in English, what might have been a problem is whether the Arabic context analysis of the characters is not affected by swithcing the keys around. This is what I think I checked OK.
Knut
------- start of forwarded message
From: alquds@oregon.uoregon.edu (Light a
candle; don't curse the darkness ...)
Newsgroups:
soc.culture.arabic
Subject: Re: Need an Arabic Keyboard
Date: 17 Apr 1995
03:28:17 GMT
In article <3mkaij$6g4@nic.scruz.net>, michael.hall@nitelog.com (Michael Hall) writes:
IIn article <3md98e$928@usenet.srv.cis.pitt.edu>, axast2+@pitt.edu says... ->
>->
>-> You may also buy a set of IBM keycaps instead of buy a
whole
>-> keyboard. In the USA there is a company called DataCalc
has
>-> keycaps and stickers (a very good
one)
>->
>->
>-> Aziz
>->
>Do you
have an address and telephone number for this DataCalc company??
A number of stores sell multiligual keyboards (usualy bilingual). A store in Eugene (where I study now) has English/Arabic keyboards (different colors for characters). If you can't get one locally, you may give the ICC (in Eugene, Oregon) a call. Their No is (503) 342-6479. Good luck,
Abed.
Subject: PMosaic: Arabic/Persian Web Browser
Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 11 Mar 1995 17:42:03 -0700 (MST) From: Ayman Fadel
<afadel@nyx.cs.du.edu>
To: itisalat@GUVM.CCF.GEORGETOWN.EDU
check it out
http://gpg.com/pmosaic/PMosaic.html
sincerely
aymanFrom: tourky1@ibm.net (RABEE B. TOURKY)
Subject: Rev. of ARABTeX
Newsgroups: soc.culture.palestine
Date: 28 Mar 1995 02:17:51 GMT
I recently F.T.P.ed the ARABTeX v.3 macro package, which extends the capabilities of TeX/LaTex to generate the Arabic writing from ASCII transliteration to Arabic.
I thought that some of you will be interested in my experience.
(1) The are three modes for rendering short vowels:
-\fullvocalize: every
short vowel generates <fatha>, <kasra>, <damma>, does
<tanween>, automatically puts a <sukun> on consonants not followed
by short vowels, and adds <wasla>.
-\vocalize: \fullvocalize without
<sukun>.
-novocalize: no automatic generation of diacritics.
(2) Like all other TeX macro packages, ARABTex is not a
typewriter/word-processor. For instance, it translates vocalization commands in
accordance with the rules of classical Arabic:
-The carier of the
<hamza> depends on the classical <hamza> rules.
-In full
vocalization mode, <alif> at the beginig of a word carries a
<walsla> instead of the vowel indicator if the preceding word ended with
a vowel.
-In full vocalization mode, <sukun> is generated if no vowel
is given after the consonant but not if a double <shamsI> letter follows
<lam>.
(3) It allows for an almost full set of Arabic letter combinations,
e.g.
<aNY> <tanween> with <alif maqsoura>
<_a>
<qur'an alif>
<'A> <madda> on <alif>
(4) some of it is hard to get used to. I Tried for example to write in Arabic "in the name of god". What I needed was <bissmi al-llahi> in \fullvocalize mode.
(5) It has a limited number of fonts and only at 300dpi. Specifically Naskh, Naskh-taliq (not in package) and Naskh-bold. So the printed letter is small. To produce higher magnifications, you may need to MetaFont the Naskh source files, which are included. I, however, have not experimented with changing the dpi variable. (Note: PCTeX users should remember to include -2=on in their printer driver and viewer settings. dvihplj, dviscr, dvipm, and dviwin do not need any special settings.)
(6) I tested ARABTeX by writing the first <sUrah> in the <qur'an> with \fullvocalize see fig (1).
FIG (1)
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
\hsize= 3.4in % make it look
nice
\input arabtex % load ARABTeX macro
This is a test of ARAB\TEX. The
following is <sUrT al-fati.ha>,
note the <qur`an> alif. %put
some arabic in english
% sentence
\begin{arabtext} %longer Arabic
text.
\setnashbf %set bold font
\noindent %no indentation
needed.
\fullvocalize
bismi al-llahi al-rra.hm_ani al-rra.hImi-1 %.h =
hah
al-.hamdu lillahi rabbi al`_alamIna-2 %` =
<`ain>.
al-rra.hm_ani al-rra.hImi-3 m_aliki yawmi al-ddIni-4
'i-yyAka na`budu wa 'i-yyAka nasta`Inu-5
a-hdinA al-.s.sir_a.ta
a-lmustaqIma-6 %.s= ssad
.sir_a.ta alla_dIna 'an`amta `alayhim
%_d=dhal
.gayri al-ma.g.dUbi %.d=ddad
`alayhim walA
al-.d.d'AllIna-7
\end{arabtext}
\end
%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The output was very good at 300dpi and more importantly vocalization was correct. One problem however, in the <qur`an> the <wasla> over the <alif> is included even if the preceding word is a number, since numbers are not considered as separators. ARABTeX, however, looks for an ending vowel in the preceding word. If it does not find one then it does not generate a <wasla>. I have not found a way of getting around this problem yet.
(7) ARABTeX also allows for mathematical equations within arabic paragraphs.
I compliment Prof. K. Legally for this excellent macro package. It is a must for all who write Arabic reports and books. Now Donald Knuth's system for creating beautiful books has come to the most beautiful language in the world.
You can get the package from pip.shsu.edu ../tex-archives/macros. or any CTAN mirror.
Rabee Tourky
Subject: Urdu wordprocessor and Urdu DOS drivers
Thanks to Farooq Sarwar Khan, farooq@netcom.com, for helping make available for anonymous ftp the wordprocessor and DOS drivers.
The location is osman.classics.washington.edu/pub/reader/dos/sadaf
This location will be advertised on the other ftp sites, rama.poly.edu and ftp.u.washington.edu
alex
------------
Sadaf is an Urdu Nastalique word processor. It displays in Naskh and it prints in Nastalique. It runs on MS-DOS and requires VGA or EGA card to display URDU.
Best results are obtained with HP laser Jet II and above. Other printers are supported with DOTMATRIX.EXE, which is a HP LJ II emulator.
------------
Urdu National Support program. This is an independent program and is not required for Sadaf. You can use it with other DOS based program to write Urdu and exchange data between MS_WORD etc and Sadaf.
------------
Or you can contact SilverSoft, who currently maintain Sadaf for DOS and Sadaf for Windows and Urdu National Support at khalid@slvrsoft.khi.imran.pk or khalid@slvrsoft.khi.pak.net.pk
Have fun. Read thru the read.me file and ssprod file. I am trying to get a manual of Sadaf in Sadaf format. As soon as it becomes available I will post it to this site.
If you want to put this version of Sadaf for public access then you have permission to do so. I will appreciate if you would e-mail me to let me know where you have placed it, so that I can guide others to that FTP site.
Have fun and enjoy
Sadaf.
Farooq Sarwar Khan
farooq@netcom.com
Subject: Re: Windows95 and Arabic
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 10:12:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: Khosrow Hassibi
<kmh@gold14.miteksys.com>
To: ITISALAT@GUVM.CCF.GEORGETOWN.EDU
Subject: Re: Windows95 and Arabic (fwd)
>For those lucky ones who had access to Beta versions of windows95: Does it run programs that need Windows (3.1x) with Arabic support (example: Arabic Word for Windows) or are we still going to need Windows95 with Arabic support? (to be released in 96!!!! :'(
>BTW, does anybody now how I can try the beta tests of Windows95.
No it will not. For Beta versions of Win 95 for Arabic, send a mail to
global@microsoft.com
they will tell you how to get it. I have not got mine yet. So I guess it has problems still!!
Responsible for these Web pages is Knut S. Vikør. Archived 2.5.95