Re: Mixed up priorities

From: Keld Jørn Simonsen (keld@dkuug.dk)
Date: Mon Oct 25 1999 - 15:09:54 EDT


On Mon, Oct 25, 1999 at 08:51:57AM -0700, John Cowan wrote:
> Michael Everson scripsit:
> >
> > Ar 15:16 -0700 1999-10-22, scrmobh Ashley Yakeley:
> >
> > >>Abstract character: A unit of information use for the organization,
> > >>control, or representation of textual data. [This is the ISO 10646
> > >>definition of "character".]
> >
> > No it isn't. From ISO/IEC 10646-1:1993:
> >
> > 4.6 character: A member of a set of elements used for the organisation,
> > control, or representation of data.
>
> So I lied. :-)
>
> But anyway, I suspect that word "textual" is dictum, since sequences
> of characters are text, and that embedding the fact that characters
> are members of character sets into the ISO 10646 definition is a
> mistake.

Well, in ISO there are also control characters, - which are then not
"text". UCS also ahve a few of them, but they are not called control
characters. example: zero width joiners, bidi control.

> > A letter is an element of an alphabet, which itself is a structured
> > collection of graphic symbols used to represent one or more languages,
> > having specific elements representing for vowels and consonants.
>
> That definition sounds like it covers Ethiopic (though not Cherokee
> or kata/hiragana).

A letter should also be a character, IMHO.
Characters encodemeaning, and letters are one of the ways
to express meaning.

Keld



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