Re: Biblical Hebrew (U+034F Combining Grapheme Joiner works)

From: Owen Taylor (otaylor@redhat.com)
Date: Wed Jul 02 2003 - 09:01:13 EDT

  • Next message: Jony Rosenne: "RE: Yerushala(y)im - or Biblical Hebrew"

    On Wed, 2003-07-02 at 01:03, Peter_Constable@sil.org wrote:
    > Philippe Verdy wrote on 06/28/2003 02:48:01 AM:
    >
    > > If the user strikes the two keys <patah> and <hiriq>, the input method
    > > for Traditional Hebrew will generate <patah,CGJ,hiriq>
    >
    > That requires* an input method that is aware of the input context (or of
    > what has already been input -- but awareness of context is far more
    > reliable). How many systems do you know that are capable of that? It
    > requires the input drivers, such as keyboard DLLs, that support
    > context-sensitive operations; it requires application interfaces that
    > allow the input driver to find out from the app what the input context is;
    > and it requires applications that support that interface. Can you name for
    > me any system on which the existing keyboard driver format supports
    > context-sensitive rules? Can you name an application interface that allows
    > input methods (other than full-blown input method editors -- i.e.
    > something with a composition window) to communicate the input context to
    > the input method, and can you name one or more apps that support this
    > interface?
    >
    > This is all stuff I'd like to see become commonplace for a variety of
    > reasons, but I doubt we'll see that happen for the sake of Biblical
    > Hebrew.

    On the other hand, context information is quite useful for almost
    any syllable-based writing system. For instance, smart input methods
    for Thai that can reorder characters entered in the "wrong" order
    are desirable.

    "input methods" don't have to have an obvious user interface ...
    a sensible setup is to have *all* text input go through the input method
    interfaces. This is how the GTK+ toolkit works and in fact, how
    the traditional "XIM" system works in X. Both systems support context
    retrieval and modifications. And it's supported by the basic GTK+
    editing widgets, so by hundreds of applications.

    Regards,
                                            Owen



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