Statement of Purpose

To present:

1. Benefits of using Unicode for processing information such as Armenian text.
2. The results of the critical distinction between language-neutral character sets and language-specific script sets.
3. A case study of using Unicode for:

• Implementing off-the-shelf components for processing Armenian Information.
• Internet access through Unicode enabled web protocols (WWW, XML, Web Services).
• Globalization and localization.

Paper Description

Present:

1. Benefits of using Unicode for processing Armenian Information
   * Complete character set.
   * Simplification due to non-redundant character set.
2. Benefits of differentiating between language-neutral Character Sets and language-specific Algorithms and Script Sets.
   Unicode is not biased toward particular languages.
   Language-specific algorithms may be implemented for specific platforms using specific character sets.
3. A case study of using Unicode for Armenian Information Processing to achieve:
   * Unicode normalization, collation, databases.
   * Ready-made components to process Armenian Information.
   * Global access and availability through Internet, XML, Web Services.
   * Specific Unicode Character Set Issues; transliteration; benefits of non-printable characters.
   * Migrating legacy 8bit applications to Unicode Multilingual applications. Conversion issues.
   * Localization - locale definitions.

Final Summary

Exciting is an understatement of Unicode computing. Multilingual information is processed, stored, and interchanged by members of the global community, across shrinking divides.

Multilingual Information is represented using language-neutral characters using carefully crafted Character Sets such as Unicode.

This same information is processed by language-specific algorithms which operate on language-specific sets of letters, or Script Sets.

These algorithms are implemented, tested, and packaged (e.g. ActiveX controls and JavaBeans) using Unicode enabled software development tools. Unicode enabled web protocols such as Web Services enable these algorithms to be accessed from anywhere on the web.