Re: Proposal for the Basis ofaCodepointExtensiontoUnicodefortheEncoding of theQuranicManuscripts

["Mete Kural" <metek at touchtonecorp dot com>]

Salaam Abdulhaq,

When you say advanced encoding and primitive encoding, are you referring to an Arabic language and grammar aware high level encoding, and a Unicode-based graphemic encoding respectively? As far as Unicode is concerned only script-based encoding can be done. We can strive to make this script-based encoding graphemically as consistent as possible. Any higher level Arabic grammar-aware encoding as I have suggested before should be done with a markup language such as XML, not at the character encoding level. Inventing our own Arabic language-specific character encoding model outside of Unicode is simply not pragmatic nor do I think it is theoratically better than using XML to capture Arabic *language*-specific semantic over Arabic *script*-specific Unicode text. Unicode is the unquestioned standard for character encoding that enjoys tremendous support from both corporate and governmental organizations worldwide. Straying away from Unicode is not a wise choice.

Kind regards,
Mete


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Abdulhaq Lynch <al-arabeyes at alinsyria dot fsnet dot co dot uk>
Reply-To: General Arabization Discussion <general at arabeyes dot org>
Date:  Wed, 22 Jun 2005 10:47:48 +0100

>It seems to me that two encodings would be useful:
>
>Advanced Encoding: suitable for the future, incorporating the best of the 
>encoding ideas floated here, which assumes a powerful renderer such as 
>OpenType.
>
>Primitive Encoding: works with truetype and bitmap fonts, uses composite 
>glyphs whenever and wherever necessary, as many as required for the most 
>basic environment such as the console, pda etc.
>
>Both encodings will need some extension to the current Unicode map.
>
>A simple piece of software will convert from the Advanced Encoding (AE) to the 
>Primitive Encoding (PE) though will not be required if using OpenType.
>
>I think, Meor, that you know better than anyone else what is required for the 
>Primitive Encoding (PE). Why not just tell us what is required and invent a 
>series of codepoints that will set a de facto standard. In the meantime we 
>can work on the AE.
>
>wassalaam
>abdulhaq
>
>> Ok, now for my suggestion. Seems that we have a few opinion. So, I
>> would suggest anyone who really would like to get this going, to
>> create a complete document , basically recomendation on how the quran
>> should be encoded. Then, I can encode the quran the mention in that
>> specification (I think this process wont take long. Maybe 1/2 to 1
>> hour of my time, assuming the there is mistake in the current file)
>> Seriously, this won't take much of my time , since most of the
>> encoding process is automated . Then, we can work on testing the file
>> against the targeted technologies, such as windows, linux, console,
>> pda etc. After this have been tested, maybe then we can have a
>> consensus agreement among us, on which method is the way to go, or it
>> might be a combination of the specification, who knows.
>>
>
>

--
Mete Kural
Touchtone Corporation
714-755-2810
--