[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: Status of Arabic OpenOffice

Hello Mr. Alzaffin:

My name is Anmar Oueja. I am one of the core arabeyes.org members.I am trying the carry the torch of localizing OOo interface to Arabic language.

Thani Alzaffin wrote:

Dear all,
Hey, these email threads is a sign that this project can get going after all.Thanks for having me part of the thread. I am new to the Open Source Community OSC, never particpated in one. I do have interset in taking lead in this project not as a programmer (used to be agood one, do not have the time now), but rather a project owner.

You are welcome to join our community and get involved in translation and documentation. Currently, Mr. Ossama Khayat is the lead for OOo Arabic Internationalization (supporting the actual mechanism of handling arabic script...etc). Mr Khayat is a great member of our community.

I am thinking of
outsoucing the work (funding it). I know this may sound strange in OSC, but should our management approved the project. I need to deliver on promise for the management and the community. Ofcourse, whatever is developed it will be circulated back to the OSC.

That is a great gift to the arab world. Currently, OOo 1.1 (RCx) has some of its user interface translated to Arabic. More work is still needed though

One the same note, I had a good meetig with our partner, SUN and the lead in Arabaization for SUN. The main topic of the agenda was how to get OOo Arabized. The message from SUN is since most of what is developed in StarOffice get into OOo -is it true?-

Yes it is and vice versa. The OpenOffice community contributes a considerable amount of code to Staroffice (much like mozilla and Netscape)

and since StarOffice
Arabic is being readied (missing some features like Arabic spell checker, Arabic interface, etc...), Sun says we can paricipate in completing the missing features in StarOffice and roll it into OOo. Is this a good aproach?!

It is best that we work on the OpenOffice.org code and not StarOffice due to possible complications in the future. OOo is open source so accessing CVS and the code does will not require the signing of any NDA

Our main objective, is to ready an package Arabic Linux plus Arabic OOo for the Arab word: Education sector, Governmets and Private (i.e. make main stream desktop). I know that IBM is reading Arabic Linux using KDE.

Currently GNOME and KDE can support arabic including a fully arabised environment. (http://www.arabeyes.org/~anmar/arabbix/arabbix.png). We are trying to introduce Linux and OpenSource to the Arabic public and private sectors bacause we feel it is the best alternative to today's computing choice and due to its inherit freedom and openness.

Can any one help me estimate the effort required to make OOo Arabized or Arabic enabled? After all, I need to approach the management with
a cost benif studay. (I know we can do alot of saving compared to what we pay Microsoft today).

I believe we are about 60% done localizing OOo interface. There is still the matter of help files, and some misc documents and samples. I am sorry but I can not comment on how long it would take to localize the help files of OOo. A professional translator might be better equiped to give an accurate estimate.

As for the Internationalization work needed for OOo I strongly recommend you contact Mr. Khayat on this mailing list to give you a better idea. In the mean time, you are welcome to browse this page that Mr. Khayat made for the internationalization of Arabic internationalization (i18n) of OOo (http://ar.openoffice.org/)

So, any ideas on how we can cooperate and proceed from here?

There are many avenues we can persue our goal. sponsorship is the fastest most sure way to reach our destination. Arabeyes would be happy to discuss this matter further or any other ideas you might have.


Kind Regards,

Anmar Oueja
www.arabeyes.org

Best Regards,

Thani Alzaffin
Director Gov. Information Resources Dept.
H. H. THE RULER'S COURT
GOVERNMENT OF DUBAI

-----Anmar Oueja <anmar at canada dot com> wrote: -----

To: Shady Al-Nofaily <nofaily at gmx dot net>
From: Anmar Oueja <anmar at canada dot com>
Date: 09/30/2003 08:15AM
cc: General Arabization Discussion <general at arabeyes dot org>, Thani Alzaffin <TAlzaffin at diwan dot dubai dot gov dot ae>
Subject: Re: Status of Arabic OpenOffice

Hey Shady:

Wow.. man you are alive... hehe..:)

Well i contacted Dieter to take your place cause he did not hear back
from you and I signed the papers and faxed them but nothing happened.
Could you please tell OOo that i will take your place as the lead for
Arabic l10n for openoffice.

BTW, do you have the links to the places were i should start reading and
stuff  so i can start localizing ASAP.

Openoffice 1.1 looks localized to me but not completely. our goal is to
get it localized ASAP.

Anmar


Shady Al-Nofaily wrote:
> Sorry guys, I have been travelling alot lately, and I barely have time to do
> anything else, I think I'm going to drop out. Anyone who is wiling to take my
> place please let me know.
>
> On Sunday 28 September 2003 19:31, Anmar Oueja wrote:
>
>>Hello Ossama:
>>
>>Thanks for the update. Unfortunately, Dieter , from openoffice l10n team
>>did not send me anything. I bugged him but nothing so far. You mentioned
>>a name of a a person I could talk to on IRC. Can you send me his email
>>so I can get my approval going ASAP.
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>Anmar
>>
>>Ossama Khayat wrote:
>>
>>>TAlzaffin at diwan.dubai.gov.ae wrote:
>>>---------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>>Dear All,
>>>>
>>>>I would like to know the status of Arabic OpenOffice,
>>>>what is the progress on it, any time frame, etc...?
>>>
>>>Hi. First of all, thanks for your interest.
>>>Let us introduce ourselves. We are Arabeyes.org - *nix
>>>Arabization group. I personally had interest in
>>>OpenOffice.org and applied (with the help of Nadim -
>>>another member) to be incharge of the Arabic Native
>>>Lang project.
>>>So far, I've only prepared the basic website
>>>(ar.openoffice.org) and working on other stuff, like
>>>tutorials and resources.
>>>Another memeber (Anmar) is also waiting the approval
>>>to take charge of the Localization project (Anmar, any
>>>progress?).
>>>
>>>
>>>>I have been browsing the site
>>>>http://native-lang.openoffice.org/
>>>>Can you explain what is the difference between native
>>>>project at http://ar.openoffice.org and the project
>>>>(l10) bellow?
>>>
>>>Well, the Native Lang project is more of language
>>>tools, resources and linguestics. It involves
>>>development, programming and building all these
>>>resources for users.
>>>On the other hand, l10n and i18n contains a framework
>>>and tools for localization (l10n) and
>>>internationalization (i18n). More information about
>>>these two projects can be found on
>>>http://l10n.openoffice.org/.
>>>As far as I know, the localization work stopped at
>>>version 1.0.3 of OpenOffice.org. I tried contacting
>>>mr. Al-Nufaily but got no response at all.
>>>
>>>
>>>>Localization/Internationalization Project (l10n).
>>>>
>>>>Localization / Language
>>>>
>>>>Leader: Shady Al-Nofaily
>>>>Email: nofaily at gmx.net
>>>>Status: Looking for volunteers
>>>>Arabic
>>>>
>>>>Is there an dependencies between both? Is the
>>>>Arabization of StarOffice is tied to this project?
>>>
>>>There is no dependency between the N/L and l10n
>>>projects. But, since OpenOffice.org is built on the
>>>same sources of StarOffice, the later will surely
>>>benefit and use the same resources available.
>>>
>>>
>>>>What can I do as a decision maker to speed up
>>>>this project?
>>>
>>>Actually, many things! We lack a lot of people who
>>>would help in many areas:
>>> - Helping in development and support of Arabic/BiDi
>>> features using Java and/or C++.
>>> - Testing the current features and support.
>>> - Providing feedback, through submitting bug reports
>>> (Issues).
>>> - Translators who would be able to dedicate time,
>>>and
>>> have good translation skills.
>>>
>>>
>>>>I would appreciate your reply and thank
>>>>you in advance.
>>>
>>>I hope this answers most of your questions and hope to
>>>further extend the cooperation between us.
>>>
>>>
>>>>Best Regards,
>>>>
>>>>Thani Alzaffin
>>>
>>>Again, thanks for your interest.
>>>
>>>kind regards,
>>>Ossama M. Khayat
>>>
>>>__________________________________
>>>Do you Yahoo!?
>>>The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search
>>>http://shopping.yahoo.com
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>General mailing list
>>>General at arabeyes dot org
>>>http://lists.arabeyes.org/mailman/listinfo/general
>
>
>