Re: Proposal for the Basis of a Codepoint Extension toUnicodeforthe Encoding of the Quranic Manuscripts

[Abdulhaq Lynch <al-arabeyes at alinsyria dot fsnet dot co dot uk>]

assalaamu `alaykum Meor

>
> So, to get as much support as we can, I think the best is to propose
> what is the simplest of all: just include the sequential tanween, 3
> new codepoint to unicode. That's it.(of course , some other codepoint
> need to be added as well in order to render the quran properly) It
> will be the easiest to application developer also. If we were to
> encode the tajweed as well as other liguistic information , I think
> that's where XML come into picture.
>

In principle I agree, but say: don't wait for Unicode. Specify something now 
and do it. In a sense you're already encoding the tajweed anyway. If I want 
to I can take your encoding and make it more semantically applicable and 
useful for other styles of quranic scripts such as the South 
African/Indian/Pakistani one, but that will have to come later as I'm 
starting a new job soon and won't have any time.

> As for searching, the get the most accurate result is to develop the
> algorithm for it. This, we can't escape from rolling our own. However,
> this is better than the first situation, where no application can
> support even for rendering it, let alone to search. If we succeed in
> embeding the tajweed and liguistic information using XML, with all the
> searching algorithm in place, I think only then a new proposal can be
> submitted to unicode for their support.
>

Yes, as for searching the encoded text can manipulated into any encoding 
required by Gregg et al., provided that the initial encoding captures all the 
semantic information.

The base encoding which has all required semantic encoding can be built up 
over time, and encoding translations to encoding suitable for rendering or 
searching can be developed.

wassalaam
abdulhaq