Re: Arabic on Zaurus/Ipaq

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

> > The font package doesn't really need maintenance any more than the
> > current fonts on arabeyes - it's just a different format to ttf. I was
> > hoping we could add the .ipk package file to the khotot project.
>
> If there is use for it then by all means sure; either mail it to me and/or
> submit a bug report and attach a bzipped file and I'll see what I can do.

As soon as I'm happy with the basics (probably when shaping works properly in 
qt/e) which should be very soon, I'll wrap up the .qpf font files into a 
package and mail it to you - I don't want to do all the wrapping up now if I 
have to make a few changes in a couple of days and do it again. I should have 
it to you before next weekend in shaa' allah.

>
> If Arabic learners will see value in this then by all means.  You are
> continuing development on this yet-to-be-named application, right ?  We've
> had a few people in the past interested in either developing a "teaching
> and/or learning tool" or helping customize one so this might be of interest
> to others.
>

I am continuing development on the vocab program and once this qt/e blitz 
quietens down I'll email contact for a project/account etc.

> > Regarding a computer-based arabic course, that's a huge effort. There is
> > a web site around that is web-ising the madina university books which are
> > very good. However, their progress seems to be very slow.
> > (http://www.madinaharabic.com/).
>
> To be completely honest I was thinking more of something for kids (3-9 year
> olds or so).  The MadinaArabic site doesn't seem to fit what a kid would
> like to see and/or what would keep his/her interests going (ie. they are
> lacking the games and challanges kids seem to require :-).
>

The type of thing you're thinking of is a huge task. It's hard enough to write 
a course on paper never mind on PC, don't you think? It would need lots of 
clip art, cleverly designed coursework, a multimedia controlling program like 
Director etc. It would a be wonderful thing if done, but I feel tired just 
thinking about the work involved... The content itself would be very hard to 
produce (wouldn't it?).

> > > In short, let us know (email to 'contact') if -
> > >  1. You want a Qt/E bidi/shaping patch project page (until the main
> > >     project adds its own and/or adopts the patch)
> > >  2. You want to house your 'vocabulary program' (didn't know what name
> > >     to use).
> >

Somewhere to put the patches for safekeeping and future reference would be 
useful as I think it will take a long time to get the OpenEmbedded team to 
accept patches to the qt/e library. I've put everything inside #ifdefs as you 
suggested and I'll wait until the code settles down before submitting 
anything else. My initial patch for tashkeel has been met with total silence 
so far - I'll just take it slowly.

To summarise, somewhere to put the qt/e patches will be very useful  - I'll 
email 'contact' now. When things settle down a bit I'll email about hosting 
the font package and the vocab program.

wassalaam
abdulaq