Fwd: Arabic numbers

[Tim Freedom <tim_freedom at yahoo dot com>]

This is from the unicode mailing-list that I thought might be of
interest to the folks within Arabeyes.  Do please CC original author
with your replies...




 
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--- Begin Message ---

• To: unicode at unicode dot org
• Subject: Arabic numbers
• From: James Tu <jtu at esidesign dot com>
• Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 18:14:36 -0400
• Authentication-results: mta333.mail.mud.yahoo.com from=unicode.org; domainkeys=neutral (no sig)

I apologize if this is slightly off topic...

We are working on a kid's website that targets 5 languages and one of them is Arabic. We were wondering whether we should be using 0123456789 (arabic numbers) vs ٠١٢٣٤٣٥٦٧٨٩ (indian numbers, I found out that the real Arabic numbers are called indian numbers. :) ) This will mostly be used when a user is entering and ID number to log into the site.

On an Arabic keyboard, there is the 'normal' row of arabic numbers 0123456789. But on the same keys they have the corresponding indian numbers, used for Arabic.
Can anyone help me understand the usage pattern for Arabic speakers with these hybrid keyboards. (supposedly, some people doing research found that kids learn Indian numbers and then start using Arabic 0123456789 numbers later)
- When an Arabic speaker uses their computer and when she types numbers, does the operating system default to 0123456789, or does it default to Arabic numbers?

How 'bad' would it be if we required that kids use 0123456789?

-James

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