Tibetan Unicode Installation: Difference between revisions

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This article describes how to install the required software in order to be able to display and edit texts encoded in [[Tibetan Unicode]]
...from pg. 185, [[The Light of Wisdom]], Vol. 1, Appendix 7:
==Overview==
In order to be able to view and edit Tibetan texts encoded in [[Tibetan Unicode]] you need three components:


* A operating system that supports displaying ''complex scripts''.
V. The aggregate of forms can be divided into fifteen:
* [[Tibetan Fonts]] in Unicode format
* A [[Tibetan Input Method]]


One of the major advantages of Unicode is that Unicode applications do not need to understand the rules how to create glyphs for a given language. The actual knowhow how to create Tibetan stacks resides within the unicode font and the ''complex script'' support of the operating system.  
*1-4. The [[four causal forms]], which are the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind.


Once all three components above are available, standard Unicode applications can be used to create, edit and display Tibetan texts.
*5-9. The [[five sense objects]] of visual form, sound, smell, taste, and texture.


A particularly useful Unicode application is [http://www.openoffice.org OpenOffice]. OpenOffice 2.1 is available for Windows, Linux and Mac (see http://www.neooffice.org and comments below) so Unicode documents created with OpenOffice can efficiently be shared across platforms. ''See also:'' [[Configuring OpenOffice for Tibetan script]].
*10-14. The [[five sense faculties]] of eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body.


Use the [[Tibetan Unicode Test Page]] to verify your installation.
*15. Imperceptible form. [[RY]]
 
==Unicode enabling Windows XP==
===Enabling complex script support===
Microsoft Windows XP supports complex scripts, the feature to correctly display  Tibetan stacks, only with Microsoft Office 2003 SP1 and later (also available with Microsoft's free [http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=95E24C87-8732-48D5-8689-AB826E7B8FDF Word Viewer] ). However it is possible to install support for Tibetan complex scripts for all applications (e.g. Web browsers and OpenOffice).
 
An excellent description how to update Windows XP can be found at
[http://www.thdl.org/xml/showEssay.php?xml=/tools/fonts/unicode-explain-eng.xml THDL].
 
===Installing Unicode fonts===
Simply install one of the Unicode [[Tibetan Fonts]].
 
A good start is
[http://www.thdl.org/tools/fonts/tibfonts.php?l=uva10928423419921 Tibetan Machine Uni] or Jomolhari [http://www.btinternet.com/~c.fynn/tibetan/fonts/jomolhari.html|Jomolhari]
 
===Installing a Tibetan input method===
Again, [http://www.thdl.org/tools/input.html THDL] gives a comprehensive overview on different existing [Tibetan Input Methods].
 
A good start is [http://www.tavultesoft.com/keyman/ Keyman]. [http://www.tavultesoft.com/ Tavultesoft] offers a version that is free for home use.
 
A number of different keyboards including a Wylie keyboard are available from [http://www.tibetanportal.com/ Tibetan Portal], download [http://www.tibetanportal.com/TibetanUnicodeKeyboards1_8.zip Keyman keyboards].
 
==Unicode enabling Windows Vista==
No software needs to be installed: Windows Vista already contains all three required components: an input method (see Control Panel / Regional and Language settings for a Tibetan keyboard), support to display Tibetan script and a Tibetan font, Microsoft Himalaya.
 
In addition you might want to install additional [[Tibetan Fonts]] (all existing Unicode fonts seem to work well) or an alternative [[Tibetan Input Method]].
 
You can directly start using Notepad, OpenOffice or the latest Microsoft Office version to create Tibetan documents in standard Unicode encoding.
 
==Unicode enabling Linux==
===Enabling complex script support===
If you use a recent version of Gnome, all applications that support [http://www.pango.org/ Pango], correctly display Tibetan complex script.
 
===Installing Unicode fonts===
Any of the Unicode [[Tibetan Fonts]] works. Also for Linux, the recommended font is 
[http://www.thdl.org/tools/fonts/tibfonts.php?l=uva10928423419921 Tibetan Machine Uni].
===Installing a Tibetan input method===
The package [http://uim.freedesktop.org/ UIM] contains an input method bo-wylie which adds a Wylie keyboard. The Dzongkha XKB keyboard layout in XFree-86 can also be used
 
==Unicode enabling Mac OS-X==
Mac OS-X uses a different way to render scripts. Support for complex scripts started to appear with version 10.4.8 in Mac OS-X. However unfortunately most existing fonts use OpenType features, that are not correctly supported with current versions of Mac OS-X. Even with a [[Tibetan Input Method]], support for Mac Unicode is currently weak. A key to enable Mac OS-X would be a [[Platform Independent Tibetan Unicode Font]].
 
[[Configuring OpenOffice for Tibetan script|Open Office]] can also be used for Tibetan on Mac OSX (currently [http://porting.openoffice.org/mac/download/x11.html under XII Windowing system] though a native "Aqua version is under development). Since OpenOffice uses ICU for OpenType layout fonts like Tibetan Machine Uni and Jomolhari work properly.
 
==Additional helpful tools==
A number of [[Tibetan Text Editors]] and [[Font Conversion Programs]] are available mainly for Windows that can be used to convert existing legacy documents in various different Tibetan encodings of the pre-Unicode era.
 
[[Category:Resources]]
[[Category:Tibetan Software]]

Revision as of 09:06, 7 September 2007

...from pg. 185, The Light of Wisdom, Vol. 1, Appendix 7:

V. The aggregate of forms can be divided into fifteen:

  • 1-4. The four causal forms, which are the four elements of earth, water, fire, and wind.
  • 15. Imperceptible form. RY
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