Still can't work out whats a "canonical decomp" vs a "compatibility decomp"

From: Theodore H. Smith (delete@elfdata.com)
Date: Wed May 07 2003 - 12:49:29 EDT

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    Hi list,

    I am having trouble understanding Unicode's documentation. I tried
    looking through the glossary for an explanation of a term I see about a
    lot "Canonical equivalence", this lead me back to the original document
    that had been using it a lot, but which I still hadn't lead me to find
    out what it meant.

    On spending more effort trying to understand the document's terse
    format, I found out that it is telling me I have to read some kind of
    table listing.

    So to work out what this word canonical means, I have to remember one
    table, and to remember the word compatibility I have to remember
    another table.

    I haven't found those tables yet, and I'm still wondering why I'm being
    expected to take so many steps just to understand a term that is used
    all over the place.

    I'm sure there is a much simpler explanation of canonical and
    compatability? Or else why didn't they just use the terms "table1
    decomposition" and "table2 decomposition"?

    I'm guessing those words have a meaning, somehow, but I can't say what
    interpretation of those worsd have been used. Anyone can explain for
    me, perhaps?

    Thanks a lot. 

    --
     Theodore H. Smith - Macintosh Consultant / Contractor.
     My website: <www.elfdata.com/>

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