From: Jeroen Ruigrok/asmodai (asmodai@in-nomine.org)
Date: Mon Jun 19 2006 - 01:17:07 CDT
Jukka,
-On [20060616 08:43], Jukka K. Korpela (jkorpela@cs.tut.fi) wrote:
>On the practical side, the standard probably makes its point clear in the
>description of U+2018 in the code chart, when it says "this is the
>preferred glyph (as opposite to U+201B)". The wording is odd (even calling
>a character a glyph), but apparently the idea is that although U+201B is
>included into the standard and although no formal relationship between it
>and U+2019 is defined, U+2019 and U+201B are essentially two glyph forms
>of the same character, with an expressed preference to the former. By
>"glyph form", I mean the "6" form shape and the reversed "9" form shape.
But doesn't such a thing run against what has been stated lots of times in
this thread, namely that the Unicode standard in fact doesn't give a flying
hoot about the design of a glyph/character but only standardises the code
points?
To make such a dictating policy about which quotation marks are preferred and
showing a reference design will cause people to take it for gospel and
use/implement such quotation marks without proper research.
For example in Dutch we, nowadays at least, use high-6, high-9 (U+201B,
U+2019) for single quotes and high-double-6 and high-double-9 (U+201F, U+201D)
for double quotes. (Then again, we might have as many variants on this as we
have publishers, who might be using US based fonts and programs, which enforce
a certain type of quotation marks. Interesting, need to dive deeper into
this.)
One could wonder why guillemets (chevrons) have their own code point if they
are, in fact, but variants of quotation marks. (Leaving aside the point of the
encodings they're based on or historical background.)
What you will find, especially by Unicode adding more and more historical
characters, is that people, not unreasonably, also see Unicode as a storage
method or retainer for their cultural typographic history.
At least, after reading slowly through this thread, it seems to boil down to
accurate typefaces and preservation of usage. Of course, correct me if wrong.
-- Jeroen Ruigrok van der Werven <asmodai(-at-)in-nomine.org> / asmodai イェルーン ラウフロック ヴァン デル ウェルヴェン http://www.in-nomine.org/ We must believe in ourselves and in our dreams. For all is not lost. We have only to stand straight and tall, knowing ourselves to be no less than those who came before us. And we must never loose hope, never, never, never . . .
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