Wm Seán Glen asked:
Couldn't one just embed the glyphs that aren't specified by Unicode along
with the text?
end quote
Yes one could, in a file such as a Word document file where the format of
the Word file can handle the embedding of illustrations.
However, if one is using a plain unicode text file then one could not do
that embedding. The problem that then arises is that if one uses a code
such as U+E043 to represent a character that is not specified in Unicode,
with the U+E043 code being from the private use area, then if someone tries
to display that file, how will the software system displaying that file know
which character to use.
For example, the code U+E043, say, could possibly be used by one group of
people to code one of a number of graphic symbols used to represent ballet
choreography, and perhaps used in typesetting the text of a booklet about
ballet. For example, the same code U+E043 could be used by a group coding
symbols relating to early chemistry and then used in typesetting a booklet
about the history of early chemistry.
Now, it might well be that the typesetting might be done using a package
that has formatting commands. Then there is no problem. However, if the
two booklets were each typeset using a plain unicode text format, then each
would possibly contain several uses of the U+E043 character.
The discussion is as to how, for plain unicode text files, to give within
the file itself some indication of the meaning to be applied to the U+E043
character, so that the software displaying the file displays it as intended.
William Overington
26 April 2001
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