RE: Malayalam vowel sign AU (was Re: Representative glyphs for combining kannada sign)

From: James Kass (jameskass@att.net)
Date: Fri Mar 31 2006 - 23:55:45 CST

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    Kent Karlsson wrote,

    > > What has been clear all along is that both traditional and reformed
    > > Malayalam are supposed to use the same encoding.
    >
    > They both use the code points in the Malayalam block, yes of course.
    >
    > > Text display differs only if the font gets switched.
    >
    > This has nothing to do with font switching at all. Not even remotely.
    > Font switching must NEVER change apparent spelling.

    Reproduce Table 9-11 on page 248 of TUS4.0 in plain text. The table
    illustrates Malayalam Orthographic Reform.

    > > What has been clear all along is that
    > > U+0D57 should never be included in running text,
    >
    > I don't know where that idea comes from. ...

    It comes from TUS4.0 page 249:
         "U+0D57 MALAYALAM AU LENGTH MARK is provided as an encoding for
         the right side of the two-part vowel U+0D4C MALAYALAM VOWEL SIGN AU."

    So, if I wanted to encode the right side of this two part vowel, as in
    a plain text stand-alone representation of it, I'd use U+0D57. But there's
    only one MALAYALAM VOWEL SIGN AU *character* in the standard.

    However, that same section points to a detailed discussion of these
    two part vowels in the Tamil section. (on page 239) This states that
    for Tamil, the single code point is the preferred form and is the form
    in common use. But, it also says that the single code point is equivalent
    to the string of two code points.

    There is nothing, far as I can tell, suggesting that the single code point
    is equivalent to the other single code point. In other words, U+0BCA is
    equivalent to U+0BC6 plus U+0BBE. It does not necessarily follow that
    U+0BCA is equivalent to U+0BBE. You seem to be suggesting this
    equivalence (for Malayalam), and if such is the case, it should be
    plainly stated in the standard.

    > > The first displays KA plus the right side of the chart glyph
    > > at U+0D4C.
    >
    > PLUS the left side of course; A bug otherwise.

    Yes, my mistake. On Win XPSP2 in Notepad, the display is as
    you expect.

    > > Has the standard been changed for Malayalam encoding with
    > > respect to U+0D4C and U+0D57 ?
    >
    > No.
    >
    > Is that crystal clear enough?

    It's getting closer.

    Best regards,

    James Kass



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