gnu-arch-users
[Top][All Lists]
Advanced

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[Gnu-arch-users] Re: [semi-OT] Unicode / han unification (was Re: Spaces


From: Tom Lord
Subject: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: [semi-OT] Unicode / han unification (was Re: Spaces ...)
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2004 21:30:17 -0800 (PST)

    > From: Miles Bader <address@hidden>

    > > > My personal test is the `README test':  I'd like `cat README' to
    > > > always yield something appropriate even on a dumb terminal -- even
    > > > if the README file is part of a Chinese package, and I'm reading it
    > > > on my American computer (say at a university where the computer
    > > > systems have to cater to a very diverse audience).

    > > > As far as I know, basic Unicode doesn't do this correctly for CJK,
    > > > though it apparently does for other character sets.

    (me:)
    > > That flatly contradicts the assertions of the Unicode Consortium.
    > > They maintain that, in fact, your dumb terminal can use a font which
    > > will be readable to everyone (who can read these languages in the
    > > first place).   So I'm skeptical of your claim.

    > If I'm wrong because in fact they _have_ adequately addressed the points
    > I raised above, I would be very glad!

    > However most of the defenses of unicode in this respect that I've seen
    > have boiled down to:  (1) `you should be using the right font in the
    > first place' (via some external configuration) or (2) `you should be
    > using some out-of-band font/language specifier' (typically something
    > like XML!)

No, as far as I know -- their claim is that I can manufacture a "dumb
terminal" and sell it China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan and the terminal
will have these properties for all users:

~ will be a Unicode terminal

~ won't rely on any control characters that suggest font changes

~ will use the same font in all locales --- one glyph per combining sequence.

~ if I cat a README, users will find it legible

~ it is unlikely that any user will say "hey, that's a really nice
  font" and probable that most users will say "hey, that's a really
  ugly font -- it doesn't look quite right"


Furthermore, the "Mark II" model of this terminal could operate in one
four modes (C*2, J, and K) in which case users would say:

~ "hey, that looks decent enough (for a dumb terminal) on nearly all
  of my native-language text"

How's xterm doing, these days?   And if these principles aren't lived
up to -- since he's been quite active in the free software community
including xterm -- perhaps we should formulate some questions for
Markus Kuhn.   Let's (try to) drag in the experts if we have too :-)


-t





reply via email to

[Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread]