Re: [emacs-bidi] Re: Bidirectional display in GUI sessions

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Wed, 5 May 2010 07:19:39 -0500
> From: Gregg Reynolds <address@hidden>
> Cc: address@hidden
> 
> > Ok, using the "Middle/Near East" line near the top of the display, C-f
> seems to work properly; after the space following the colon it jumps to the
> right-most Hebrew char, after which C-f steps to the left.
> 
> The problem is that the char display of the Arabic is still left-to-right.
>  That is, C-f steps through the run RTL, but the reading order is still LTR
>  (i.e. like this:   ALSLAM @LYLM; it should be MLY@ MALSLA)

What about the line below that, which begins with "Arabic"?  Is it
displayed correctly?

Also, what if you disable reordering, like this:

   M-: (setq bidi-display-reordering nil) RET

do the Arabic phrases look okay then?

Finally, what if you create a totally new buffer, turn on reordering
in it (the bidi-display-reordering setting is per buffer), and then
start typing Arabic -- do you see correct display?

You see, before bidirectional editing was added to Emacs, some of the
phrases in HELLO were written in visual order.  When I added
bidirectional features, I reversed those phrases.  But because I don't
read Arabic, it could be that I didn't realize they didn't need to be
reversed.  In that case, the reordering code now converts them back
into logical order, which would be consistent with what you describe.

> I'm thinking more along the lines of a place to keep notes, comments, etc.
> organized  - stuff that may or may not be a bug, that may or may not merit
> documentation, etc.  Stuff tends to get lost in mailing lists.

You can always "M-x report-emacs-bug RET", in which case it will never
get lost.

> Actually, I have a wiki so maybe the thing to do is keep my notes
> there and submit items to this list as needed.

Okay, but if problems are related to fonts etc., I suggest to post to
address@hidden instead.  There are people there who know much
more than I do about fonts, and also you will find OSX users there who
could help you with practical advice about your platform (to which I
have no access at all).  With bidi features being an integral part of
mainline Emacs development, emacs-devel is entirely appropriate for
discussing bidirectional features and problems.

> (and please take the rhetorical outbursts with a grain of salt ;).

Point taken.  Will do.

Thanks.