Standards and Software required for Indic Scripts
Generally most of us think that, some fonts, a word-processor and an operating system is all that is required to 'enter', 'store' and 'render' text of a language in a computer. But we tend to overlook the most important thing that the text (information) should be able to flow freely from one type of application or system to another type.
To prevent loss of data mainly while transferring between different programs and/or different configuration of computers, adhering to a universally accepted encoding standard is must.
At present Unicode is the standard and it is going to remain de-facto standard for decades! So the most important thing is that our operating system and word processor should be based on Unicode and conform to it. Like other scripts, to correctly 'enter', 'store' and 'transfer' characters of Indic scripts use of a universally accepted standard (which at present is 'Unicode') is must.
As Indic scripts are complex; to correctly display (render/draw) these Indic scripts (like DevaNagari), fonts and related software capable of producing 'rich typography' are required.
There are two font formats which support 'rich typography' - OpenType and AAT. Both are extension of TrueType. A font format is a specification (description) or a kind of standard, to bring order to how fonts should be designed/created.
In order to conform to Unicode and support complex scripts like DevaNagari operating systems should have various software components like
- Text rendering library/services e.g. OLTS
- Complex-script shaping engine e.g. Uniscribe
Additional type software are required for each language, like
- Keyboard overlays or Input Method Editors
- compatible fonts, e.g. OpenType/AAT fonts
In Windows 2000, XP and Vista all the above software components are present and standards are followed (used). Similar components also exists (or being developed) for Linux (e.g. FreeType) and Mac OS-X.
Though these components are available in these operating systems, but we need to enable the language we want to use. Only when a language is enabled and selected; an OS interprets characters coming through keyboard as those belonging to the script associated with that language. Also some components (mainly better fonts) from other vendors should be installed to properly typeset and render text in Indian scripts.
Before Unicode, Indians were using DevaNagari (& other Indic) Akshars in place of Latin letters (ASCII) as there was no support for Indic scripts at operating system's level till late 1990s.
OpenType is an extension of TrueType font-format to accommodate 'rich typography'. Rich typography allows substitution and positioning of glyphs. Rich typography is required for properly rendering Indic scripts like DevaNagari.
ISE - Aditi Info. provides high quality OpenType fonts (like 'Akhil HE') and efficient keyboard filters/layouts (like TransLit). These are part of our package Sugam-98, which let you use Unicode encoded Nagari in Windows 98. For Windows 2000, XP and Vista, we have Sugam 2K.
In addition to a standard based operating system and modern OT fonts, a standard based word processor like OpenOffice should be used.
