[Fribidi-discuss] fribidi & arabic shaping

[Nadim Shaikli]

On Fri, 22 Mar 2002 08:44:46 +0300 (IDT)
  "Omer Zak" <omerz actcom co il> wrote:
> On Thu, 21 Mar 2002, Nadim Shaikli wrote:
> 
> > > > The FriBidiEnv data structure has enough unassigned flags to
> > > > accommodate the shaping options.
> > 
> > Sorry I wasn't able to find any info on FriBidiEnv (haven't looked
> > into CVS, which is where I think it is), but if that is an environmental
> > variable that a user ought to set, I would still suggest implementing
> > a function variable as is noted above (ie. the NEW part above) to give
> > the application ultimate control.  If its a struct, on the other hand,
> > that's encompassed/controlled internally then great (the "Env" part
> > threw me for a loop).
> > 
> > BTW: please don't forget to CC those included.
>
[snip snip]
>
> The FriBidi library should be restricted to BiDi text ordering.  Another
> library may be defined for text ordering and shaping in Arabic (and other
> languages, which need this), and it will define an environment data
> structure, which will include FriBidiEnv as a member.

I disagree wholeheartedly - the inclusion of Arabic is a logical next step.
If its not needed (due to wanting to save memory footprint or the interest
is not there), then compile it out by default and include it via command-line
configure options and ifdefs.  The reason I say this, is simple.  Any
application that will include fribidi will have to include some shaping code
in order for that application to be Arabic-friendly; so the two, from an
Arabic prospective, go hand-in-hand.  Certainly if there are other shaping
issues related to other languages (like Hebrew, which I believe there are
some), as far as I'm concerned, those should be added as well with the
appropriate flags.

The other argument that could be put forth is that fribidi's inclusion is
difficult enough in most applications (try convincing a application author
of its inclusion and he/she will go into a rant about it only catering to a
very small minority of users and not worth the headache).  To have those
authors also consider a second library would create more problems than it
would solve when it comes to getting it adopted.

 - Nadim


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