Writing in the Worlds Languages with TextMaker This document describes how to use TextMaker to write in the worlds

languages. Note: TextMaker can be used for creating documents in almost any language, including those requiring Unicode. However, Hebrew and Arabic are currently not su orted because TextMaker does not su ort right!to!left writing systems. Introduction "hile writing text in #nglish and most "estern #uro ean languages is ossible on any com uter, using languages with accented characters $e.g. %entral #uro ean languages& might require some re arations. This document will lead you through the necessary ste s. 't is divided into the following sections( 1 Where to !ind suitable !onts " Where to get a suitable keyboard #a$$ing 1 Where to !ind suitable !onts )onts can contain *ust one font encoding $i.e. character set& or several encodings at once $for exam le "estern #uro ean, %entral #uro ean, and Turkish&. +o, if you want to ty e text in Turkish, you have to use a font that contains a Turkish font encoding. ,f course, not all fonts come with all kinds of encodings. -ut, de ending on your o erating system, there might be some fonts that you can most certainly use( Windows and Windows %& !onts Users of Windows as well as 'ocket '%s and Handheld '%s can use the so called core !onts coming with your o erating system $e.g. .rial, Times /ew 0oman, %ourier /ew, Tahoma&. These usually do contain all accented characters for writing in "estern and %entral #uro ean languages, -altic languages, Turkish, 1reek, %yrillic, and several more. To make things a bit confusing, there are di!!erent (ersions of these core fonts floating around. )irstly, Microsoft has added new characters to these fonts from "indows version to "indows version. +econdly, some Microsoft a lications install 2extended3 versions of .rial and Tahoma, for exam le, with more character sets built!in. Therefore, if you exchange documents with a user that has a more limited version of the core fonts installed, some s ecial characters might not be dis layed correctly on his4her machine. .dditionally, the core fonts on most 5ocket 5%s and Handheld 5%s have a smaller character set in general. )otto# line: 6ou should first test document exchange before relying on non!standard characters to transfer between com uters.

6ou can easily examine which characters a certain font contains. Windows shi s with a rogram called 2%haracter Ma 3 $charma .exe& that dis lays the character sets of any installed font. . similar feature is available on the most modern 'ocket '%s and Handheld '%s as well, only it is well!hidden( +tart 5ocket #xcel or 5ocket "ord and go to the Tools menu to dis lay and insert characters. Linux !onts +ince there are so many different 7inux distributions around, you cant tell which fonts in distribution 283 comes with multi le encodings. 6ou should either sim ly try it out or use tools like x!ontsel to find out which fonts rovide the encodings you need. Ti$: The +oftMaker font named *o#an+', $included in TextMaker& does include many encodings 9 it even has %yrillic characters. -ther !onts -ther !onts that you acquired somewhere or that got installed by some a lication often *ust contain the characters necessary to dis lay "estern #uro ean languages. 'f you ty e an accented character with one of these fonts, but your com uter *ust dis lays a blank character or square, then this font is missing the character. 0e lace it by a font that has the font encoding you need for your language. +uitable fonts are available at almost any font vendor. $.lso check out +oftMakers Mega.ont //L font library at www so!t#aker co#. 't contains many 2887 fonts3 with numerous encodings&. " Where to get a suitable keyboard #a$$ing "hile you could you use a tool like a character ma to insert accented characters into your documents, getting a suitable keyboard #a$$ing makes things a lot easier. +ome o erating systems have su ort for non!#nglish keyboard ma ings already built in, some require third arty software( 0eyboard #a$$ings in Windows .ll versions of deskto Windows since "indows :; have su ort for many languages already built+in. This su ort is either already active $e.g. an 'talian co y of "indows automatically installs an 'talian keyboard ma ing and fonts with 'talian characters& or can be installed as an o tional com onent. To add additional languages to "indows(
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1o to your 5%s %ontrol 'anel $+tart = +ettings = %ontrol 5anel&. +elect *egional ,ettings $de ending on your version of "indows, this might also be titled 20egional and language settings3, or 2%ountry settings3, or something similar&. "hen you double!click on this symbol, a dialog consisting of multi le ages will a ear. ,n one of the ages, you will find an o tion for adding additional regional keyboards. .dd the additional keyboards that you would like to use.

)rom now on, you will be able to ty e text in the language$s& you installed. 0eyboard #a$$ings on 'ocket '%s and Handheld '%s 'ocket '%s and Handheld '%s su ort, out of the box, *ust one keyboard ma ing( the one of the country where the device was sold $or #nglish, if Microsoft did not locali@e for your country&. There is no official Microsoft way to add additional keyboard ma ings to your o erating system. 'f no keyboard ma ing is available for your language, you have to buy a third! arty roduct that rovides it. Here is a list of some roducts that we have found( Language &xtender $su
A A

orting many different languages&(

www. enreader.com45ocket5%47anguageB#xtender.html $for 5ocket 5%s& www. enreader.com4"in%#47anguageB#xtender.html $for Handheld 5%s& orting many different languages&(

Art,0ey $su
A A

www.artsoft.ru4eng4 c rod.htm $for 5ocket 5%s& www.artsoft.ru4eng4h c rod.htm $for Handheld 5%s& $/ote( The version we tested refused to work with non!#nglish devicesC it wouldnDt install e.g. on a 1erman device. To be sure that your machine is su orted, you should try the trial version first&. orting Thai only&(

'ocket '% Thai $su

A A

www. ocket cthai.net4 roduct. h +ome other tools can be found on www.eitcenter.com4 ocket c4dlBthai.htm

5lease note that we neither warrant for the erformance of these roducts nor ex licitly recommend them. They are *ust listed to save you the time finding them yourself. 6ou should check out if they suit your needs on your own before you consider urchasing them. 0eyboard #a$$ings in Linux Most 7inux distributions su ort a large variety of non!#nglish keyboards. 6ou can either choose the keyboard layout when you install 7inux, or change it later $using the control center of your "indow Manager or deskto environment&. 0efer to the documentation included with your 7inux distribution for further details.