[ubuntu-in] SCIM all Indian Languages Baraha system

[Dinbandhu]

On Thu, 2007-08-16 at 03:50 +0530, Gora Mohanty wrote:
> On Tue, 2007-08-14 at 07:56 -0400, Dinbandhu wrote:
> [...]
> > One further question: in Baraha, there is a facility for interconverting
> > text between languages. For example, a particular text which is written
> > using Devanagari script can, with a single command, be converted into
> > Bengali script. Would there be such a facility in SCIM as well?
> [...]
> 
> If by conversion, you mean simple transliteration, i.e., a character in
> a certain position in the Devanagari Unicode block getting converted to
> the corresponding character in the Unicode block for the other language
> this is possible through a Perl script that I wrote for transliterating
> the keymaps. Thus, for example, the Devanagari letter "ka" (U0915, at
> position 16, counting from U0900, the start of the Devanagari block)
> would get transliterated to the Bengali letter "ka" (U0995, also at
> position 16 from the start of the Bengali block at U0980). This works
> in a crude sense, but runs into obvious problems when a character in
> one language has no equivalent in the other.

I do refer to simple transliteration. By that I mean transliteration to
the appropriate corresponding character including more unusual conjuncts
such as ज्ञ . So that if I write "ज्ञान" in Hindi and then give the
order for transliteration into Bangla script, it will appear as the same
word. 

There are many, many users of Baraha who cannot read the script of
another's language but have an oral knowledge of it. So that if for
example a native Gujarati speaker who knows Bangla but cannot read it,
receives a letter in Bengali script, then he/she can give the order to
convert the letter to Gujarati script and thereby easily read it.

The Baraha program performs this sort of transliteration. And it works
very well. It is a feature which many Baraha users find extremely
valuable and use a lot. I do not personally have need for it, but it
would be a good feature to be able to offer.

I have read through the directions you provided, and it seems very
interesting although I do not have the time that would be needed to
carefully go through, fully understand and implement it just now.
Perhaps another of the ubuntu-in readers who has interest, knowledge,
and time could try it out and let us know how it works.

Regards,
Swarup