--- Forwarded Message from Bob Majors <[log in to unmask]> ---

>User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.4.030702.0
>Date: Thu, 06 May 2004 09:20:07 -0700
>Subject: Re: #7509 (new number!) mWord v.X not Unicode-capable
>From: Bob Majors <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information    Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>

I haven't found anything from Microsoft about Office 2004 Mac and Unicode.
In absence of any official information this close to release date (that I'm
aware of anyway), we're forced to rely on unconfirmed sources, and the
results I've found when doing a web search do not conflict much with the
most comprehensive (rumor) web page I found:
<http://www.thinksecret.com/news/office2004unicode.html>
... which implies (amongst other things worth reading) that Hebrew and
Arabic will not work in Office 2004.

One reason some programs under OS X don't support right to left is that they
don't correctly implement ATS Apple Type Solution (ATS) and/or Apple Type
Services for Unicode Imaging (ATSUI).  For more on what these are:

<http://developer.apple.com/intl/atsui.html>
<http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.asp?p=31702&seqNum=3>

One other note about whether a particular application 'fully supports
Unicode' or not.  I'm certainly no expert, but from what information I've
been exposed to, using that phrase often does a disservice towards trying to
communicate useful information.  By that, I mean that Unicode is not only an
evolving standard, but outside of its specs, in the real world of utilizing
it in computing, requires application development using Unicode and text
services built by manufacturers of operating systems, use of fonts, etc.
Oftentimes programs can input and display Unicode characters, and read and
write Unicode text documents, but there often are problems with particular
algorithmic support, etc., etc.  My point is that it is not only useful to
exchange higher level information (e.g., application I on OS J reads
(Unicode font) CJK languages, but does not support right to left), but also
at times to discuss in more detail the underlying technologies and reasons
for the problems that we often experience along the path toward the
seamless-heterogenous computing-Unicode holy grail.  Just a thought from a
Unicode novice like many of us, and my advise is for myself too.

Bob Majors