How-to view/post in TAMIL ?

[RR]

How-to view/post in TAMIL?


There are the two popular standards for Tamil script: TSCII & Unicode.

TSCII stands for Tamil Standard Code for Information Interchange. It was created by a group of Font developers, vendors, users, Tamil scholars and enthusiasts, through open net based discussion. TSCII was setup as an interim standard to stop the proliferation of Tamil encodings during mid-to-late 90's.

Unicode is a universal coding scheme for ALL languages (including Tamil, of course). After Win XP was launched with support for Tamil unicode, this is getting widely popular since it is idiot-proof. There's no font installation or browser settings needed! Google also supports Unicode tamil search. However, life is not perfect for people with Win 98 or older pc's. So, TSCII lives on.. The Hub's philosophy is to support both the standards.

Let's look at TSCII first.

How to view in Tamil?

This should be simple.

Method 1: Download this file and save it in your c:\WINDOWS\Fonts\ directory. Close and Restart your browser. That's all !

You should now be able read this: þÐ ¾Á¢ú ¾¢Š¸¢Â¢ø ¨¼ô ¦ºö¾Ð.. !

Method 2: You can also download e-Kalappai and install it. This sets up tamil fonts by default. You'll be able to view tamil automatically after installation.

Method 3: There's one more popular tool called Murasu Anjal software. It's available at http://www.murasu.com. Just install and run to view TAMIL. For help, see here.

(Tamil is also supported on Mac and Linux platforms, see http://www.tamil.net/tscii/tools.html)

Typing & Posting in Tamil:

With eKalappai, you can type in Tamil as you would do for English. First press Alt+2 (eKalappai should be running in background). Now open Notepad and start typing like 'ithu oru thamiz sOthanai'.. You'll see it in Tamil..! Simple, isn't it?

If you want to get back to English typing mode, press Alt+1.

Posting instructions:

- Use eKalappai/Murasu to type a test msg.
- Open the 'post reply' page, and copy & paste the tamil text.
- Click 'Preview' and see it views fine.
- If you can't see TAMIL, pls check if [ tscii ] .. [ /tscii ] tags are present. Add them around the tamil text, if you don't see them.
- If everything's ok, 'submit' it.

Your taml posting will now be posted on the forum.. !

This method may not work if your post contains 'quote'. In that case, follow these steps..

- Use a tamil editor to type a test msg.
- Open the 'post reply' page, and copy & paste the tamil text.
- Mark this text using your cursor (as you normally do for 'copy' or 'cut').
- Click the 'TSCII' button above the form.
- Click 'Preview' and see it views fine.
- If you can't see TAMIL, pls check if [ tscii ] .. [ /tscii ] tags are present. Add them around the tamil text, if you don't see them.
- If everything's ok, 'submit' it.

Pls note that 'tscii' tags cannot be nested with 'quote' or other tags. Add tscii tags (using TSCII button) repeatedly wherever needed.

(A powerpoint tutorial will be posted soon. )

Other ways for typing in TAMIL

1. Here's an alternate way without using any software. (You may want to use this, at places like netcafe's and browsing centres.) Go to

http://www.jaffnalibrary.com/tools/Tsc.htm

In the top box, just type your text using English albhabets. They will be automatically converted to Tamil in the bottom box. Just copy & paste it..!

2. If you are using eKalappai, you don't need to copy&paste at all. You might as well go to the 'post reply' and just start typing (after setting tamil mode using Alt+2) directly

You can also use it on Yahoo messenger to chat in Tamil.. !


List of fonts supported: TSCu_Inaimathi, TSC_Avarangal, TSC_Paranar, TSC_Andal, TSC_Kanna, TSC_Comic, TSC_Times, TSC_Janani, TSC_Thunaivan, TSC_Komathi, TSC_Nattai, AparanarTSC, TSCAparnar, TSCAvarangal.

You need one of these fonts to view Tamil. Murasu Anjal and eKalappai come with them by default.

[RR]

You can also post in unicode. The advantage of unicode is: NO software or fonts is needed to view in tamil, if yours is unicode enabled. It comes by default in all recent computers.

Viewing Unicode

To check if yours is unicode enabled: are you able to see this?

இது யூனிகோட்-ல் டைப் செய்தது.

If not, try setting View->Encoding->Unicode UTF-8 in your browser. On XP, you should have Indic settings enabled, or the characters will appear jumbled. To fix it:

1. keep your XP installation CD at hand. (If you have misplaced yours, or if you have lost it, please get one from your friend, or relative, or someone you know.)
2. Click Start > Control Panel.
3. Click Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options.
4. Now, click Regional and language Options.
5. In the Supplemental Language support, Check the "Install files for Complex Script and right to left languages (including Thai) ", and then click Apply.
6. If you hadn't yet inserted the Win XP installation CD into your CD-ROM drive, An alert will appear to ask you to insert the installation CD. Insert the CD and then click OK. After the installation, your system will restart for proper operation
7. That's all... now your computer is enabled for Unicode Indic.

Posting in Unicode

1. The copy/paste method

Go to

http://forumhub.com/tamil/

Just type your tamil text, then copy the tamil text and paste it in the form, and submit. That's all! You do not need any special tags.

2. Directly type in the post/reply form

It's possible with eKalappai 2.0. Instructions are here:

http://anbudanbuhari.com/xunicodetamil.html

[RR]

Other questions

Is there a way that we can see a Unicode thamizh Post, even if the browser(IE) is configured as view-encoding to be "user-defined"??

Actually, you don't need to set browser encoding to 'User-defined' as on other sites (like yahoogroups). Use 'Auto-select' encoding. (Right click->Encoding->Auto-select.) Then you can see both TSCII and Unicode.

How to convert between TSCII and Unicode?

Unicode to TSCII
TSCII to Unicode

Where I get more help?

We suggest you browse this page. It lists many resources containing tutorials, tools, etc.

[RR]

To test your posts, pls go the Testing forum.

Post below ONLY if you want help related to tamil viewing or posting.

[Surya]

Mr. RR,
I tried using E-Kalappai, and the Tamil Converter @ forumhub.com/tamil

And I can't seem to get SRI as one letter. It gives me ஸ்ரீ

What do I go?

Thanks in advance!

[skanthan]

Žì¸õ!

[skanthan]

What happened?!?!?! I installed the new Tamil font and still I cannot see my above post ikn Tamil! Is there any other font which can be installed from a website same way as the e-kalappai font which I and other hubbers used? Recently, I took my computer in for repairs and all of a sudden everything I typed in Tamil script came out as garblrd characters! yaarum enakku udhavu!

[RR]

Mr. RR,
I tried using E-Kalappai, and the Tamil Converter @ forumhub.com/tamil

And I can't seem to get SRI as one letter. It gives me ஸ்ரீ

What do I go?

Thanks in advance!

Surya,

I hope you solved your problem. The SRI in your post reads fine for me.

[RR]

What happened?!?!?! I installed the new Tamil font and still I cannot see my above post ikn Tamil! Is there any other font which can be installed from a website same way as the e-kalappai font which I and other hubbers used? Recently, I took my computer in for repairs and all of a sudden everything I typed in Tamil script came out as garblrd characters! yaarum enakku udhavu!

skanthan,
I am able to read 'vanakkam' fine. Are you still having the problem? If so, try reinstalling e-Kalappai.

[RR]

To test your posts, pls go the Testing forum.

Post below ONLY if you want help related to tamil viewing or posting.