Script and Language Support


Several glyph effects have been included in fonts to support the use of non-European scripts. While these effects typically apply to one or more non-European scripts, they can sometimes be used in European scripts for visual effect.

Vertical Substitution

The Vertical Substitution feature type can be used to specify that glyphs need to change their appearance in vertical runs of text. This might be automatically triggered in an application that supports vertical text.

It's most useful for Kanji and other scripts which can be written vertically, but it can also be very handy when scripts typically written horizontally are written vertically, either for display, or within a vertically-written script (eg. an English word within some vertically-set Kanji).

The Vertical Substitution feature has one setting, which can be on or off.

Substitute Vertical Forms

Example

Glyphs:
Horizontal forms; Vertical forms.
Effect:
Horizontally-oriented glyphs (such as brackets) are replaced with vertically-oriented versions.
Editor:
1-for-1 non-contextual editor.

Character Shape

The Character Shape feature type is primarily for use with Chinese fonts to specify the use of the Traditional or Simplified character forms. This is not done as a Glyph Alternate setting because the difference between Traditional and Simplified characters is a well-defined linguistic, rather than stylistic, feature of Chinese.

This is an exclusive feature.

Traditional Characters

Examples

Glyphs:
Traditonal Chinese characters.
Effect:
Forces GX to display Chinese text using traditional character forms.
Editor:
1-for-1 non-contextual editor

Simplified Characters

Examples

Glyphs:
Simplified Chinese characters.
Effect:
Forces GX to display Chinese text using simplified character forms.
Editor:
1-for-1 non-contextual editor.

Diacritics

The Diacritics feature type allows control over how diacritics (i.e. accent marks or applied vowels) appear in text. This is useful in Arabic children's book text, where the same text could be shown with vowels for children (inexperienced readers) and without vowels for adults.

This effect does not affect what you type (eg., opt-n + n = ñ). That behavior is part of the keyboard, and neither the font nor GX itself know anything about it.

This is an exclusive feature.

Show Diacritics

Examples

Glyphs:
 
Effect:
 
Editor:
 
Notes:
This setting will be the default in most fonts.

Hide Diacritics

Example

Glyphs:
 
Effect:
 
Editor:
 
Notes:
The Hide Diacritics selector means to not show the marks.

Decompose Diacritics

Example

Glyphs:
None
Effect:
Diacritic marks are not attached to characters, instead they are placed in-line with the rest of the text.
Editor:
Because of a TrueEdit bug, there is no editor for this feature.
 

Linguistic Rearrangement

The Linguistic Rearrangement feature type specifies whether linguistic rearrangement of glyphs (such as happens in South Asian scripts) should happen. It is on by default for fonts representing these scripts.

Linguistic Rearrangement

 

Glyphs:
As appropriate
Effect:
As appropriate
Editor:
Not implemented.
Notes:
The default is 'enabled' for fonts representing the relevant scripts.





Arleigh Movitz (movitz@apple.com)
Dave Opstad (opstad@apple.com)
Kristian Walsh (walsh.k@euro.apple.com)