<html><head><title>Languages Using Complex Text Layout</title><meta name="filename" content="text/common/guide/ctl"/><help:css-file-link xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><!--The CSS style header method for setting styles--><style type="text/css">
p.P1{
}
p.P2{
}
p.P3{
}
span.T1{
font-weight:bold;}
</style></head><body>
<p class="P1"/>
<p class="Head1"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="13" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="CTL; complex text layout languages" tag="kw68677_1" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="languages; complex text layout" tag="kw68677_12" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="text; CTL languages" tag="kw68677_11" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="text layout; complex text layout (CTL)" tag="kw68677_10" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="right to left; complex text layout" tag="kw68677_9" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="languages; right to left" tag="kw68677_8" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="entering text; right to left" tag="kw68677_7" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="bi-directional writing" tag="kw68677_6" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="Hindi; entering text" tag="kw68677_5" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="Hebrew; entering text" tag="kw68677_4" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="Arabic; entering text" tag="kw68677_3" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:key-word value="Thai; entering text" tag="kw68677_2" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/><help:to-be-embedded Eid="ctl" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"><help:link Id="68677">Languages Using Complex Text Layout</help:link></help:to-be-embedded></p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="10" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>Currently, <help:productname xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> supports Hindi, Thai, Hebrew, and Arabic as <help:popup Id="65619" Eid="ctl" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">CTL languages</help:popup>.</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="11" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>If you select the text flow from right to left, you will automatically type text formatted in Hindi, Thai, Hebrew, or Arabic from right to left, while embedded Western text still runs from left to right. The cursor responds to the arrow keys in that Right Arrow moves it "to the text end" and Left Arrow "to the text start".</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="1" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>You can change the text writing direction directly be pressing one of the following keys:</p>
<ul class="L1">
<li class="">
<p class="P2"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="2" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>Ctrl+Shift+D or Ctrl+Right Shift Key - switch to right-to-left text entry</p>
</li>
<li class="">
<p class="P2"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="3" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>Ctrl+Shift+A or Ctrl+Left Shift Key - switch to left-to-right text entry</p>
</li>
<li class="">
<p class="P2"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="4" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>The modifier-only key combinations only work when CTL support is enabled.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="5" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>In multicolumn pages, sections or frames that are formatted with text flow from right to left, the first column is the right column and the last column is the left column.</p>
<p class="Paragraph"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="6" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>In <help:productname xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help">%PRODUCTNAME</help:productname> Writer text formatted in <span class="T1">Thai language</span> has the following features:</p>
<ul class="L2">
<li class="">
<p class="P3"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="7" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>In paragraphs with justified alignment, the characters are stretched to flush the lines at the margins. In other languages the spaces between words are stretched.</p>
</li>
<li class="">
<p class="P3"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="8" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>Use the Delete key to delete a whole composite character. Use the Backspace key to delete the last part of the previous composite character.</p>
</li>
<li class="">
<p class="P3"><help:paragraphinfo state="U" number="9" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"/>Use the Right or Left Arrow key to jump to the next or previous whole composite character. To position the cursor into a composite character, use <help:switch select="System" xmlns:help="http://openoffice.org/2000/help"><help:case select="MAC">Option</help:case><help:default>Alt</help:default></help:switch>+Arrow key.</p>
