Should we create a [syr] tag?

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Expand view Topic review: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by talmid56 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:53 pm

Also looks good both on Windows 7 running Chrome (work computer) and Mac OS X 10.11 running Safari on MacBookPro (home). The text with the tag is easier on my eyes, too. My eyes aren't quite as young as Jason's (will be age 62 in January and wear bifocals), so the bigger size is welcome. ;)

Re: Syriac (Peshitta) text rendering experiment

Post by Jemoh66 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 8:40 pm

Kirk Lowery wrote:The simplest and easiest implementation is something similar to Jason's suggestion:

Code: Select all

<span style='font-size: 130%; line-height: 130%; direction: rtl; unicode-bidi: bidi-override;'>…</span>


Here is the text without any special formatting. Is this readable for you?
ܦܸܬ̣ܓ̣ܵܡܵܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܐܹܪܲܡܝܵܐ ܒܲܪ ܚܠܲܩܝܵܐ: ܡ̣ܢ ܟܵܗܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܒܲܥܢܵܬ̣ܘܿܬ̣ ܕܒܲܐܪܥܵܐ ܕܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ.

So here is a verse of Peshitta using this code in a tag, letting the OS solve the font issues:
ܦܸܬ̣ܓ̣ܵܡܵܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܐܹܪܲܡܝܵܐ ܒܲܪ ܚܠܲܩܝܵܐ: ܡ̣ܢ ܟܵܗܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܒܲܥܢܵܬ̣ܘܿܬ̣ ܕܒܲܐܪܥܵܐ ܕܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ.

The text without the tag looks okay, but is small and hard to read. Using Jason's code, the tag makes the text larger and -- to my eyes -- comfortably readable.

You'll note that your full editor now has the "syr" button which will insert the start and end tags for you. You can, of course, simply type the tags yourself.

I'm going to post this now and check it out on my Windows 10 system and on my iPad III and report back.


Looks good in my iPhone

Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by S_Walch » Mon Nov 27, 2017 6:19 pm

Agreed. The tag is working fine for me as well.

Much easier to read :)

Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by Jason Hare » Mon Nov 27, 2017 2:10 pm

Kirk,

It all looks fantastic to me. I think most systems now are equipped to handle the whole Unicode standard in their default fonts. It's not always pretty, but it's always there (are there exceptions?).

Thanks for the tag. :)

Yours,
Jason

ܝܫܪ ܚܝܠܟ
[ישר חילך]
[yishar ħailak]
"Thanks"

Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by Kirk Lowery » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:47 am

talmid56 wrote:I will start learning Syriac soon, so I think a [syr] tag would be helpful. For those like me who are new to the script though, it would be helpful if users included some transliteration along with the Syriac, or a transcription in square script along with individual words/phrases.


This is always courteous: think of your readers and how to make your communication clear and relevant. We cannot expect that everyone will have studied Syriac (or other ancient near eastern languages).

On the other hand, we are devoted to the study of ancient Hebrew. We should expect forum members to be able to read the Hebrew script, both vocalized with unvocalized. Yes, transliteration of Hebrew text is sometimes helpful in a particular discussion. But as a general rule, we should encourage everyone to master the alphabetic basics.

Re: Syriac (Peshitta) text rendering experiment

Post by Kirk Lowery » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:43 am

Kirk Lowery wrote:I'm going to post this now and check it out on my Windows 10 system and on my iPad III and report back.


I checked my up-to-date Windows 10 box, my Ubuntu 17.10 virtual machine, my iPad III (both Chrome and Safari) and my Android smartphone (Samsung Galaxy S5). While there are some variations in relative size display, I found no issues.

Unless I hear screams from the membership, I'm going to declare the "syr" tag in beta. I'd like to avoid requiring a specific font or messing with server-side fonts if I can.

My next post will contain some usage tips.

Syriac (Peshitta) text rendering experiment

Post by Kirk Lowery » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:22 am

The simplest and easiest implementation is something similar to Jason's suggestion:

Code: Select all

<span style='font-size: 130%; line-height: 130%; direction: rtl; unicode-bidi: bidi-override;'>…</span>


Here is the text without any special formatting. Is this readable for you?
ܦܸܬ̣ܓ̣ܵܡܵܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܐܹܪܲܡܝܵܐ ܒܲܪ ܚܠܲܩܝܵܐ: ܡ̣ܢ ܟܵܗܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܒܲܥܢܵܬ̣ܘܿܬ̣ ܕܒܲܐܪܥܵܐ ܕܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ.

So here is a verse of Peshitta using this code in a tag, letting the OS solve the font issues:
ܦܸܬ̣ܓ̣ܵܡܵܘ̈ܗܝ ܕܐܹܪܲܡܝܵܐ ܒܲܪ ܚܠܲܩܝܵܐ: ܡ̣ܢ ܟܵܗܢܹ̈ܐ ܕܒܲܥܢܵܬ̣ܘܿܬ̣ ܕܒܲܐܪܥܵܐ ܕܒܸܢܝܵܡܹܝܢ.

The text without the tag looks okay, but is small and hard to read. Using Jason's code, the tag makes the text larger and -- to my eyes -- comfortably readable.

You'll note that your full editor now has the "syr" button which will insert the start and end tags for you. You can, of course, simply type the tags yourself.

I'm going to post this now and check it out on my Windows 10 system and on my iPad III and report back.

Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by talmid56 » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:18 am

I will start learning Syriac soon, so I think a [syr] tag would be helpful. For those like me who are new to the script though, it would be helpful if users included some transliteration along with the Syriac, or a transcription in square script along with individual words/phrases.

Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by Kirk Lowery » Mon Nov 27, 2017 11:04 am

Sorry about the delay in responding. I got caught up in the US Thanksgiving holiday and travel. But I'm back in the saddle again! ;)

In a subsequent post, I will be getting technical and maybe only Jason will care, but I need community feedback as we proceed. So bear with me and skip over the parts you don't understand or don't care about.

Considerations:
  • The KISS principle: "Keep It Simple, Stupid!"
  • In an ideal world, the forum member should not have to install a particular font. The text should be readable from default fonts available on the three major OS platforms: Windows, OSX (Apple) and Linux.
  • The text should render all standard consonants, vowels and diacritics. It should also be large enough that those with eyesight issues can read the Syriac without effort. A larger font size will disturb the line spacing when embedded into English (Latin) text, but that's okay. It's what happens now with the [heb] tag.
  • Embedding a Syriac font server side, so that all devices will have access to it, is theoretically possible. That is, I have administrator access to the server as well as to the software that runs our forum. (Which reminds me, I've got a new release of phpBB to install. :oops: ). But it will take a bit of research and maybe some expert help to accomplish this.
  • We need to survey what Syriac fonts are available out there, especially free fonts. Google Noto fonts claim to cover all the Unicode defined Syriac scripts.
Comments or concerns about the above? What have I missed?

My next post will start actual experimentation. This is where I'll want feedback from all of you about its legibility.

Re: Should we create a [syr] tag?

Post by Jason Hare » Fri Nov 17, 2017 3:54 am

I don't know that we're legally allowed to embed it.

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