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Article #10655Re: Typesetting Hebrew, how? Not in FAQ.
From: Joel M. Hoffman
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 23:07
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 23:07
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In article <SQUASH.93Jan18132520@poincare.math.ufl.edu> squash@math.ufl.edu (Jonathan King) writes: >Hello. Is there available a public-domain TeX macro package for typesetting >paragraphs in Hebrew? Is there a public-domain Hebrew font? >Thank you. Jonathan squash@math.ufl.edu Here's the way it works: To typeset Hebrew in paragraphs, you need a modified version of TeX. That is, you actually have to modify the source code. The modified version is called TeX--XeT, and is fully backward compatible with TeX, but includes commands for right-to-left text. If you can get this version, or if you care to compile it from the sources (not too hard --- write me if you want help), then you can typeset Hebrew in paragraphs. Otherwise, you have to choose the linebreaks yourself, but you can still typeset Hebrew. Either way, here's what you'll need: 1. Some way to enter Hebrew. I have macro packages available for GNU Emacs that let you Enter Hebrew right-to-left. You'll also want a Hebrew screen font, which I have made available for DOS. So, the easiest way to enter the Hebrew is either to run DEMACS on DOS with my font, or to use kermit on a DOS machine to login (via an 8bit clean connection) to Unix, and use GNU Emacs on the Unix host. You can also use Linux (Unix close for PC's), for which I have made my Hebrew font available, and which runs GNU Emacs. Another option is X window, about which I know nothing. Finally, if you're running DOS, and don't have DEMACS, you can use my Ibelbe program, which gives you the ability to edit text files bidirectionally in both Hebrew and English. But it's a lousy program. Get DEMACS instead. 2. If you're using TeX--XeT, you need to convert the Hebrew from ``screen order'' to ``time order.'' Here's what that means: When you see the Hebrew on the screen, the left-most words in a line are actually the last words you read. That's convenient for reading. However, TeX needs everything in the order it is to be read, so it can create paragraphs correctly. I have made a simple filter (in C, compiles under GCC and TC) that converts the file Emacs creates into the format that TeX--XeT wants. It also optionally inserts font-changing commands into the file. If you're using plain TeX, this isn't an issue because you have to format the text yourself. 3. You need Hebrew fonts. There are several available. There are four fonts from Israel, called Jerusalem, DeadSea, Yaffo and TelAviv. Jerusalem is a beautiful modern font, and DeadSea is a nice classical font. Don't use Yaffo. None of the fonts contains vowels. I have two fonts available, HClassic and HCaption, both of which contain vowels. The former is a modernized classical Hebrew font, and the latter is designed to be used in captions with HClassic. To use the vowels you need macros in TeX, which I have also made available. I have never tried using those macros with TeX--XeT to typeset whole paragraphs with Hebrew, but it should work. I think that's it. If you have any further questions, please let me know. -Joel (joel@wam.umd.edu)
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Newsgroups: comp.text.tex Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!haven.umd.edu!wam.umd.edu!joel From: joel@wam.umd.edu (Joel M. Hoffman) Subject: Re: Typesetting Hebrew, how? Not in FAQ. Message-ID: <1993Jan20.230749.4317@wam.umd.edu> Sender: usenet@wam.umd.edu (USENET News system) Nntp-Posting-Host: rac3.wam.umd.edu Organization: University of Maryland, College Park References: <SQUASH.93Jan18132520@poincare.math.ufl.edu> Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 23:07:49 GMT Lines: 57