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By maru-san - Sunday, November 28, 2004
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I know it is not that easy to display japanese in the format the Japanese prefer to write their names (top > down), but can this be done without going through some weird settings such as lines, spaces and so on?
Like the first character center aligned, the 2nd character underneath (on the next line) again center aligned and so on. (Japanese/Chinese names display option)
Thanks for you patience.
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By GenoProSupport - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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The "Display" dialog has spaced reserved for the text alignment (at the right of the sample preview). I want to do something similar to Excel's text alignment. Future options of text alignment will be horizontal (default), vertical CCW (-90 degrees or +270 degrees), vertical CW (+90 degrees), and vertical top-to-bottom.
The option vertical top-to-bottom will display one character on each line, from top-to-bottom. By the way, do you use Unicode Surrogates when entering names in Japanese?
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By maru-san - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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Here is how it works:
Since I am using Windows ME, the Global IME functions only when I open certain programs, such as Word or IE or Outlook Express. A direct input into Genopro does not work. So I have all the names first written into Word, and copy > paste from there into Genopro. I have kept the input of japanese text so far to the names only. If I want to put more text in japanese, most probably I transfer the file to my wife's computer (japanese Windows). I will do after the final Genopro Version 2.0 is out.
The input of japanese characters is very simple after you have learned the basics. Like "maru" i.e., you hit the keyboard "m a r u" and then the space buttom, it gives you then a choice of japanese characters. You then have to select the correct one for your purpose, like 丸 and confirm with enter. The font is automatically selected when you use WORD. On a japanese computer you have more choices with regard to fonts.
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By GenoProSupport - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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A direct input into Genopro does not work. So I have all the names first written into Word, and copy > paste from there into Genopro.
That sucks. Is there anything GenoPro can do to change this? Is this a limitation of Windows ME, or you get the same limitation in Windows XP? I watched a few friends & neighbors doing their genealogy tree in Chinese under both Windows 98 and XP and they were able to directly enter Chinese characters into GenoPro. Maybe something got changed since then (around beta 5), or I am missing something important.
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By maru-san - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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I have lived with this bilingual stuff now for many years, yes, sometimes its sucks, but sometimes there is a way around. Before I continue have a look at following explanation:
http://www.msu.edu/~bellbri2/ime.html
I can type into WORD but not into Excel, but the copy > paste function works also here, the same goes for Microsoft Publisher.
Many years ago I had to set up the accounting system in two companies(Japanese invoices to the customers, English reports to the headoffice in Germany, operated by bilingual staff). Global IME was not around at that time. Then I used Twinbridge(Japanese and Chinese), which was available for Windows 95 and which I still have on my older Laptop. When Windows ME came the Global IME system was very handy, but it works only as said in above webpage.
May be Microsoft has a solution or at least a comment for this.
Or can Genopro activate the Global IME system from within genopro, like when you start WORD, the function is there (En on the system tray right side)?
I still have to try Genopro with Twinbridge on my old PC and transfer the files to Windows ME and see the output there. Give me another few days for this. I have downloaded the trial version (60 days) for ME but not installed yet.
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By maru-san - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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Dan,
have tried Twinbridge (trial version) on Windows ME.
The fonts are then listed when activated under "Properties > fonts" under the column where you have all the other Western/US fonts. The fonts used are the "True Type" fonts. Selecting this fonts will display my name in Japanese characters, typed using Twinbridge, the display in the dialog box shows both Japanese names (one typed using Global IME via WORD, the other Twinbridge properly, however in the display of this individual only the one using Twinbridge is shown.
If someone of your friends has typed Japanese/Chinese directly into Genopro, they may have used the japanese/chinese Windows version or used a system like Twinbridge or Asian Suite.
If you are interested in how it looks I can send you the screen print. So whether it will be possible to type directly into Genopro most probably depends also on whether Windows ME and Global IME will have this support from Microsoft when using the english version of Windows.
The idea to align characters the way it is done in Excel will solve however the problem I have asked for in the beginning, Thanks!!
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By GenoProSupport - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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If you are interested in how it looks I can send you the screen print.
I would like to see how it looks. Thanks.
By the way, are you annoyed by the auto-drop down list when you type text? Some of the asian text input have their own drop down list when typing, and the GenoPro drop down list may interfere. I am thinking of adding an option and/or automatically detecting this.
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By maru-san - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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By the way, are you annoyed by the auto-drop down list when you type text?
Yes!
Have tried to input japanese characters under Windows 98 (JP). The result is as follows:
when I input english names, the drop-down list appears the same way it does when using english Windows version. When I switch to input of japanese characters, no drop-down list appears even when typing the same japanese character as for another individual. The "drop-downlist of the japanese characters" comes only when I click "space" in order to find the proper japanese character.
Will this help you?
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By GenoProSupport - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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Hi maru-san,
I just made an update, Beta12e, with a display option to draw text vertically, from top-to-bottom. This option will be handy to display Japanese text from top-to-bottom.
I also included code to detect the presence of a window to enter special characters. If GenoPro detects this window, the drop-down is displayed
above the the combo rather than below. This is not the final feature, however I want to tell me if you get a "drop list" appearing on top rather than at the bottom. I cannot test this myself because I don't enter Japanese text.
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By maru-san - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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Looks great!
Even better on my PC (engl. Windows ME) than on a jap. version (Windows 98 ).
Could not get a drop-down list above the combo as described yet. Will try again.
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By GenoProSupport - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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Could not get a drop-down list above the combo as described yet. Will try again.
I am not surprised. For some strange reasons, I cannot get the keyboard messages WM_IME_CHAR nor the WM_UNICHAR. Those messages are best for Unicode handling, and can notify GenoPro the presence of the Input Method Editor (IME) - the window to display symbols.
I have another solution. I will work on it this week.
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By maru-san - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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Have tried the utility program of Ron to convert into GEDCOM format and was surprised that when the program starts the IME function is activated. This means I could enter japanese text into the field, where the xml file should be placed for converting purpose.
Was this on purpose or by accident done by Ron?
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By GenoProSupport - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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The IME is built-in and available to every Windows program. I need to investigate why GenoPro does not receive IME messages. I am not sure if this is a Windows95/98/ME issue or an issue on the NT/200/XP platform. I have seen the IME at work, but I never used it personally. I only know English and French.
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By GenoProSupport - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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GenoPro Beta12f now offers the option to display the auto drop down list above the input field, or to turn it off completely.
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By maru-san - Thursday, August 18, 2005
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Thanks for all these nice improvements.
Have tried something today, which should not have happened. If a gno file is transferred from an English Windows version and the input was done with IME to a japanese Windows version, the first thing after opening this file should be to set the proper font, otherwise a crash may happen. Although the display shows proper japanese characters initially, still it is important to do so. Realized this when trying to make a Meta file without setting the font to a font which is available on that computer. The program crashed!
The same should be done in both directions.
Should be mentioned in the manual for this program.
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