X Series 2 fonts changing . (dot) to , (comma) in persian numerals, ... -- A Persian font database

[Majid Einian]

Dear PC members,

Trying to create scientific reports including a lot of numbers in tables and formulas, we have come to some promlems:

1. Using the X Series 2 fonts (e.g. XB Niloofar) . (dot) changes to , (comma) when between two numeral: ۱.۱  ==> ۱,۱

 we use don't use . (dot) for decimal point and we don't like this change (specially in formula numbers and section titles). Why is this acting this way? 

2. when typing something like 3/5 in persian ۳/۵ appears as ۵/۳ in Microsoft word and we don't like either. What should we do?

These problem led me to an important question: what is the best font available which is unicode, has Persian decimal seperator, does not act weird and by all means is the best choice for scientific publication? (Our institute currently uses B Nazanin and B Mitra and I don't like them!)

This question led me to some idea about gathering a database for available Persian font's. I have created a Google Docs spreadsheet for this purpose, members of this group (and the p-c-fa group) can edit this and the public can view it.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkjLZtTm67EidDJUa0hYM0htbzRhMXRrbjZQblBlYUE

I do not know a lot about all available Persian fonts and maybe some information there is incorrect. I think this can help us reach a conclusion about the best font available!

--

Majid Einian,
PhD Candidate in "Economics",
Graduate School of Management and Economics,
Sharif University of Technology,
Tehran, IRAN

[Behnam Rassi]

This is the default behaviour of X Series 2 on a Mac (using AAT technology). But it's optional and in typography settings it can be changed.

Unfortunately the optional aspect of this was not replicated in OT technology (on Windows and Linux) and even if it was there, it could not be reached and changed in most cases.

If you want to avoid the automatic substitution of dot to comma for particular usage, you can avoid it by doing find and replace, and substitute dot with 'zwnj-dot-zwnj'.

Only one ZWNJ will stop the automatic substitution but I think wrapping it with ZWNJ on both sides will help maintaining its directionality behaviour within context. But I'm not sure.

-b

--
http://persian-computing.org/
http://groups.google.com/group/persian-computing/

[Mehrdad Senobari]

Hi,
1. Microsoft Word 2010 has added some options for open-type features
(see the second tab of the font dialog). But unfortunately, it does
not solve your problem.
(Because the font behavior is implemented with ‘rlig’ opentype
feature, which I guess it's not optional in Windows/Word).

2. Your second problem is not really a font issue. If you use Persian
digits, then you should use the following character as decimal
separator (Shift+3 in Persian Standard keyboard):
U+066B ARABIC DECIMAL SEPARATOR

-- Mehrdad