[XeTeX] ArabXeTeX: Alif Maqsura

Fr. Michael Gilmary FrMichaelGilmary at MaroniteMonks.org
Sun Mar 15 22:42:51 CET 2009


Tilman Hannemann wrote:

> Alas, it is still not the same here. And when I change your fourth  
> line into
>
> \newfontfamily\Arabic[Scale=1.3]{Scheherazade}
>
> the sukkun appears only within ArabXeTeX. So, the error is probably  
> not related to the font.
>
>   

Well, I can't say where the problem lies ... but if you use non-AAT 
fonts, like Scheherazade, remember what Jonathan Kew mentioned to me the 
other day on this list:


> The fontspec [Script=....] option presupposes that OpenType "shaping"  
> is to be applied. Al Bayan (and the other Arabic, Indic, etc., fonts  
> that Apple ships) relies on AAT, not OpenType, for shaping behavior.  
> Left to itself, xetex will pick the appropriate rendering technology  
> based on what it finds in the font, but by specifying [Script] in  
> through fontspec you are overriding that, and insisting it use the  
> OpenType route. But Al Bayan doesn't include OpenType tables, so you  
> lose...
>   

i.e., if you use Al Bayan with the [Script=Arabic] option. Use that 
option with Scheherazade.

Of interest concerning AAT fonts use of kashida justification, JK wrote:

> When using AAT fonts, xetex also tries to apply whatever justification  
> behavior the font provides, which may include kashidas in Arabic  
> fonts. There's no such support in the OpenType engine at the moment.
>
> So... two different font technologies. (Note that AAT support is only  
> available on Mac OS X, so users on other platforms should disregard  
> this completely.)



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United in adoration of Jesus, 



fr. michael gilmary, mma

Most Holy Trinity Monastery
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