Arabic OpenType specification

Microsoft Typography | Developer information | Specifications | OpenType font development

Arabic OpenType Specification

Creating and supporting OpenType fonts for the Arabic script
This document presents information that will assist font developers in creating fonts for all Arabic script languages covered by the Unicode Standard 3.1. Font developers will learn how to encode complex script features in their fonts, choose character sets, organize font information, and use existing tools to produce Arabic fonts. Registered features of the Arabic script are defined and illustrated, encodings are listed, and templates are included for compiling Arabic layout tables for OpenType fonts.
This document also presents information about the Arabic OpenType shaping engine of 'Uniscribe', an operating system component responsible for text layout.
In addition to being a primer and specification for the creation and support of Arabic fonts, this document is intended to more broadly illustrate the OpenType Layout architecture, feature schemes, and operating system support for shaping and positioning text.

Contents

Terms
How the Arabic shaping engine works
Features for the Arabic script
Other encoding issues
Appendix

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Companies, names, and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.
© 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Microsoft, MS, Windows, NT, MS Word and OpenType are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. TrueType is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Arabic OpenType Specification

Microsoft Typography | Developer information | Specifications | OpenType font development



	Microsoft Typography \| Developer information \| Specifications \| OpenType font development

	Arabic OpenType Specification



		Creating and supporting OpenType fonts for the Arabic script This document presents information that will assist font developers in creating fonts for all Arabic script languages covered by the Unicode Standard 3.1. Font developers will learn how to encode complex script features in their fonts, choose character sets, organize font information, and use existing tools to produce Arabic fonts. Registered features of the Arabic script are defined and illustrated, encodings are listed, and templates are included for compiling Arabic layout tables for OpenType fonts. This document also presents information about the Arabic OpenType shaping engine of 'Uniscribe', an operating system component responsible for text layout. In addition to being a primer and specification for the creation and support of Arabic fonts, this document is intended to more broadly illustrate the OpenType Layout architecture, feature schemes, and operating system support for shaping and positioning text. Contents Terms How the Arabic shaping engine works Features for the Arabic script Other encoding issues Appendix Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Companies, names, and data used in examples herein are fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. © 2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, MS, Windows, NT, MS Word and OpenType are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. TrueType is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.


	Arabic OpenType Specification

	Microsoft Typography \| Developer information \| Specifications \| OpenType font development