Urdu/اردو

اردو زبان میں بلاگ

This is just a test to see if I can make this weblog bilingual with entries in both English and Urdu (اردو). Don’t worry this weblog will still be mostly in English. Urdu is my first language but this is my first time typing in Urdu.

There are quite a few things I need help with.

  • First of all, if you notice any problems like gibberish or misaligned text etc. please let me know.
    • UPDATE: RSS feeds have misaligned text because of the right-to-left issue. I have no idea how to fix that. Is there anyone who knows more about RSS who can help?
  • If anyone knows a better way to write Urdu unicode than to try each key on the keyboard to find the appropriate character, please let me know. The OS I am using is Windows XP.
    • UPDATE: This is still my biggest problem.
  • When I publish my entry, the Urdu characters change to the unicode HTML entities in the edit screen. That makes the editing of Urdu posts very difficult. Is there a solution to that? Please note that I am using Textile 2 formatting and have set the character set for my weblog to be UTF-8.
    • UPDATE: Fixed by setting NoHTMLEntities to 1 in mt.cfg. Will that cause any other problems? Ampersand, smart quotes, em dashes etc.?
  • Right now, I am using <p style="text-align: right"> to align the Urdu text to the right (since it’s written from right to left). Is there a better way? How would I put that in CSS? Also, what if I want an Urdu word in the middle of a paragraph in English or vice versa?
    • UPDATE: I have created an urdu class in my CSS and use p[ur](urdu). using MT Textile. I still do want to make it simpler. Also, I am using %[ur]Some Urdu words% for Urdu text within an English paragraph. I need to create similar stuff for English as well.
  • Also, which fonts can I use for Urdu? Which ones are better looking? Which ones are more likely to be installed on my readers’ machines?
  • See how the commenter names in Urdu are misaligned with the numbers and the brackets. Is there any solution to that?
    • UPDATE: Fixed. It was being caused by the text direction issue. The brackets had an ambiguous direction. They could be left to right if in English text or right to left if in Urdu text. Since the brackets came at the boundary of the change in language, they were somehow being interpreted as in right to left direction. I fixed it by putting <span dir="ltr"></span> around them in the template.

Umair, you are the pioneer in Urdu weblogs. I need your help here.

By Zack

Dad, gadget guy, bookworm, political animal, global nomad, cyclist, hiker, tennis player, photographer

167 comments

  2. hi .everybody
    i am a foreigner who is learning urdu in pakistan and have a problem with urdu typing ..
    and you guys seem that you know alot about in that stuff…
    so help me.. ok

    now..i can use urdu unicode in any document in xp i can type it but the script is not so good enough to see…
    i use inpage also to type urdu and those fonts in that software are great but only in that it can be used … so if i want to use that kind of good font in any other document in xp how am i supposed to do>>????
    plz i will wait your post … whoever reply my question i will very appriciate ..
    thank you for your coorporation

  4. pak/billy: This Urdu font package has some good fonts for Windows machines. The inpage fonts are not Unicode and so can’t be used for other applications. Of the regular Windows fonts, I find Tahoma to be the best for Urdu. But that is still ugly. I like Nafees Web Naskh which is included in the above package.

  5. Task List — First Draft

    I started blogging in Urdu almost a year ago. I haven’t written much in Urdu, but it has been a good experience. Two of my posts about blogging in Urdu have been among the most popular posts here. The Urdu…

  6. Urdu Blogging Resource

    I started blogging in Urdu almost a year ago. I haven’t written much in Urdu, but it has been a good experience. Two of my posts about blogging in Urdu have been among the most popular posts here. The Urdu…

  7. My name is Faizan Ali Chughtai

    I need urdu in yahoo messenger so that i can chat with my friends in Urdu language. If any bodu knows about this matter, plz contact me n help me

    Thank u very much…….

  8. Faizan: I don’t know if Yahoo messenger supports Urdu or even Unicode. However, Trillian does support Unicode and I have used it for chatting in Urdu. With Trillian, you can access Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, ICQ and AOL instant messenger all at the same time.

  9. salam!!!
    i hope u ‘ll help me …i need a notes or info abt valentine’s day(islamic pt of view) in urdu…..n i really need it in few days….u can give me the add thx……
    waslam

  12. As-Salaamu Alaykum – My name is Ali (orig. Bjorn!) and Im a swedish programmer, my wife is actually pakistani.
    I’m programming a script in PHP which will render urdu to PNG’s for use in my webpage http://www.arabiska.tk .

    I’m though having some kerning problems with my (current) unicode font, hurdu nastaliq.

    Anyway, so with my script (which is at present unreleased) you are able to write “urdu” in latin LaTeX format and it will be spit out in urd .png:s. an example could be found here:

    http://humera.de/arabiska/example/

  19. sir
    i want to download freely the new version of urdu inpage that will be yours most kindness
    farooq sidiqi

  20. i have a problem with my inpage i buy the CD’s from the market but every software cant give the satisfactory result im using WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL and i need the inpage which is easily run on it plz help me because i have an urgent works to do

  24. Urdu Blogging Resource

    I started blogging in Urdu almost a year ago. I haven’t written much in Urdu, but it has been a good experience. Two of my posts about blogging in Urdu have been among the most popular posts here. The Urdu…

  25. assalamu alekum;
    i am an urdu writer,i want to download urdu inpage…..plz help me from where to download it…..its urgent.

  30. Salam to all, nice going. can anybody tell me the link to download English to urdu translator (pragraph or sentance) Free. Please send me a link to my e-mail address.
    because it’s a life for someone. Please !!

    Allah Hafiz.

  32. Salam to all, nice going. can anybody tell me the link to download English to urdu translator (pragraph or sentance) Free. Please send me a link to my e-mail address.

    my requirment also same as above. pls confirm.

  33. Hi there,
    This is a good side.I have a question that do you know any web side there I can urdu paragraph
    translate to english.online and free?
    In addition do you know any urdu stories books with english translation. if you know please tell me. I am Urdu learning through english.
    I’ll appreciate that.
    Thanks
    zaba

  35. can anyone tell me that why Inpage didint work corectly on Windows Xp, Its displays the message an error accured in mfc dll.32

  37. A.A i m Asif ..from Congo…i want write urdu in msn …&…yahoo messangers…plz help me ok by Allah hafiz

  39. Hi, I need to download Urdu software (Inpage) so that I can read Urdu on my computer. Is there a free software available on Internet.Please help.
    Thank you.

  43. hi ,sir ,how are you, please sir i want added new urdu fonts in urdu inpage please tell me about it and more thing i want a new version of inpage please try to help it .
    zafar

  49. Assalam-o-Aliqum!

    Dear i want to write urdu in yahoo massenger during chatting.How i can be write it? Any Software? Please help me ?? and also want to know how to write Urdu in M.S Word??

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