Look at UTR#20 and at UAX#9 (the 4.01. version is due out shortly).
Taken together they suggest that the non-plain text way is to keep such text direction overrides out of band (i.e. in markup) and to apply the bidi algorithm segment by segment in a marked up file.
If you export to plain text, follow Jony's suggestion, and when importing text into a markup language environment, substitute the equivalent markup (*) and remove the LRO/PDF from the data stream.
It might be a while before applications really support this, but you can always construct two text files, one in correct plain text (using a span delimited by LRO and PDF) and one in correct HTML, for example, and try and import/export them in and out and across your favorite tools.
By all means, file as many bugs against them as you find ;-)
A./
(*) if available - this is a necessary caveat.
At 12:33 AM 3/27/2004, Jony Rosenne wrote:
LRO/PDF
Jony
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of John Hudson > Sent: Saturday, March 27, 2004 5:05 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RTL -> LTR > > > What is the recommended method for reversing the normal > direction of text? For example, if > one has Arabic text and wishes to reverse the direction so > that it goes from left to > right, how should one do this? Some app, e.g. InDesign ME, > offer 'Character Direction' > control that affects selected text, but I'm looking for a > more universal solution such as > inserting a control character at the beginning of the text. > I'm interested in both > theoretical recommendations ('This is what you should do...') > and practical caveats ('It > doesn't actually work in X, Y and Z applications...). Thanks. > > John Hudson > > -- > > Tiro Typeworks www.tiro.com > Vancouver, BC [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > I often play against man, God says, but it is he who wants > to lose, the idiot, and it is I who want him to win. > And I succeed sometimes > In making him win. > - Charles Peguy > >
