--- In malayalamlinux@y..., "human_rationalist" <yahoo@k...> wrote:
> Hi does anyone know why
> there are very few characters in the Malayalam Unicode layout. Are
> there any efforts underway to add more characters to this list.

Ministry of IT (govt. of india) has propsed to include Malayalam chillus
in Malayalam unicode character set range.

http://tdil.mit.gov.in/tdil-april-2002.pdf

I don't know the status of this proposal.
If anyone knows the status, please inform me.

Few years back there was a proposal to include chilllus and signs of
Malayalam 'madyamangals', But that proposal completely rejected by
Unicode consortium.

Now for chillus are mapped as "consonant + chandrakkala + Zero Width
Joiner (ZWJ)"

And we can use Zero Width Non Joiner (ZWNJ) for visual splitting of
characters.

But In the keyboard layout proposed by Kerala govt. includes single
keys for chillus, and they provided a 'NUK' key also. In the keyboard
layout implimented in X window system has support for this layout and
I used ZWNJ in the position of 'NUK' key.So that if any one want a
visual splitting of characters (eg:- for demo or printing purpose) the
can use 'NUK' key.

And in the sorting order defined in 'locale' , will incude ZWJ for
mapping of chillus, so that sorting also won't be a problem.

If the current proposal is going to be accepted, we can write a simple
script to replace all chillus with new standared.
Then, the 'XKB' file for keyboard map won't be re-write, because I
have selected the new proposed positions of chillus in that file, then
we can remove 'Compose' file (which maps this keystrokes into the
current standared mapping).


Regards,
Baiju M