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Apr 15, 2008 - Sinhala Tamil Unicode Kit installation is done, click “OK” and after this. Allow Windows XP Sinhala Enabling Pack to install automatically.
- Web Development
- Language Code: si (Sinhala)
About the Script
Sinhala (Sri Lanka) is a syllabic alphabet in that it consists of consonants with vowel signs.
Although Unicode includes Sinhala, support from major software vendors has not caught up yet. Therefore many Sinhala sites may offer custom fonts or be written in the Latin alphabet.
Browser and Font Recommendations
Test Sites
If you have your browser configured correctly, the Web sites above should display the correct characters. If you have difficulties, see list below for font and browser configuration instructions.
Fonts by Platform
- Windows Vista+ - Iskoola Potha
- Windows XP - The Potha and Dinamina fonts are available in the Beta Sinhala Kit from Microsoft. You can extract just the fonts from the .zip file if desired.
- Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion) - Sinhala MN and Sinhala Sangam MN.
Note: Users on earlier systems must install third party fonts, but vowel marks may not display correctly.
Open Type Third Party Fonts
Read pages for instructions on whether it is Windows compliant or Linux compliant.
- Akshar Unicode Open Type Font - Right click or control click (Mac) to download file
- LKLUG (Lanka Linux Group) - Right click (Control+Click on Mac) on 'lklug.ttf' and choose the save file option.
- Kaputa Unicode - Scroll down to link
- Potha and Dinamina - Extract .zip fonts from the Beta Sinhala Kit from Microsoft
See also
- Gallery of Unicode Fonts - Scroll down for list of scripts.
Recommended Browsers
Windows
Macintosh OS X - in systems before OS X 10.7 Lion, some Sinhala vowel signs will be improperly displayed, even with the correct font installed.
Manually Switch Encoding
If you see Roman character gibberish instead of a South Asian script, you will need to manually switch from Western encoding view to the Unicode encoding under the View menu of your browser.
Setup for Keyboarding
Basic Setup
In order to integrate foreign scripts into your computer, you must set up 'keyboard' or input utilities in your operating system. These utilities will allow you to switch between typing English and other languages in word processors and Web tools. This process will also make sure the correct fonts are installed and available on your operating system.
See instructions for Setting up Keyboards for details.
Web Development
Sinhala Encoding and Language Tags
These are the codes which allow browsers and screen readers to process data as the appropriate language. All letters in codes are lower case.
- Encoding: utf-8(Unicode)
- Language Code: si
Using Encoding and Language Codes
Computers process text by assuming a certain encoding or a system of matching electronic data with visual text characters. Whenever you develop a Web site you need to make sure the proper encoding is specified in the header tags; otherwise the browser may default to U.S. settings and not display the text properly.
To declare an encoding, insert or inspect the following meta-tag at the top of your HTML file, then replace '???' with one of the encoding codes listed above. If you are not sure, use utf-8 as the encoding.
Generic Encoding Template
<head>
<meta http-equiv='Content-Type'>
...
<head>
<meta http-equiv='Content-Type'>
...
<head>
Declare Unicode
<head>
<meta http-equiv='Content-Type'>
...
<head>
<meta http-equiv='Content-Type'>
...
<head>
XHTML
The final close slash must be included after the final quote mark in the encoding header tag if you are using XHTML
Declare Unicode in XHTML
<head>
<meta http-equiv='Content-Type'U T F dash 8'>utf-8' />
...
<head>
<meta http-equiv='Content-Type'U T F dash 8'>utf-8' />
...
<head>
No Encoding Declared
If no encoding is declared, then the browser uses the default setting, which in the U.S. is typically Latin-1. Some display errors may occur.
Language Tags
Language tags are also suggested so that search engines and screen readers parse the language of a page. These are metadata tags which indicate the language of a page, not devices to trigger translation. Visit the Language Tag page to view information on where to insert it.
Unicode Chart with HTML Entity Codes
Unless a keyboard which supports Unicode is installed, you must use the Unicode chart for Sinhala and enter HTML entity codes.
PDF and Image Files
In some cases, your best options may be to use PDF files or image files. See the Web Development Tips section for more details.
Links
Script Basics
Computer Setup
- XenoType Sinhala OS X Language Kit (Commercial)
- Enabling Sinhala in GNU/Linux (www.nongu.org)
Unicode Fonts
Read pages for instructions on whether it is Windows compliant or Linux compliant.
Note on OS X: These fonts can be installed on a Mac, but vowel marks may not display correctly.
Note on OS X: These fonts can be installed on a Mac, but vowel marks may not display correctly.
- Akshar Unicode Open Type Font - Right click or control click (Mac) to download file
- LKLUG (Lanka Linux Group) - Right click (Control+Click on Mac) on 'lklug.ttf' and choose the save file option.
- Kaputa Unicode - Scroll down to link
- Potha and Dinamina - Extract .zip fonts from the Beta Sinhala Kit from Microsoft
Last Modified: Tuesday, 30-Jun-2015 15:54:30 EDT
Pre-Windows XPUP |
Sinhala Unicode Support for Pre- Windows XP Version, is available as IE Sinhala support can be installed by downloading a small kit that is only 1.5 kb. This gives read only Sinhala support. It can be downloaded from here. |
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Installation guidelines are available here : |
01. This pack enables Sinhala in Microsoft Internet Explorer 6. 02. It does not work with older versions of Internet Explorer, or with other browsers. 03. Download the software by selecting the link below, and then run the file with Administrator privileges. 04. If a page does not display properly in IE6, select: 05. View -> Encoding -> Unicode (UTF-8) 06. You can select your default font by going to: Tools -> Internet Options -> Fonts selecting 'Language Script' as Sinhala, and then clicking on the font you want to use as default |
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Windows XP(Service pack 2) UP |
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Windows VistaUP |
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