Word Processing Tips for Blogging

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LalehGillani
by LalehGillani
24-Mar-2009
 

While Farsi is our mother tongue, English remains to be the dominant language of the internet. As a result, Iranian bloggers often mix Farsi and English to express themselves better. A large number of bloggers even resort to writing Farsi words using the Latin alphabet. This newest trend is often called Pinglish (Persian-English). Personally, I find Pinglish hard to read and annoying. Most of the time, I skip text written in Pinglish altogether.

Mixing English and Farsi sentences or paragraphs is the preferred approach because the beauty and power of both languages are preserved. However, most available on-line text editors produce contents with undesirable formats, resulting in right-justified English text or left-justified Farsi passages. The following tips are designed to remedy some of our word processing woes. Happy blogging!

Pinglish Translator

Friends and family members often send me Pinglish text. At least several times a day, I am confronted with a jumbled mess of A, B, C’s intended to be Farsi. After spending hours of needless head scratching, I have finally resorted to using a translator. You might find it useful too:

//www.syavash.com/portal/pinglish2farsi/conve...

How to Mix English and Farsi Text

When confronted with html text editors incapable of producing the desired formatting, I simply disable the rich-text and resort to using html tags. Consequently, I can mix English and Farsi sentences and paragraphs together while creating the desired format for both sets.

The most useful html tag is the alignment tag with either left or right justification values: <align="left"> or <align="right">

The alignments tags must be added to the beginning of each paragraph as such: <p align="right"> For example, the following two sentences are left and right justified respectively:

Put down the gun, and Pick up the Pen!

هموطن، سلاحت را کناربگزار، دست بر قلم بردار

In order to mix English and Farsi text, please don’t forget the closing html tag for the paragraph:

<p align=”left”> Type text here! </p>

How to Configure Microsoft Word for Farsi

If you already have access to Microsoft Word, there is no need to purchase a separate Farsi word processor. Microsoft Word can be configured for the Farsi language. For a detailed description, please refer to //www.microsoft.com/middleeast/arabicdev/fars....

Here are the necessary steps:

1. Install Farsi Office Language Interface Pack (LIP). This pack is free and may be downloaded from the Microsoft site using the above link.

2. Add Farsi language support for your operating system. Depending on your operating system, the required steps vary. If you are using Windows XP, the following steps are needed:

  • Open the Control Panel.
  • Go to Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options.
  • Choose Add Other Languages.
  • Click on Languages tab.
  • Check the option “Install files for complex script and right-to-left languages.”

    • 3. Install Farsi fonts. Varieties of Persian fonts are available on the internet and may be downloaded for free. The above Microsoft link also provides two free Farsi fonts for download.

    4. Add a Farsi keyboard. There is no need to purchase a separate physical keyboard for Farsi word processing. You may use your current keyboard by simply installing the Farsi keyboard layout/IME. The keys will be mapped to Farsi alphabet. With a little bit of practice, you will memorize all the keys in no time.

    Depending on your operating system, the required steps vary. If you are using Windows XP, the following steps will enable the Farsi keyboard layout:

  • Open the Control Panel.
  • Go to Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options.
  • Choose Add Other Languages.
  • Click on Languages tab.
  • Click on Details button.
  • Go to the Settings tab.
  • Click on Add button to add a new keyboard.
  • (The English keyboard is already installed.)
  • Under the Input language drop-down menu, choose Farsi and then press ok.
  • The Farsi keyboard layout/IME will be chosen for you.
  • Once you are back at the Text Services and Input Languages screen, press apply and ok.

    • After configuring Microsoft Word for the Farsi language, please open a new Word document and start typing in English. To switch to Farsi, hold down Shift and Alt key. On the bottom of the document, you will see the language indicator shift to Farsi. If you press Shift and Alt again, the language is toggled back to English.

    Displaying Numbers by Context

    Microsoft Word has an option to display numbers by context. Consequently, Farsi numbers will be used when you are typing Farsi text and English numbers are displayed in an English passage. To turn on displaying numbers by context, please follow these steps:

  • Open Microsoft Word.
  • Go to Tools menu.
  • Select Options.
  • Click on Complex Scripts tab.
  • Search for Numeral pull-down menu.
  • From the Numeral pull-down menu, select the context option.
  • Press ok.
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    more from LalehGillani
     
    LalehGillani

    Thank You

    by LalehGillani on Thu Mar 26, 2009 09:41 AM PDT

    I would like to thank everyone for their contributions to this thread. I have updated the original blog using your suggestions and will continue to look for word processing tips and tricks to share with you. Happy blogging…


    •  
    Orang Gholikhani

    Persian number case

    by Orang Gholikhani on Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:18 AM PDT

    If you want having Persian number, there is 2 ways. First one is to change in Windows the "Regional Setting" in this way you have no more latin number.

    Second way to have both is to change the number in Word (so Windows stay in Latin and in Word you have Persian number. Here you have a site which describe how to do it : //sartre2.byu.edu/persian/persianword/numbers.htm

     

     


    •  
    LalehGillani

    Dear Alborz:

    by LalehGillani on Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:05 PM PDT

    You’re right. The alignment tag is only useful for a block of text. In other words, only a paragraph can be aligned to left, right or center. Embedded Farsi words will mess up the alignment of an English paragraph and vice versa.

    If and when I figure this one out, I will let you all know.


    •  
    alborz

    Behnevis.com is also another easy to use Pinglish to Farsi...

    by alborz on Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:35 PM PDT

    ...converter.

    Since you have offered to assist, how does one mix Persian and English text on the same line without having the everything get shifted to Persian?

    To illustrate this point...note the format problems with this comment.

    Thank you لاله خانم


    •  
    LalehGillani

    Microsoft Word

    by LalehGillani on Wed Mar 25, 2009 09:41 AM PDT

    If you have Microsoft Word, that’s all you need. With a little bit of patience, you can set it up and start blogging both in Farsi and English.

    Once you open a new Word document, you can start typing in English. To switch to Farsi, hold down Shift and Alt key. On the bottom of the document, you will see the language indicator shift to Farsi. If you press Shift and Alt again, the language is toggled back to English.

    Microsoft site has detailed descriptions that are very useful. Please follow the link in my blog. There is also a layout of the Farsi keyboard. There is no need to purchase a new keyboard or waste your time with Farsi stickers. Print out this layout and have it nearby while you practice typing in Farsi.

    Please feel free to send me an email to contact me at any time even long after this blog is old news. I will be glad to help.


    •  
    Monda

    Thank you for all this info

    by Monda on Wed Mar 25, 2009 08:53 AM PDT

    I have microsoft but was not aware of all the capabilities it offers. Thanks for your time Laleh jan. Happiest New Year to you.


    •  
    MiNeum71

    Thanks a lot ...

    by MiNeum71 on Wed Mar 25, 2009 01:48 AM PDT

    ... for these useful informations.

     


    •  
    default

    لاله خانم خدا عمرت بده!

    Thankful! (not verified)
    Tue Mar 24, 2009 09:48 PM PDT

    خیلی ازتون ممنونم! داشتم دق می کردم. شما خیلی مهربون و سخاوتمند هستید! مرسی دوستم و سال نوی شما هم مبارک باشد!


    •  
    LalehGillani

    Dear Friends:

    by LalehGillani on Tue Mar 24, 2009 09:46 PM PDT

    Thank you for your kind remarks. Please let me know what happens when you try some of these tips. If something isn’t working, I may be able to help. I have already received a couple of good suggestions via your posted comments and will update the content of the blog to reflect the new information.

    In order to mix English and Farsi text, please don’t forget the closing html tag for the paragraph:

    <p align=”left”> Type text here! </p>

    Happy blogging!


    •  
    IRANdokht

    valuable information

    by IRANdokht on Tue Mar 24, 2009 08:13 PM PDT

    Merci Laleh jan

    How nice of you to share this information. I'll install the font soon to try it out.

    Thanks!

    IRANdokht


    •  
    مسعود از امریکا

    لاله جان

    مسعود از امریکا
    Tue Mar 24, 2009 07:26 PM PDT

    خیلی ممنون برای این اطلاعات! مخواستم بهت بگم که یکی از دوستان این وب سایت را برای تایپ فارسی به من معرفی کرد، که من مرتب استفاده می کنم:

    //radiozamaaneh.org/tmp/edi/

    قربانت!


    •  
    Shazde Asdola Mirza

    Laleh jan: thanks a lot; you're a great teacher and very kind

    by Shazde Asdola Mirza on Tue Mar 24, 2009 06:26 PM PDT

    S.A.M (an official Khar Vazir)


    •  
    Anahid Hojjati

    Laleh jan, thanks for all the info

    by Anahid Hojjati on Tue Mar 24, 2009 01:44 PM PDT

    Dear Laleh, Thanks for all the information you provided.  I knew some and some are new for me like your recommendation to use alignment tags to help with right and left justification.  If this works for me, that would be great since then as you noted  English and Farsi sentences can be mixed while creating the desired format for both sets.


    •  
    LalehGillani

    Farsi Keyboard

    by LalehGillani on Tue Mar 24, 2009 04:11 PM PDT

    Thank you, Orang, for that tip. My original tip might not have been clear. I will update the blog to reflect the following:

    There is no need to purchase a separate physical keyboard for Farsi word processing. You may use your current keyboard by simply installing the Farsi keyboard layout/IME. (Please refer to step 4.) The keys will be mapped to Farsi alphabet. With a little bit of practice, you will memorize all the keys in no time.


    •  
    Orang Gholikhani

    OSK tip

    by Orang Gholikhani on Tue Mar 24, 2009 01:08 PM PDT

    If you dont have a Farsi Keyboard, you could launch osk.exe which is onscreenkeyboard.

     


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