SARIT ... [How to input unicode search terms]

[Richard MAHONEY]

Dear Al,

On Tue, 2009-02-10 at 07:42, Alfred Collins wrote:

> Could you explain the SARIT method of entering transliterated Sanskrit
>  in the following way: "enter utf-8 characters directly using a
>  suitable keyboard input layout"?

A few suggestions are made on the SARIT help page:

 SARIT: Search Term Help
 http://sarit.indology.info/searchterms.shtml

especially here:

 SARIT: Search Term Help :: Diacritics and Special Characters
 http://sarit.indology.info/searchterms.shtml#diacritics

The upshot is that you have three options:

1.) enter utf-8 characters directly using a suitable keyboard input
 layout (possibly complex yet fast, see links below)

2.) cut and paste utf-8 characters from the key alongside or below the
 main search form (slow and bound to irritate)

3.) enter utf-8 characters indirectly using postfix modifiers

For speed and simplicity I would choose the last. (Personally, I like
postfix modifiers and have never used keyboard input layouts, though I
know many people are fond of them.)

Here is a list of the postfix modifiers available for Romanised Skt
(really just Harvard-Kyoto without the uppercase):

long a (ā) = a; 
long i (ī) = i; 
long u (ū) = u; 
vocalic r (ṛ) = r; 
vocalic l (ḷ) = l; 
velar n (ṅ) = g; 
palatal n (ñ) = j; 
retroflex t (ṭ) = t; 
retroflex d (ḍ) = d; 
retroflex n (ṇ) = n; 
palatal s (ś) = z; 
retroflex s (ṣ) = s; 
anusvara (ṁ) = m; 
visarga (ḥ) = h; 
circumflex = ^ :: e.g., a^ --> â 

Using these modifiers you could search for `kauṭilīya' (kauTilIya) by
entering either of the following in the search field:

i.) kauṭilīya (utf-8)

Here is the search result: http://tinyurl.com/dmgupa

ii.) kaut;ili;ya (postfix modifiers)

Ditto: http://tinyurl.com/cnkmu9


The SARIT search help page contains a number of other suggestions and
examples, together with links to representative search results. You
might like to scan the `Wildcard Characters and Boolean Operators'
section (not half as tedious as the title I promise).


> Is there a site you could direct me to that would show how to enter
>  Sanskrit letters by assigning keyboard strokes to them, not just for
>  SARIT but to type diacritics in Word, etc. I have been typing
>  retroflex t, etc., using a Sanskrit font then selecting characters
>  from a Symbol menu. this is very cumbersome and slow.

In addition to the links Dominik has given, you might find these pages
helpful:

 Alan Wood
 Unicode and Multilingual Programs and Utilities
 http://www.alanwood.net/unicode/utilities.html

For Mac OSX 

 Robert Zydenbos
 Using Unicode fonts with Mac OSX
 http://www.lrz-muenchen.de/~zydenbos/unicodeosx.html


Kind regards,

 Richard


-- 
Richard MAHONEY | internet: http://indica-et-buddhica.org/
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OXFORD, NZ      | email: r.mahoney at indica-et-buddhica.org
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