[XeTeX] Malayalam typesetting using XeLaTeX

[Herbert Schulz]

On Nov 13, 2013, at 2:32 PM, NMPOST7 <nmpost7 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear All,
> 
> Earlier, I was using Latex on Linux and I used the Malayalam package from
> Sarovar to typeset my documents in Malayalam. The processing was running the
> code file (extenion *.mm) through a pre-processor mal (with a font option)
> 
> I could use this on my Mac and hence I need to use Linux (Ubuntu Perfect
> Pangolin) for Malayalam and my Mac for all the rest!!
> 
> I have, finally, managed to get Malayalam working on my Mac(Mountain Lion
> 10.5.8) using XeLaTeX. The issue in question is character rendering. Here are
> the details before I proceed.
> 
> System: Mac Mountain Lion 10.5.8
> Editor: TeXShop 2.47
> Engine : xelatex
> Fonts used:
> 
>    Rachana (my favourite) uses old script
>    Meera
>    AnjaliOldLipi
> 
> 
> Problems:
> 
> -> Rachana: the numerals (arabic) are NOT rendered. Only boxes appear. This
> includes page numbers. The punctuation marks, too, are not rendered. Only boxes
> appear.
> 
> -> Meera and AnjaliOldLipi: numbers are rendered but ligatures are terrible.
> 
> -> cannot use \textbf{} with Malayalam script inside
> 
> 
> Example: (file is attached)
> 
> Code: Select all  •  Open in writeLaTeX
>    \listfiles
>    \documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
>    \usepackage[margin=1in]{geometry}
>    \usepackage{fontspec}
>    \defaultfontfeatures{Ligatures=TeX}     %[Mapping=tex-text]
>    \usepackage{polyglossia}
>    \setdefaultlanguage{malayalam}
>    \setotherlanguage{english}
>    \newfontfamily\malayalamfont[Script=Malayalam]{Rachana}
>    \newfontfamily\englishfont{Times}
>    \begin{document}
>    \lefthyphenmin=2
>    \righthyphenmin=2
>    %\thispagestyle{empty}
>    \setmainfont[Script=Malayalam]{Rachana}
>    %
>    \setlength{\baselineskip}{1.25\baselineskip}\addtolength{\parskip}{10pt}
>    %\textenglish{1,2,3.}
>    മലയാളം  ൽ ൾ ർ  3 .
>    \end{document}
> 
>    \textbf{
പ്രാരംഭഃ}
>    \begin{verse}
>    \noindent
>    \hfill{\textenglish{0}}
>    \end{verse}
>    \end{document}
> 
> 
> The workaround is cumbersome.
> 
> Code: Select all  •  Open in writeLaTeX
>    \textenglish{3}
> 
> 
> The same applies to punctuation marks. if the punctuation marks are inserted
> using the above command, the rendering is fine.
> 
> The final problem. dashes are inserted when a word is broken at the end of the
> line and these dashes appear as boxes!!!
> 
> 
> Final point: is there a possibility to generate the Malayalam numerals?
> (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_numerals scroll down and you will see the
> table with the numbers)
> 
> Best regards
> Suren

Howdy,

I've changed the \setmainfont command to be Times and added the \textbf command.

One thing I found was that there was some unknown character in the \textbf command. After cleaning that up it compiles. However, it appears that the Rachana font doesn't have the appropriate bold-extended font. You may have to define that font manually as an option to the the setting of the malayalamfont.

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Good Luck,

Herb Schulz
(herbs at wideopenwest dot com)