Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.


Author Topic: Switching Between Keyboard Languages? (Read 5736 times)

Offline Tech

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 22
Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« on: 2020.January.12. 01:46:12 »
I've an Arabic E64 and would like to know if there is a keyboard short-cut to switch between English and Arabic while entering texting?

Thank you.

Offline gflorez

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 3607
  • Country: es
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #1 on: 2020.January.12. 14:48:55 »
There is no Arabic.Rom, sorry. The only "official" language Rom was the BRD.Rom(German), and from that the users made the others. You have some of them on the emulator: HUN.Rom, ESP.Rom and derivates.

If you want to create your own rom for some language I can give you some tips.  But unless you are an expert on the Arabic language, It can be a very hard work.

It seems that the Arabic Enterprise models where only used as typewriter keyboards.

Offline Tech

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 22
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #2 on: 2020.January.12. 15:18:21 »
There is no Arabic.Rom, sorry. The only "official" language Rom was the BRD.Rom(German), and from that the users made the others. You have some of them on the emulator: HUN.Rom, ESP.Rom and derivates.
I have a real English/Arabic E64 computer, hardware not emulator. I can type in the word processor using English letters. I'm asking how can I switch the input language into Arabic?

Thank you.

Offline gflorez

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 3607
  • Country: es
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #3 on: 2020.January.12. 15:23:36 »
I know, but there is nothing Arabic on that unit, it is a UK 64 model with Arabic letters printed on the keys. Nothing more, sorry


The BRD.Rom addition was a lucky event forced by language restrictive laws on Germany just at the Enterprise launching times.

The German language was fitted as a 16KB rom on a special Basic cartridge with 2 Rom sockets instead of only one.



The good point about this approach was that the main differences between the German and the Uk units was the cartridge and the keyboard keys. The rest of the computer, including the main PCB remained without changes. In fact, a UK unit with a German cartridge behaves very German....

The German Rom changes the keys positions and some symbols, and almost all messages are translated. Also other graphics-printer oriented apps where added to the spare space to fill the 16KB Rom: VDUMP, VLOAD AND VSAVE.

The switching of the 2 languages is made with the :UK and :BRD commands.

The new commands can be seen when typing :HELP +Enter in Basic.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

Offline tofro

  • Beginner
  • *
  • Posts: 31
  • Country: de
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #4 on: 2020.January.12. 15:30:33 »
The BRD.Rom addition was a lucky event forced by language restrictive laws on Germany just at the Enterprise launching times.

I'm pretty sure that's an urban legend - I can't remember anything that would have forced computer manufacturers to produce German keyboards or ROMs (other than Germany being an attractive market back then).

Tobias

Offline Tech

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 22
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #5 on: 2020.January.12. 15:36:18 »
I know, but there is nothing Arabic on that unit, it is a UK 64 model with Arabic letters printed on the keys. Nothing more, sorry
Really! So, why they bothered with making Arabic keyboard in the first place when they didn't plan to implement the software for it?! Very strange!

Thank you so much for your input.
« Last Edit: 2020.January.12. 15:44:06 by Tech »

Offline gflorez

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 3607
  • Country: es
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #6 on: 2020.January.12. 15:43:42 »
There are other proofs of these laws, they where no legends. For example, some German models have a paper sticker over the ENTERPRISE, ONE TWO EIGHT one, saying ENTERPRISE and "128K" on big numbers.

Here on Spain there where similar laws on that era.

« Last Edit: 2020.January.12. 15:51:35 by gflorez »

Offline gflorez

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 3607
  • Country: es
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #7 on: 2020.January.12. 15:48:09 »
I have said you, the Arabic models where sold to Egypt as mere typewriter keyboards.

Offline gflorez

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 3607
  • Country: es
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #8 on: 2020.January.12. 16:10:00 »
Here you can read more about it.


Quote from: Werner Lindner(Former director of Enterprise Computers GMB):
"Egypt:
The Egypt importer was Computer Technical Co. in Cairo. The founder and M.D. was Mr. Nabil Lashine. He had already bought about 500 ENTERPRISE 64k machines from England. He imported them to Egypt and sold them as electronic typewriters to other companies. He was not interested in games or other ancillaries, because he couldn't sell them (nobody in Egypt could afford a home computer for private purposes at that time). He made his own software for the computer and did the green keyboard print by himself. He bought additional 64k machines from us, but there was only appr. one shipment per year and not more than 150 machines (25 boxes á 6 computers). He also got appr. 500 empty cartridges from us. He always payed with monthly cheques. Sometimes it took long to get the money, but he was very reliable. His last order was in 1993, last contact to him in 1994. At this time his company was in big trouble and his bank had the hands on his remaining stock of EC machines. I've never heard of him afterwards, but I still have a complete set of printed keys, that he gave me while he was visiting us in Munich. All in all I think that 4000 units is too much - I personally know only about 1500 units, incl. the machines from England (but maybe Latchu has sold something to him directly)."

Offline Tech

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 22
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #9 on: 2020.January.12. 16:27:42 »
I see now. So it was not an offical language. The Egyptian importer "Arabized" the keyboard to be compatible with the program he was selling.

Thank you for clarifying this issue.

Offline Zozosoft

  • Global Moderator
  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 14723
  • Country: hu
    • http://enterprise.iko.hu/
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #10 on: 2020.January.12. 16:37:57 »
Probably a loadable Arabic character set existed, but unfortunately there is no known piece of it.
« Last Edit: 2020.January.12. 20:18:44 by szipucsu »

Offline gflorez

  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 3607
  • Country: es
    • Támogató Támogató
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #11 on: 2020.January.12. 17:17:26 »
To make an Arabic character set is not a difficult task, redefining every character with a Basic listing.

I used that method on the eighties, a Basic listing modified some character and keys to Spanish characters, and the printer to the Spanish character set. Then, I only have to enter to :WP and start to edit text and print.

If you redefine all the character set to Arabic then it will be difficult to interact with the computer. But it can be a funny task....

You will have some limitations, on 40 columns the characters can be 8x9 pixels widexheigth, but on 80 columns you only have 6 pixels wide x 9 high.
« Last Edit: 2020.January.12. 17:22:34 by gflorez »

Offline BruceTanner

  • EP lover
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Country: gb
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #12 on: 2020.January.12. 17:36:38 »
But making the Arabic characters type right-to-left would be a bit more of a challenge!

Offline Zozosoft

  • Global Moderator
  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 14723
  • Country: hu
    • http://enterprise.iko.hu/
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #13 on: 2020.January.12. 19:05:42 »
But making the Arabic characters type right-to-left would be a bit more of a challenge!
A hacked VIDEO: device is needed.
« Last Edit: 2020.January.12. 20:29:53 by szipucsu »

Offline szipucsu

  • Global Moderator
  • EP addict
  • *
  • Posts: 9898
  • Country: hu
    • Támogató Támogató
    • Webnyelv.hu - Tanuljunk nyelveket!
Re: Switching Between Keyboard Languages?
« Reply #14 on: 2020.January.12. 20:31:04 »
A hacked VIDEO: device is needed.
Or the monitor has to be turned upside down. :D
100 SOUND SOURCE 2,STYLE 128,PITCH 25.2,SYNC 1
110 SOUND PITCH 25,SYNC 1
120 ! Videos