How to install Nepali Unicode??

Due to lots of requests and askings, i'm compelled to write this article here. It's about enabling Nepali unicode on your machine. I showed them the way to www.mpp.org.np but still they come and ask me to do that myself. So, i've put this very very simplified version here.

By default, unicode support is present in windows XP unlike Windows 98/me etc. So, you really don't have to care much about reading unicode enabled websites or documents from Windows XP unless you want to create one at your own machine.

For this you've to install Nepali Unicode Enviroment if you want to type in Romanized Nepali.

Well, unicode is 16-bit character set standard, designed to include characters appearing in most languages. This is very helpful in localization project. Nepali unicode font has been developed by Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya (MPP). Since, unicode is a standard, we really don't have to think of individual font. For ex; Preeti font(It is true type nepali font), if someone has worked on that font, then he/she may not be able to open his document in someother computer where there is no Preeti font. So, Preeti font must be there too. This is lots of hassles. There are lots of Nepali TTF fonts which means all fonts have to be installed everytime you work on any documents that is created using those fonts.

Therefore, Unicode removes all these restrictions. It's the universal standard. MPP has released a software to write in Nepali unicode from you own computer. But before that you've to know what are the process. Though, all these processes are mentioned in their official website www.mpp.org.np. I've simplified and tried to put them here concisely:

1) First of all, you've to make your system ready for Nepali Unicode. The process is different for windows 2000 and windows xp.
For windows 2000
- Click Start/Settings/Control Panel
- Click Regional Options
- On the General tab go to the 'Language settings for the system' and scroll down. Ensure that Indic Language is checked.
(You will need Windows 2000 CD to complete the installation)

For windows XP
- Go to Control Panel
- Click on the "Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options"
- Click on the "Regional and Language Options"
- On the Languages tab, ensure that "Complex script and right-to-left languages" is checked
- On the Languages tab, ensure that "Complex script and right-to-left languages" is checked. (You will need Windows XP CD to complete the installation)

2) Now install the Nepali Unicode Environment. Download this from here or here


3) Okay, last step is to configure the keyboard settings.
In windows XP,
- Go to the "Date, Time, Languages, and Regional Options" on the control panel again.
- Click on the "Regional and Languages Options"
- Click on the Languages Tab
- Click on the Details button
- In the installed services, click on the Add button
- In the Input Language, select Sanskrit
- In the Keyboard layout/IME, select Nepali Unicode

In windows 2000,
- Go to the "Regional Options" on the control panel again.
- Click on the Input Locale tab
- Click on the Add button
- In the Input Locale, select Sanskrit
- In the Keyboard Layout/IME select Nepali Unicode from the selection box.
- Click ok and ok on the Regional Option panel as well.

After Rebooting your computer you will be ready to use Nepali font and the typing tutor as well as the sorting utility.

Oh yes, if you need additional unicode utilities, download it
for TypeMaster
for Nepali Thesauras
for Nepali Dictionary

Okie everything is done. You've to type but how? Romanized unicode is very easy. Forget the 'ba,ka,ma,na' in old type methods. That's hectic. Just check out the keyboard layout and start practicing. Layouts are here.

Practicing?? you opened Notepad or wordpad (anything) but couldn't figure how to type there in nepali. You did it right? but failed.. i know. You've to change the language settings. You could do that in shortcut way. Just press ALT + SHIFT while you are in Notepad or anyother wordprocessor and start typing. To revert back to English language, press ALT + SHIFT once more. SO, this ALT+SHIFT is the magic key combo, you see!!!

Now, if you've documents in True Type nepali font formats, then there is a utility to convert them to unicode font. That little software is called converter(Rupanter). Now,i don't need to tell you each and everythhing here, how to use this. This is so easy, you can take help of your common sense. Download this utility from here.

Last but not the least, while saving documents in Unicode format, don't use the classic ANSI format as encoding. You've to set it as UTF-8 format as encoding. And, now the web part, some forums or website don't easily take unicode. If you want to write there, type unicode documents in word processor, copy it and paste on website forums. It's the simple trick you can use.

For latest edition, don't forget to check www.mpp.org.np. The information is very overwhelming out there, so i put this simplified version of my own here.

NOTE: .NET FRAMEWORK is needed if you are unable to install anyone of the utility mentioned above. Download it from here