General Information

Feature Summary

This feature is to support Right To Left Languages (ie Arabic, Hebrew, etc) in Fennec. The ui should match in a right-to-left fashion.

Background Info

• source : Wiki Answer Modified
  • Both Arabic and Hebrew, and the non-Semitic scripts using the Arabic or the Hebrew alphabet, such as Persian or Yiddish, are written from right to left (except for their numbers).
  • Ancient Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and the oldest Latin could be written in both directions.
  • Chinese and Japanese can be written right to left (also written from top to bottom, vertically). Note : Korean is not written from right to left

• User Interface for Right to Left Languages
• International Questions Answered by w3.org
• HTML 4.0 Direction Language

• Also note: when a LTR language is mixed, the rule set should follow bidi (bi directional) in terms of legibility

Getting Started

• The scope of the RTL feature is the whole entire application in the sense of chrome UI. Mixed of RTL and LTR (Left to Right, such as English) can come into play.

• Maemo OS :
  • With Maemo 5.0 for input, you will need to download : uKeyboard
  • Once installed, go to the Settings -> Text Input
    • for either the first or second language select a Right to Left (RTL) Language such as Arabic or Hebrew.
    • turn the virtual keyboard on if you want to switch between two different languages.
  • You will also need to install a RTL language plugin :
    • For the arabic version download : http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile/nightly/latest-mozilla-central-maemo5-gtk-l10n/fennec-4.0b2pre.ar.langpack.xpi

(Note : due to bug you will need to download it to the device, then move it to /home/user/.mozilla/fennec/<user>.default/extensions/langpack-ar@firefox-mobile.mozilla.org and unzip the .xpi file there. Alternatively : you can go to http://people.mozilla.com/~nhirata/html_tp/installplugin.html on your mobile device for the install trigger method of installation)

• Android OS:
  • No support natively on the OS[Locales does not list a RTL language : http://developer.android.com/sdk/android-2.2.html ]
  • the plugin is required to switch the browser to read in RTL format (see RTL language plugin in the Maemo section)

Test Plan

• Environment
  • Maemo N900
  • Android Motorola Droid 2
• Plugin
  • Arabic plugin - ( To turn the browser localized to Arabic )
  • Hebrew plugin - ( To turn the browser localized to Hebrew )

Testing Outline

Input

Arabic

• Character Testing
  • type one character
    • include special keys
  • type two characters
    • include special keys like backspace
    • use of numbers

• Word Testing
  • type a word
  • type two words

• Selection
  • select a character and type
  • select a word and type
  • select a couple of words and type

• Copy/Paste
  • copy a selection and paste
• Keyboard Shortcuts

Hebrew

• (see Arabic)

Other Languages

• Test between switching 2 different types of reading directions

UI Check

• Panels check
• chrome ui check (RTL arrows)
• Error panels (ie invalid errors: go to cnn.co)
• drop downs

Reading

• Check RTL web pages
• Check mixed web pages
• Check LTR web pages

OS Integration Factors

• Android: Orientation, Interrupts
• Maemo: Orientation, Interrupts

Device Specific factors

• use of hard keyboard
• use of virtual keyboard

References

RTL Spec