Wikimedia Mobile engineering/Language support

See also the mobile localization roadmap.

WORK IN PROGRESS

Unicode support
When a platform supports Unicode, we can send web fonts to a device and make texts readable. What we need to do is test the extend keyboards on plarforms react like keyboards on computers. When they do, the Narayam extension may allow for entering texts on a device.

The advantage of providing web fonts is that it obviates the need for people to install fonts. This will substantially increase our reach as most people do not want/dare to do things like installing fonts

No Unicode support
When a platform does not support Unicode, we can not directly be read. When people can use Opera Mini, they can use this to get text rendered as graphics. This technology is also used by websites as the BBBC. When we are to support this, we need to be able to recognise the device as one such. It may be that we want to provide graphics in a size optimised for a screen.

It would be useful to have a table showing the languages/fonts/keyboards supported and available as installable in different platforms - if it doesn't exist somewhere already.

The data to gather:


 * Fonts supported in browser.
 * Possibility to install additional fonts.
 * Text input supported.
 * Possibility to install additional virtual keyboards.
 * Text prediction supported.
 * Possibility to install additional predicted languages.
 * Dictionaries supported.
 * Possibility to install additional dictionaries.

The table could highlight the platforms / vendors / models that are expandable, inviting the respective Wikimedia communities to find their software development counterparts in order to collaborate in new language support packs. Commercial parties might be interested in getting involved as well.

Note that the data might get complicated. Some languages might be supported in a device purchased in Country X but then not available and not installable in the same model purchased in Country Y. The same platform might have devices that are expandable and models that are not - this may even xhanges for a same model from country to country, from operator to operator. Third parties may offer their own input methods, text prediction and dictionaries with a different set of languages supported. Still it's worth to start mapping the defaults, and we will see how to deal with the exceptions.