User Manual

 

for

 

iKural

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents

 

Getting started with iKural 2

Introduction to iKural 2

Salient features: 2

iKural Help – a quick reference. 3

Web Browser Configuration.. 4

Change browser encoding to Unicode (UTF-8) 4

Change Internet Explorer's file download option. 4

Supported keyboard layouts. 4

Kural Phonetic. 4

Tamil99. 6

Old typewriter 8

New typewriter 10

 

Getting started with iKural

Introduction to iKural

iKural is a web based Indic word processor, currently supports Tamil language using Phonetic, Tamil99, New Typewriter and Old Typewriter keyboard layouts. This is our first step towards cloud computing, using web browsers like Internet Explorer, FireFox, Safari or Google Chrome, you can create, edit and print Unicode documents from anywhere!   

  

This application is designed using client/server technology, on client side it uses Yahoo! YUI components and on server side it uses PHP/C++ libraries. Again this is an experimental application and we will improve it based on your constructive feedbacks, so please send us your comments or suggestions to support@kuralsoft.com. 

 

Salient features:

 

iKural Help – a quick reference

 

File & Print

New

You can create a new iKural document.

Open

You can open a saved iKural document. Currently HTML (UTF-8), Text (UTF-8/UTF-16) files are supported.

Save as Unicode HTML

You can save iKural document as a Unicode HTML (UTF-8) document which can be viewed using any web browser.

Save as Unicode Text (UTF-8)

You can save iKural document as a Unicode Text file which can be opened in Notepad or any Unicode aware text editors.

Save as Unicode Text (UTF-16)

You can save iKural document as a Unicode Text file which can be opened in Notepad, WordPad, MS Word or any Unicode aware text editors.

 

Print

You can print your iKural document in a Letter size paper.

Language

English

You can select input language as English.

Tamil

You can select input language as Tamil.

Keyboard Layout

Phonetics

You can select the Phonetic keyboard layout which is widely used by people who are not familiar with Tamil typewriter or Tamil99 keyboard layouts. You can type in English as we speak. Kural will automatically transliterate it to Tamil.

Tamil99

You can select the Tamil99 keyboard layout which is a standard keyboard layout approved by the Tamil Nadu government and based on Tamil phonetics.

New Typewriter

You can select the New Tamil Typewriter layout which is based on the Remington typewriter with slight changes to Old Typewriter layout.

Old Typewriter

You can select the Old Tamil Typewriter layout which is based on the Remington typewriter.

Editor Mode

Edit

By choosing this mode, you can create, modify, format, save or print your documents.

Draft

If you type fast, you may feel that the "Edit" mode is little slow. If so, you can switch to this "Draft" mode to type faster. After completing your typing, you should switch back to "Edit" mode to format, save or print your document.

Help

iKural Help

iKural help quick reference. For detailed help, please refer iKural-Manual link which is located at bottom of the page.

Onscreen Keyboard

This will launch onscreen keyboard, a useful tool for beginners.

About iKural

This will show the iKural splash screen.

 

 

Web Browser Configuration

Change browser encoding to Unicode (UTF-8)

Before you start using iKural, you should change the browser encoding to Unicode (UTF-8). The following table explains how to change it in the supported browsers.

 

Internet Explorer

  • On the View menu, click on Encoding
  • Uncheck Auto-Select
  • Select Unicode (UTF-8)

 

If the Unicode (UTF-8) is not listed.

  • Click on More and select Unicode (UTF-8).

 

Firefox

  • On the View menu, click on Character Encoding
  • Select Unicode (UTF-8)

 

If the Unicode (UTF-8) is not listed.

  • Click on More Encodings and click on Unicode
  • Select Unicode (UTF-8).

Safari

  • On the View menu, click on Text Encoding
  • Select Unicode (UTF-8)

Google Chrome

  • No changes needed

Opera*

  • On the View menu, click on Encoding
  • Click on Unicode and select UTF-8

* Due to several open bugs in Opera browser, it is not fully supported.

 

Change Internet Explorer's file download option

Due to Internet Explorer (IE) security option, you may not able save iKural documents. To resolve this issue, the following (one time) change to be done on your IE browser.

 

 

Supported keyboard layouts

Kural Phonetic

Kural Phonetic keyboard is widely used by people who are not familiar with Tamil typewriter or Tamil99 keyboard layouts. You can type in English as we speak. Kural will automatically transliterate it to Tamil. The following sections will explain the key mappings and examples.

Vowels

a

aa or A

i

ii or I

u

uu or U

e

ee or E

ai

o

oo or O

au

q

 

Consonants

க்

k

ங்

ng

ச்

s

ங்

nj

ட்

t or d

ண்

N

த்

th or dh

ந்

n- or w

ப்

p or b

ம்

m

ய்

y

ர்

r

ல்

l

வ்

v

ழ்

z

ள்

L

ற்

R

ன்

n

Grantha

ஹ்

h

ஜ்

j

ஸ்

S

ஷ்

sh or ch

க்ஷ்

x

ஸ்ரீ

sr

 

Compounds

க்+அ

ka

க்+ஆ

கா

kaa or kA

க்+ இ

கி

ki

க்+ ஈ

கீ

kii or kI

க்+ உ

கு

ku

க்+ஊ

கூ

kuu or kU

க்+ எ

கெ

ke

க்+ ஏ

கே

kee or kE

க்+ ஐ

கை

kai

க்+ ஒ

கொ

ko

க்+ ஓ

கோ

koo or kO

க்+ ஔ

கௌ

kau

 

Examples

குறள்

kuRaL

கவிதை

kavidhai

பறவை

paRavai

Tamil99

Tamil99 keyboard is a standard keyboard layout approved by the Tamil Nadu government and based on Tamil phonetics. The following sections will explain the key mappings and examples.

Vowels

a

q

s

w

d

e

g

t

r

c

x

z

F

 

Consonants

க்

hf

ங்

bf

ச்

[f

ங்

]f

ட்

of

ண்

pf

த்

lf

ந்

;f

ப்

jf

ம்

kf

ய்

'f

ர்

mf

ல்

nf

வ்

vf

ழ்

/f

ள்

yf

ற்

uf

ன்

if

Grantha

ஹ்

 Rf

ஜ்

Ef

ஸ்

Qf

ஷ்

Qf

க்ஷ்

Tf

ஸ்ரீ

Y

 

Compounds

 

h

க+ஆ

கா

hq

க+ இ

கி

hs

க+ ஈ

கீ

hw

க+ உ

கு

hd

க+ஊ

கூ

he

க+ எ

கெ

hg

க+ ஏ

கே

ht

க+ ஐ

கை

hr

க+ ஒ

கொ

hc

க+ ஓ

கோ

hx

க+ ஔ

கௌ

hz

 

Other Keystrokes

க + க

க்க

க + க + க

க்க க

க + க + க + க

க்கக்க

 

க + அ + இ

கஇ

க + அ + க

கக

க + அ + க + க

கக்க

 

ங+க

ங்க

ஞ+ச

ஞ்ச

ந+த

ந்த

ண+ட

ண்ட

ம + ப

ம்ப

ன + ற

ன்ற

 

ந + த + த

ந்தத

ந + த + த + த

ந்தத்த

ந + அ + த

நத

ந + அ + த + த

நத்த

 

ஆ + இ

ஆஇ

ப + ஆ + இ

பாஇ

(இடைவெளி) + உ

(இடைவெளி)உ

 

குறிப்பு: shift + 6 விசைகளை அழுத்தி "^" பெறலாம்

^  +

^  +

ி

^  +

^ + .

· (bullet)

^ + C

Ó (copyright)

^ + 7

' (left single quote)

^ + 8

' (right single quote)

^ + 9

" (left double quote)

^ + 0

" (right double quote)

^ + S

  (Non breaking space)

 

 

Examples

குறள்

hduyf

கவிதை

hvslr

பறவை

juvr

Old typewriter

Old Typewriter keyboard layout is based on the Remington typewriter. The following sections will explain the key mappings and examples.

Vowels

m

M

,

<

c

C

v

V

I

x

X

xs

`

 

Consonants

க்

;f

ங்

;'

ச்

;r

ங்

;"

ட்

;l

ண்

;z

த்

;j

ந்

;e

ப்

;g

ம்

;k

ய்

;a

ர்

;u

ல்

;y

வ்

;t

ழ்

;H

ள்

;s

ற்

;w

ன்

;d

Grantha

ஹ்

;]

ஜ்

;$

ஸ்

;!

ஷ்

;Z

க்ஷ்

;B

ஸ்ரீ

_

 

Compounds

f

கா

fh

கி

pf

கீ

Pf

கு

[f

கூ

{f

கெ

bf

கே

nf

கை

if

கொ

bfh

கோ

nfh

கௌ

bfs

 

Examples

குறள்

[fw;s

கவிதை

fptij

பறவை

gwit

New typewriter

New Typewriter keyboard layout is based on the Remington typewriter with slight changes to Old Typewriter layout. The following sections will explain the key mappings and examples.

Vowels

m

M

,

<

c

C

v

V

I

x

X

xs

`

 

Consonants

க்

f;

ங்

';

ச்

r;

ங்

";

ட்

l;

ண்

z;

த்

j;

ந்

e;

ப்

g;

ம்

k;

ய்

a;

ர்

u;

ல்

y;

வ்

 t;

ழ்

H;

ள்

s;

ற்

w;

ன்

d;

Grantha

ஹ்

];

ஜ்

$;

ஸ்

!;

ஷ்

Z;

க்ஷ்

B;

ஸ்ரீ

_

 

Compounds

f

கா

fh

கி

fp

கீ

fP

கு

f[

கூ

f{

கெ

bf

கே

nf

கை

if

கொ

bfh

கோ

nfh

கௌ

bfs

 

Examples

குறள்

f[ws;

கவிதை

ftpij

பறவை

gwit