bug#58070: [PATCH] Add tamil99 input method

[Visuwesh <visuweshm@gmail.com>]

[ஞாயிறு செப்டம்பர் 25, 2022] Eli Zaretskii wrote:

>> From: Visuwesh <visuweshm@gmail.com>
>> Cc: arunisaac@systemreboot.net,  58070@debbugs.gnu.org
>> Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2022 19:44:44 +0530
>> 
>> [ஞாயிறு செப்டம்பர் 25, 2022] Eli Zaretskii wrote:
>> 
>> >> AFAIK, MS Windows' tamil99 keyboard layout behaves like mine, whereas
>> >> the ibus layout behaves like your implementation.  If you are a heavy
>> >> user of this layout, can you try out the attached?
>> >
>> > Please note that we could have support for both layouts, there's no
>> > particular reason we should have only one.
>> 
>> Yes of course but I'm afraid that it will create unneeded confusion,
>> since the differences are quite subtle.
>
> Why do you think it will confuse users to have two input methods, each
> one for one of the layouts?  If the supported layout is clearly stated
> in the documentation (or even in the name of the IM), why would it
> confuse?

They are both named "Tamil99", just slightly different implementations.
In that case, how do you propose to name these slightly different
implementations that have a single name---Tamil99?  They are identical
majorly in that they both have the same layout but the "special rules"
intended to ease the pain of typing Tamil in a computer are handled
differently.
If you prefer, I can quote the spec and explain the differences between
Windows' and ibus' implementations.

> Please note that we already have several examples where different
> input methods for the same language are offered, one each for every
> keyboard layout we think users could find useful.  Is Tamil different
> in some way?

No, Tamil is not any different.  But the confusion is caused by the
_implementation detail_.  Since the specs is not clear enough [1], you
end up with subtly different implementations of the keyboard layout.

>> So I would prefer the layout which is familiar to most users to get
>> in core.
>
> If one of the layouts comes from Windows, the other from Unix, we are
> likely to have two large groups of users, each one of which is
> familiar with a different layout.  Why not offer them both what they
> are familiar with?

Microsoft added the layout in 2018 in Windows 10.  I have no idea when
the ibus layout was added.  We could offer both, but Someone™ will need
to come up with a clear name.

I hope my stance is now clear.

[1] http://www.tamilvu.org/tkbd/Tamil_Unicode_G.O.zip