bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
> Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 16:21:45 +0000
> 
> When I write Arabic in Emacs buffer, it writes well. However, to print
> the buffer I use ps-spool-buffer, then save the buffer to tmp.ps then
> open using gs. However, the ps file has letters in revers order.

How does this work with other software which produces PostScript?
Does PostScript have a way to ask the printer to reorder the text? if
so, how?  Or is the program that generates PS supposed to reorder the
text?  In the latter case, we need to modify ps-print to do that.

> I use this in my .emacs:

Can you explain why and how this does the job?  Is there something
special in djvmono.bdf font?  Or am I missing the part that reorders
the bidirectional text?

bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
> Cc: 24724@debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 17:17:04 +0000
> 
> I just want to be able to print Arabic buffers to pdf or to printer. I
> searched alot and then found the .emacs snippet that I included in my
> email. If there is another easier way that will be great.

So you are saying that djvmono.bdf font (or maybe BDF fonts in
general) make the bidirectional text look in the correct order, while
other fonts don't?  My guess would be that Ghostscript is reordering
the text, I see a bidi module in its sources.  So I think the key to
this puzzle is to use Ghostscript.

bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Waleed Yousef]

When I write Arabic in Emacs buffer, it writes well. However, to print
the buffer I use ps-spool-buffer, then save the buffer to tmp.ps then
open using gs. However, the ps file has letters in revers order. I use
this in my .emacs:

(require 'ps-print)
 (eval-after-load 'ps-print
  '(progn
     (require 'ps-mule)
     (setq ps-multibyte-buffer 'bdf-font) ;; print everything with bdf
     (setq ps-font-size 10) ;; change according your tastes
     (setq bdf-directory-list '("/usr/share/fonts/MyBDF"))
     (setq ps-mule-font-info-database-bdf
	   '((unicode-bmp  ; everything in the world should be printed with this font
	      (normal bdf "djvmono.bdf")
	      (bold bdf "djvmono-b.bdf")
	      (italic bdf "djvmono-o.bdf")
	      (bold-italic bdf "djvmono-bo.bdf"))
	     (iso-8859-1   ; please, latin-1 TOO, I said everything!
	      (normal bdf "djvmono.bdf")
	      (bold bdf "djvmono-b.bdf")
	      (italic bdf "djvmono-o.bdf")
	      (bold-italic bdf "djvmono-bo.bdf"))))))




In GNU Emacs 25.1.1 (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.20.9)
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Recent messages:
Saving file /home/wyousef/.emacs...
Wrote /home/wyousef/.emacs
Formatting...done
File ‘~/Downloads/tmp.ps’ exists; overwrite? (y or n) y
A buffer is visiting /home/wyousef/Downloads/tmp.ps; proceed? (y or n) y
Type C-c C-c to toggle between editing or viewing the document.
Saving file /home/wyousef/Downloads/tmp.ps...
Wrote /home/wyousef/Downloads/tmp.ps
C-x C-g is undefined
Quit

Load-path shadows:
~/.emacs.d/loadpath/ps-mule hides /usr/share/emacs/25.1/lisp/ps-mule
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bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Waleed Yousef]

Ok, thanks so much for your fast reply.

I just want to be able to print Arabic buffers to pdf or to printer. I
searched alot and then found the .emacs snippet that I included in my
email. If there is another easier way that will be great.

Regarding printing from other software, yes I am able to print, e.g.,
from Libreoffice. However, I did not try others.

Thanks and looking forward.



Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
>> Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 16:21:45 +0000
>> 
>> When I write Arabic in Emacs buffer, it writes well. However, to print
>> the buffer I use ps-spool-buffer, then save the buffer to tmp.ps then
>> open using gs. However, the ps file has letters in revers order.
>
> How does this work with other software which produces PostScript?
> Does PostScript have a way to ask the printer to reorder the text? if
> so, how?  Or is the program that generates PS supposed to reorder the
> text?  In the latter case, we need to modify ps-print to do that.
>
>> I use this in my .emacs:
>
> Can you explain why and how this does the job?  Is there something
> special in djvmono.bdf font?  Or am I missing the part that reorders
> the bidirectional text?

bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Waleed Yousef]

Sorry I did not say that; I just said when I write in libreoffice, I can
print well.

When I write Arabic in emacs, the buffer looks great. However, when I
spool to ps and open this ps using Ghostscript the letters are
reversed. Another clue is this: when I run ps2pdf to the ps file it
fails converting.



Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
>> Cc: 24724@debbugs.gnu.org
>> Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 17:17:04 +0000
>> 
>> I just want to be able to print Arabic buffers to pdf or to printer. I
>> searched alot and then found the .emacs snippet that I included in my
>> email. If there is another easier way that will be great.
>
> So you are saying that djvmono.bdf font (or maybe BDF fonts in
> general) make the bidirectional text look in the correct order, while
> other fonts don't?  My guess would be that Ghostscript is reordering
> the text, I see a bidi module in its sources.  So I think the key to
> this puzzle is to use Ghostscript.

bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Waleed Yousef]

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I reread your reply; it seems that I misunderstood you.

However, I think we have two possibilties: either the ps file is produced
in reverse character order or the gs program renders it this way.

On Oct 18, 2016 6:13 PM, "Waleed Yousef" <wyousef@fcih.net> wrote:

>
> Sorry I did not say that; I just said when I write in libreoffice, I can
> print well.
>
> When I write Arabic in emacs, the buffer looks great. However, when I
> spool to ps and open this ps using Ghostscript the letters are
> reversed. Another clue is this: when I run ps2pdf to the ps file it
> fails converting.
>
>
>
> Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:
>
> >> From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
> >> Cc: 24724@debbugs.gnu.org
> >> Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 17:17:04 +0000
> >>
> >> I just want to be able to print Arabic buffers to pdf or to printer. I
> >> searched alot and then found the .emacs snippet that I included in my
> >> email. If there is another easier way that will be great.
> >
> > So you are saying that djvmono.bdf font (or maybe BDF fonts in
> > general) make the bidirectional text look in the correct order, while
> > other fonts don't?  My guess would be that Ghostscript is reordering
> > the text, I see a bidi module in its sources.  So I think the key to
> > this puzzle is to use Ghostscript.
>

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bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
> Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 19:43:09 +0000
> Cc: 24724@debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> However, I think we have two possibilties: either the ps file is produced in reverse character order or the gs
> program renders it this way.

That is my conclusion, yes.

bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Waleed Yousef]

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So, could you direct me please. I tried manythings and searched alot. Any
advice?

On Oct 19, 2016 8:10 AM, "Eli Zaretskii" <eliz@gnu.org> wrote:

> > From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
> > Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2016 19:43:09 +0000
> > Cc: 24724@debbugs.gnu.org
> >
> > However, I think we have two possibilties: either the ps file is
> produced in reverse character order or the gs
> > program renders it this way.
>
> That is my conclusion, yes.
>

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bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
> Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2016 18:41:18 +0000
> Cc: 24724@debbugs.gnu.org
> 
> So, could you direct me please. I tried manythings and searched alot. Any advice?

The only viable option right now is to use a new enough version of
Ghostript, I think.

bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Stefan Kangas]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>
>> Date: Thu, 20 Oct 2016 18:41:18 +0000
>> Cc: 24724@debbugs.gnu.org
>> 
>> So, could you direct me please. I tried manythings and searched alot. Any advice?
>
> The only viable option right now is to use a new enough version of
> Ghostript, I think.

If I read this thread correctly, the solution here is to use a recent
version of GhostScript.  In other words, this is not a bug in Emacs.

Or is there anything else to do here?

Best regards,
Stefan Kangas

bug#24724: 25.1; Arabic Printing Problem

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Stefan Kangas <stefan@marxist.se>
> Cc: Waleed Yousef <wyousef@fcih.net>,  24724@debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2019 03:41:35 +0100
> 
> If I read this thread correctly, the solution here is to use a recent
> version of GhostScript.  In other words, this is not a bug in Emacs.
> 
> Or is there anything else to do here?

It might be a missing feature, if PostScript supports commands to tell
the printer to reorder text.  But I don't know enough about PostScript
to tell whether this is so, and I never saw any PostScript output from
any program that prints R2L script, so I have no idea how this is done
by programs, Like LibreOffice, which reportedly do support printing of
such text.

If someone knows about that, I'm all ears.