BanglaPad is an open source, full-featured
cross-platform Unicode rich text editor capable of editing Bangla that can run
on different operating systems, such as Windows, Linux/Unix, owing to its base
on the Java programming language. Users can type Bangla text without using
external helper applications, such as keyboard drivers and can check spelling
of both Bangla and English document.
BanglaPad
is one of the open-source projects of the Center for Research on Bangla
Language Processing, BRAC University, funded by PAN Localization Project grant
from the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada. The
project began in August 2005 with two research programmers working full time.
The initial goal of this project is to develop a platform-independent, rich
text editor capable of editing Bangla. On the next level this editor will be
used to implement new features that will come out as a product of ongoing
Bangla language research.
The
current version of the BanglaPad includes the following features:
1.
Platform
independent. (Current version tested on Windows and Linux).
2.
Edit
Bangla and English text in the same document.
3.
Rich
text editing with pictures and tables.
4.
Export
document as HTML.
5.
Support
character encoding including UTF8 and UTF16.
6.
Bangla
and English Spell checking.
7.
Bangla
and English Search and replace.
8.
Printing
formatted document.
9.
Three
different skins for the editor.
10.
Built-in
keyboard driver for easy Bangla typing. (No need to install a keyboard driver).
11.
Customizable
Key-Maps for Bangla.
BanglaPad is released and distributed under the GNU General Public License.
Updates on BanglaPad can be found at http://sourceforge.net/projects/banglapad.
Online forum of BanglaPad is at http://banglapad.runboard.com/
We expect comments, feedbacks, bugs and problems
from users in that group.
Hardware:
Platform: PC
Processor: Pentium 2 133 MHz
Memory: 128 MB
Software:
Operating Systems: Windows, Linux
Language Settings: Unicode
Java 2 Runtime Environment (JRE): v 1.4.2 or later,
can be downloaded from Java's download page.
Fonts:
At least one Bangla Open Type Font. Examples of Open
Type Fonts: SolaimanLipi, Mukti, Akaash, Rupali, etc.
BanglaPad is packaged as executable Java-Archive
program. Download and unzip BanglaPad-V0.1.zip. Run the JAR-packaged
application with the Java interpreter either by double-clicking on the BanglaPad.jar file object or by executing
the following command at the command line:
java -jar BanglaPad.jar
For Windows, an executable is created which installs
the application. After installation click the BanglaPad icon in the program files or in the desktop.
Unicode has only limited support in Windows
95/98/Me, but these operating systems are still capable of displaying all
Bangla characters using appropriate Unicode fonts. Full Unicode support is
built into Windows NT/2000/XP. Linux have begun to provide support Unicode.
Bangla has some free fonts, which are supplied under
GPL license. These fonts can be downloaded from BanglaPad's web page.
Note to Windows Users: Executable that installs the
program will install the Bangla fonts too.
Note to Linux Users: To make Unicode fonts
available to Java applications, you may need to set the environment variable JAVA_FONTS to the appropriate font
paths (typically, /usr/share/fonts/truetype) and then export it. This
is usually done in /etc/profile file. Detail on How to
install Bangla a font on Linux is available at UPDATE IT LATER!!
For comments/feedback/input/bug report, please post
at BanglaPad Forum or email to naushadzaman@gmail.com or zahurul@bracuniversity.net.