
              =================================================
                          -=* Convert::Ethiopic *=-
                Tools for working with Ethiopic text in Perl
                           -----------------------



README file for Convert-Ethiopic distribution:

	This package was originally developed as an interface to the LibEth
	programming library for Ethiopic text and information processing.  The 
	Ethiopic module is not a comprehensive interface to the LibEth library but
	the minimum to support the "LiveGeez" module which is an implementation of
	the LiveGe'ez Remote Processing Protocol.

	In version 0.20 of this package an OO interface has become more central,
	the functional interface is still supported for the functions of primary
	utility.  The Cstocs.pm module is no longer being maintained as of
	version 0.20 as well.
	
	Future:  Resyncronization with updated libeth.  Most notably this would
	allow for a wider range of supported languages for the calendar
	conversions.


	Module Ethiopic::System:

		Creates an Ethiopic "system" object that holds conversion settings.

	Module Ethiopic::String:

		Implements an object for various character set code conversions.
		Character set systems are specified by a canonical name specified
		in the LiveGe'ez Remote Processing Protocol.  Optional secondary
		conversion give the number of conversion possibilities at more
		than 68x9x2.

	Module Ethiopic::Number:

		Implements an object for various character set code conversions.
		Character set systems are specified by a canonical name specified
		in the LiveGe'ez Remote Processing Protocol.  Optional secondary
		conversion give the number of conversion possibilities at more
		than 68x9x2.

	Module Ethiopic::File:

		Implements an object for various character set code conversions.
		Character set systems are specified by a canonical name specified
		in the LiveGe'ez Remote Processing Protocol.  Optional secondary
		conversion give the number of conversion possibilities at more
		than 68x9x2.

	Module Ethiopic::Date:

		Implements an object for various calendar services.  The most
		useful methods are EthiopicToGregorian, GregorianToEthiopic, and
		isEthiopianHoliday.

	Module Ethiopic::Char:

		Implements an object for various calendar services.  The most
		useful methods are EthiopicToGregorian, GregorianToEthiopic, and
		isEthiopianHoliday.

	Program edate.pl:

		Gives you the current date and time with Ethiopic formatting
		in the languages Amharic and Tigrigna.  Has oodles of options
		that can be combined together.  See -? you will need an Ethiopic
		font and a terminal supporting UTF8.

	Program dates.pl:

		Performs a number of date conversions demonstrating usage.

	Program number.pl:

		Converts numbers passed as arguements from English to Ethiopic.

	Program string.pl:

		Converts string arguements between Ethiopic encoding systems.

	Program file.pl:

		Opens the "t/Hello.sera" test script and performs the default
		conversion.


Installation:
    LibEth is required:  http://libeth.sourceforge.net

	Download the tar.gz, unpack it, change to the Convert-Ethiopic-*
	directory. Then do

		perl Makefile.PL
		make
		make test
		make install

Available:
	ftp://ftp.geez.org/pub/perl-unicode/ and from your
	favorite CPAN site in the authors/id/D/DY/DYACOB/ directory.
	
Copyright: (c) 1998-2001 Daniel Yacob, yacob@ethiopiaonline.net. All rights
	reserved. This library is free software; you can redistribute
	it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.
