Here is a major update to the Thaana Conversions class for PHP 5 that I have been maintaining. This new version adds two new functions convertLatinToAscii() and its counterpart convertAsciiToLatin(), which transliterates text to and from the latinized/romanized Thaana form. That means you can pass on text bits like "miadhakee reethi dhuvahekeve" and have it converted to "މިއަދަކީ ރީތި ދުވަހެކެވެ".

This feature would facilitate Thaana websites to add cool and interesting new features like, say, offering to display a news article in latinized Thaana if the user does not have the required fonts installed and/or cannot install the Thaana fonts!

Info

The Thaana Conversions class for PHP provides a number of useful functions for the conversion and transliteration of text between various Thaana representation formats.

Functions exposed

- convertUtf8ToUnicodeIntegers()
- convertUtf8ToAscii()
- convertUtf8ToEntities()
- convertEntitiesToUnicodeIntegers()
- convertEntitiesToUtf8
- convertEntitiesToAscii()
- convertUnicodeIntegersToUtf8()
- convertUnicodeIntegersToEntities()
- convertUnicodeIntegersToAscii()
- convertAsciiToUtf8()
- convertAsciiToEntities()
- convertAsciiToUnicodeIntegers()
- convertLatinToAscii()
- convertAsciiToLatin()

Requirements

PHP 5

License

This script is released under the Open Source MIT License, allowing its use in both personal and commercial applications as long as the copyright and license permission notice remains intact.

Usage

<?php
// Load the class
require 'thaana_conversions.obj.php';

// Initialize the Thaana object
$thaana = new Thaana_Conversions();

// Example: Converting latin to ascii
echo $thaana->convertLatinToAscii('miadhakee haadha reethi dhuvahekeve.');

// Example: Converting ascii to latin
echo $thaana->convertAsciiToLatin('miawdwkI hWdw rIti duvwhekeve.');
?>

Download

- Thaana_Conversions.zip (v0.4, 4.8KB)

Enjoy

I received two feature requests in the email since I released the Thaana Transcoder late last month and both asked for the same thing; Unicode input text transcoding to Accent compatible ASCII output. It just so happened that the feature requested was something that I had actually programmed in, more or less, but left out in the public 1.0 release because I wasn't sure anyone would need it. So here is a new release with the said feature included and also bundles in a minor bug fix.

Info

Thaana Transcoder is a Windows-based tool that performs the often much needed conversion of Thaana text written in Accent, Faseyha Thaana, MS Word version 97 (and older) to and from the modern Unicode standard used by MS Word XP/2007 and OpenOffice.

Download

- Thaana Transcoder 1.1 Installer/Upgrade (185KB, MS Windows)
- Thaana Transcoder 1.1 Executable only (79.7KB, MS Windows)

I am deeply disturbed and saddened by the growing number of innocent casualties in the profoundly inhumane and insane war currently being waged between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

This is my protest against the Israeli siege of Gaza, their use of disproportionate mass-casualty weapons and their crippling sanctions in Gaza. I fail to see how such action is conducive to attaining a lasting solution. The most probable outcome we could expect from this course of action, perhaps, is for it to breed anger and even hatred amongst those affected - something we all could live happier without. This is also my protest against the exploitation of the civilian population and dwellings by Hamas in their military activities against Israel.

As a firm pacifist, it appalls me to see the eagerness towards violence, by both these groups of people, as a means to solve their disputes and disagreements. It appalls me that both parties continue the violence despite the growing fatalities and injuries. It appalls me that the world powers have let the situation continue to deteriorate without stepping in.

My heart goes out to all those people caught up in this conflict...