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    How to type in Unicode Tamil in ANY windows application (Outlook Express, MS- Word, Excel, Powerpoint etc.)?

Important :
What is given below is just the basics. For detailed help on Unicode, Unicode Font, Unicode Typing and Unicode Conversion, click the 'Help' menu of Azhagi and invoke 'Unicode Help'. The online version of the same is at http://www.azhagi.com/azUnicodeHelp.html.
(Note: Unicode has "powerful advantages" allowing you to do advanced Tamil computing like 'Find & Replace in Tamil', 'Sorting in Tamil' etc.  Refer Power of Unicode topic later, in this regard)


Well, the following conditions apply for Unicode typing.
1. Your operating system should be Windows XP or Windows 2000.
2. Unicode typing is currently possible in ALL external applications which support unicode like MS-Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Notepad, Wordpad, Access, Outlook Express, MSN Messenger, Gmail etc. but not in Azhagi application itself.
3. While Office2002 and later versions support Unicode typing, Office 2000 and earlier versions may not support.
4. Tips below explain some important settings which you must necessarily effect.


Keep looking out for our future updates where the above restrictions (1 to 3) may get removed. Please note that  You can very well type in Unicode in MS-Word and Powerpoint. Some simple settings have to be effected for that purpose and to know about them, please read the tips below without fail.

Tips :
1. If you have problems typing in MS-Word and Powerpoint, then it is an MS-office related issue. It has nothing to do with Azhagi. Click here to resolve the issue.
2. In case you are not able to view unicode Tamil characters properly in any application, then it is an Operating system related issue. It has nothing to do with Azhagi. Click here and complete 'Step 1' explained therein, to resolve the issue.
3. Not all applications support unicode (for ex: Yahoo Messenger). So, even after you effect all the settings - as explained in tips 1) and 2) above - when you try to type in Unicode in such applications, you might only see question marks or boxes appearing.

To accomplish 'Direct typing in unicode' in external applications, do the following :
· Start Azhagi fully by clicking OK in the opening password screen
· Right click on Azhagi's tray icon (you may find it at the right bottom of your screen, usually near the date/time indicator) and tick 'Unicode Input'. Alternatively, you can click on Azhagi's 'Preferences' menu and then tick on 'Unicode Input'.
·
· Start your external application, say Notepad. Press F10. Azhagi's tray icon will change color to red.
· Start typing in English and you will see it appearing in Unicode Tamil.
· Press F10 again, to continue to type in English.
·
· If you wish to change your typing mode from 'Phonetic' to 'Tamil Typewriter' or 'Tamilnet99', click on 'Preferences->Keyboard Layout' and choose your preferred layout. Alternately, you can right click on the Azhagi icon in the system tray, move your mouse to 'Typing mode' and select the preferred layout
If you have problems typing in MS-Word and Powerpoint
(or)
In case you are not able to view unicode Tamil characters properly,

then it is an Operating system or Microsoft office related issue. It has nothing to do with Azhagi. To solve these issues, read the next topic ~ Unicode Typing - Issues & Solutions





Document version 4.1Copyright 2000-2006 Azhagi.com
For online version of this document, always visit http://www.azhagi.com/azHelp.html