Unicode 1.0 vs. Unicode 2.0 and onwards

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1

I need to edit a font and it only has Microsoft BMP only and Unicode 1.0 semantics. Is there any need to add Unicode 2.0 and onwards, BMP?

2

Hi Fred,

Unless you are aware of backward computability issues, I suggest you drop the Unicode 1.0 semantics platform and add the Unicode 2.0 and onwards semantics, Unicode BMP only platform. Make sure you select Copy from Microsoft Unicode BMP only, as that will copy all character to glyph index mappings.

In case you wonder when Unicode 1.0 was superseded by Unicode 1.1:

History of the Unicode Standard:
Initial steps towards a new character encoding - 1986
Unicode 1.0 - October 1991
Unicode 1.1 - June 1993
Unicode 2.0 - July 1996
Unicode 2.1.2 - May 1998 (Euro character was introduced)
Unicode 3.0 - September 1999
Unicode 3.1 - March 2001
Unicode 3.2 - March 2002
Unicode 4.0 - April 2003
Unicode 4.0.1 - March 2004
Unicode 4.1 - March 2005
Unicode 5.0 - July 2006
Unicode 5.1 - April 2008

3

Thank you, as good as done!

4

I forgot to mention, the Unicode platform is also known as the Apple Unicode platform and the Macintosh platform is also known as the Apple Script Manager platform. Both platforms are used by Mac OS. To ensure cross-platform compatibility, we suggest to include Microsoft, Macintosh and Unicode platforms to your fonts.

5

Erwin, can you tell me how to include the Macintosh platform? Which Specific Platform Encoding am I supposed to choose?

6

Select Format from the main menu, and then click Platform Manager. In the screenshot below, you’ll see a font that contains a Microsoft and a Unicode platform.

Click the Add button and then select the Macintosh Roman platform. Make sure you select Copy from Microsoft Unicode BMP only, as that will copy all character to glyph index mappings.

Now you’ll have all recommended platforms.

The new platform has character to glyph index mappings, but it also needs naming fields. To add those, select Tools from the main menu, and then select AutoNaming. Click next en Finish, and you’re done.

Do let us know your results.

7

Thanks for your prompt reply. The problem is that Macintosh Roman only supports the first 256 characters. Is there a way to make more Unicode sets available on a Macintosh?

8

For Unicode support, the Mac uses the Unicode platform. As mentioned earlier, make sure your font contains the Unicode 2.0 and onwards semantics platform.