Flash CC, TLF Text, and R-L language support

[Jim Wiley]

Hi,

I have a series of projects, tools and designs that must have R-L language support. The old Classic text (CS6 and below) didn't cut it.

What new features did Adobe add to CC to fix this when they removed TLFText?

Can we get the TLFText Class in a Open Source or directly from Adobe?

Did they add R-L to the Classic? (leaving out all the DTP type controls) ? Has anyone come up with other work around methods?

I figure that there are many single line (not multi-line) work around methods on a language by language that basis that can be made or used. But I need paragraphs. My primary uses require it.

I support 35 languages now on my way to 42.

<Passive Agressive Rant>

I was using the Strings panel for my templates because my non-programming users were having issues with XML. Now new user tools I am developing will eliminate that issue. Another CS6 lost feature in CC I have been forced to mitigate.

I embed fonts to guarantee the text fits and is readable without font substitution issues. Now fonts are larger and will cause slower CD loading (it all adds up).

I also use the TLFText class to test that all the characters fit in the text area without overruns. (It is very common to have translated text take 150% more area). This is a big problem. This, I will make a tool using CS6 to make use of this CS6 TLFText feature independently if I am forced to do it. I will see what I can do with Classic Text - it has been years since I looked into it.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I will probably only need this for the next 2 years where my content will primarily be HTML web based delivery instead of 50-50 web/CD.

Thanks,

Jim

[sinious]

To my knowledge, there is still no RTL support in TextField or TextFormat. 

I also used TLFTextField to handle my Arabic localizations and I'm wondering how this will evolve.

Have you considered extending the TextField class to implement your own solution for the time being? It would definitely be a pain but using the width of the TextField while breaking the paragraph up into words you could add each word one by one, continuously checking getLineMetrics.width until it was too long to know where wrapping needed to occur. That's of course after you reversed the text itself (e.g. function revText(str:String):String { return str.split('').reverse().join('').toString(); }, unless it's inputted in reverse). If the word exceeded width, remove the word, wrap, continue. It's a total headache and doesn't help designers much unless you made it a component with that automatic nature.

Lastly, I don't have much experience with it but AIR has StageText which uses a native OS-level text area, similar to how a StageWebView displays a native browser instance. It has a locale setting. If you set it to 'ara' (Arabic) and it is displayed on an actual OS set to Arabic, text may flow in the correct direction automatically. Although you do have much less control over it.

[Jim Wiley]

1st - Thanks for the comments and ideas.

The problem is -  I do not know enough about (read) all the R-L languages at all. I could read and use write-ups about Unicode and understand the rules and character swapping that goes on for line termination and wrapping. There are other rules that I do not remember. I have found AS2 Arabic and Hebrew for single lines. They worked well enough for a CD UI (buttons & simple phrases). I had to take other programmers comments as to the quality of the code.

Didn't get rid of my overrun issue though.

After R-L gets put to bed, we then have the BiDi languages.

I am trying to make a quality product - not a don't buy me or take me seriously product.

What I would like is the code for those classes or a narrow SWC for TLFtext that the smaller percentage of Adobe Flash customers need. Give it the use at your own risk warning.

[sinious]

Is there anything in Flash CC that you absolutely need? If not, the answer can be as simple as using CS6 until it no longer suits your needs. I use Flash CS6 for just about everything.

[Jim Wiley]

I came to that conclusion when they released CC.

I am worried that the CS6 will stop being available in the next two years. I believe we have to use CS6 during that time. After that, I believe we will be going to a 100% web support model with a possibility of embedded content in the product. All this means HTML5 & Javascript.

By then a good video captioning and display scheme will be have been adopted that can support global language requirements.

I will have others in our group use Flash with the custom function tools I am developing. They will have to have CS6 on their systems but never open it. JSFL and the tool will be doing all the heavy lifting.

[sinious]

Luckily this is where the web was always missing an ingredient that HTML5 added, native video. It's perfectly possible to offer video playback with CC with what already exists, and gain the benefit of SEO and mobile friendliness (as well as full RTL support).

It's good that this post exists to warn other developers though since it knocks a large portion of the world out.