-=* 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.