Edited by author 11-23-2007 11:13 AM
Hi Remi,

There are two separate issues. First, you could develop a font by either using the PUA in Unicode (see /m324 & /m327) or by modifying the upper range of an old 8-bit font. This would enable you to produce documents. You could also, with an 8-bit FaYe font, drive the font from the server for a webpage. Such things have been done with 8-bit fonts by people using the N'Ko alphabet to write Manding (Malinke/Bambara).

That would give you some utility but is obviously limited.

The second issue is that for a script to be recognized across devices, platforms and applications in the way you want, the only standard is Unicode. Without a common coding standard, of course, it is impossible to have such intercompatibility. But as we have said, Unicode can't accept proposed scripts whatever their virtues may be - there are just so many and new ones continue to be invented.

The N'Ko alphabet, to use that example again, has just been incorporated in Unicode, but it has been in use for half a century with quite some publication and ongoing newsletters etc. Getting N'Ko in Unicode involved demonstrating that it is in active use.

Sorry there is not better news.

Don