MLS Software and Technical Documents

This directory contains software (mainly for IBM compatibles), fonts (for X Window systems and Linux), documentation in the form of preformatted manpages for the software as well as a description of the Mongolian transliteration underlying the MLS (Mongolian Language Support) system. Software for supporting Soyombo can be found in The Soyombo Script. In addition, MLS is now available for LaTeX with the MonTeX package.

For Mongolian users who want to consult a Mongolian documentation of basic LaTeX2e features the archive bogino (meaning ``short'' in Mongolian) is now also available.

General information on MLS and MLS for Unix

The Transliteration Principles of MLS . This text explains the basic concepts of MLS and offers all necessary reference tables. ATTENTION: This text is encoded in MLS style so that it will probably not display properly within a typical WWW environment. You are however encouraged to download the file to your local environment and inspect it either under X using the screen fonts offered below or under DOS using the MLS tools. If either is impossible you may look at the file directly here; it has been prepared in graphics format and is accessible via the next item.
The Transliteration ... . Same file as above, but made accessible in graphics format in case neither X nor DOS environments are available.
MLS for UNIX explains the principles and benefits of the Unix-style conversion.
How to use the MLS System : A Short Guide to a Convertible World (This file is a "map" for finding your way through all conversion possibilities)

How to use the IBM executables

The executable binaries for IBM compatible computers are virtually all kept in the form of self-extracting archives. The naming convention is simple: The archive name and the original application name differ by one letter only. If a "file exists - overwrite?" warning occurs during multiple downloads into the same directory then only the sample files used for demonstrations are involved. You do not lose binaries or documentation when reconfirming or cancelling the suggested action.

A sample session would go through the following steps:

Generate a text with your favourite ASCII-capable editor. Write all non-Mongol text portions as they are, and write Mongol text portions in transliteration using the MLS transliteration standard. Do not forget to separate Mongol and non-Mongol portions of text with the appropriate tags. A typical line may look like this:
```
English  Tag  Classical  Tag	Modern		Tag
my word  $    minu ügä   #	miniï ügs	@
```
either view the text directly, using mview and executing conversion with the appropriate key commands, e.g. [c]:
```
mview myfile
```
or run the file through the MLS converter to obtain an MLS-encoded version, possibly like this:
```
mls_a2m /q < mytext > mytext.mls
```
in case you want to transmit your document vie e-mail it is safe to convert the text into a 7-bit-proof version avoiding the risk of loosing any umlaut symbols:
```
mls2unix < mytext.mls > mytext.unx
```

For those preferring "real-world" data it is recommended to explore the MLS system by downloading the two versions of the Mongolian constitution (text in Modern Mongolian , text in Classical Mongolian) into a DOS-based system and with mview as a viewer.

Executables

MLS : The MLS basic package contains the filters mls_a2m, mls2unix, mls_k2a and mls_kmap as well as the accompanying documentation, screen utilities and demonstration files.
MLS2PCX : A Text-to-Graphics Converter
MLS_ATOM : An Atomic Converter
MLS_I2 : An Item Reduplicator
MLS_SPP : A Suffix Preprocessor
MVIEW : An MLS Text Viewer. It cannot only display Mongolian in Cyrillic and Classical (Uighur) forms, it can also convert romanized texts to their proper writings. In May 1996, a new feature was added: mview now understands all major Cyrillic encodings used in Mongolia. This allows the user to discard all previous text viewers and screen font utilities which could only supply one of the supported encodings which are NCC, MOSLAST, MNK, DKey, MKE, IBM/alt and koi8 (the latter two without the special Mongolian characters but useful for viewing Russian texts).

Manpages for binaries

MLS : The MLS basic package (A2M: ASCII to Mongol)
MLS2PCX : A Text-to-Graphics Converter
MLS_ATOM : An Atomic Converter
MLS_I2 : An Item Reduplicator
MLS_SPP : A Suffix Preprocessor
MVIEW : An MLS Text Viewer

Fonts for X Window and Font Installation Guide

MLS For X Window - Screen Font Installation Guide
16 pixel high bitmap font for horizontal text
16 pixel high bitmap font for vertical text
24 pixel high bitmap font for horizontal text
24 pixel high bitmap font for vertical text
10 pixel high bitmap font for bidirectional text
16 pixel high bitmap font for horizontal text : This font is suitable for Linux consoles and should be installed with the command setfont, e.g.: setfont cpmls.f16.

Update Policy

The software which is offered here must be called demonstrator software. All executables in this directory are tested to run on off-the-shelf hardware, and they deliver the function they are supposed to deliver.

Sometimes, some of the software may not be considered very user-friendly. This is an acknowledged fact. The software here are working prototypes, and just that.

Since this directory of Infosystem Mongolei is updated frequently it can be regarded as some kind of window into a workshop and the work found here is work in progress. This implies that there are frequent updates. How do you know that a software product of the MLS family has been updated again?

I do not keep a very boasting Version Numbering Scheme, and there are no update packages which will modify just parts of a particular software package. However, the interested user should look for changing (usually growing) file sizes, announcements in soc.culture.mongolian and new software names appearing in this archive.

Sometimes major advances are introduced (like the support of a new type of hardware or a new data format), sometimes it is just honing which takes place (a new command line switch added, etc. etc.).

If you find bugs, inconsistencies or functional deficiencies you should never hesitate to contact the author . Sometimes the problem may just have been solved, sometimes a solution is produced in greater speed if there is a genuine demand "outside".

Legal terms

All software and documentation in this archive is copyrighted by the author. The software may be copied, used and distributed freely for noncommercial purposes only; it is not in the public domain. Binaries (executables, fonts etc.) and documentation may not be modified.