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
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.