Frank Mittelbach <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>  > I also wrote the xepersian package which you
>  > can find in CTAN. Let me clarify that my work is going to replace the other
>  > packages and systems providing Persian typesetting in TeX. Also please note
>  > that farsitex is a dead project and it is based on latex2.09 not latex 2e,
> 
> yes, I noticed that following the link that Joseph supplied, that looks like a
> dead end I agree.
> 
>  > so the main aim here is to write something which works with latex2e. I also
>  > agree that having a seperate latex format is difficult and time consuming
>  > but I have so much passion about Persian typesetting in LaTeX that will put
>  > all my energy for it. Also Polish and another language (which I do not
>  > remember) format of latex are avaliable. 
> 
> I'm not sure there are such formats these days.

oh, there are.  while i can't actually find a reference, there was a
conflict during the development of tl2008, about who had the right to
the name "ptex" -- there were polish formats under than name, as well as
a japanese tex system.

i don't actually understand what they do, but afaict, the japanese have
their own latex setup, though it seems that the polish are quietly
forgetting theirs.

> There might be special
> distributions that package stuff otherwise not bundled with TeX/LaTeX
> normally, but different formats? But even if, the question remains what you
> gain.

if you have to load 20 packages just to get going, i believe it's
difficult to ignore david's mylatex, even allowing for the speed of
modern machines.

> Anyway, I'm looking forward to learn more about language needs for Persian
> (and other languages) that so far admittedly have been neglected (in parts
> because the developers within LaTeX didn't understand them

me too.  the printed language is actually rather beautiful, even for
those (like me) who don't read it at all.

robin