internationalization - How to support Arabic text in Android?

Question

I am getting Arabic text from server successfully. Retrieved text I want display in code but its showing boxes instead of Arabic text. Assume that t array values are Arabic text from server.

string[] t={" "};
Textview tv = (Textview) findviewByid(R.id.text);
tv.setText(t[0]);

Answer 1

Android 2.1 does not have Arabic font.

Android 2.2 has Arabic font but does not show your word correctly.

Android 3.x supports Arabic completely.

For Android 2.1 you must set the typeface Farsi.GetFarsiFont(this) and then use Farsi.Convert("????")

For Android 2.2 you do not need setting font but must use Farsi.Convert("????")

And for Android 3.x forget all of the above solutions ;). But you can change the font if you do not like the 3.x Arabic font.

so do the following steps:

1) At first add "TAHOMA.TTF" in assets folder

2) use the following class to get the font and converting your Arabic or Farsi text to a good form for showing in your activities.

import android.content.Context;
import android.graphics.Typeface;

public final class Farsi {

    public static boolean isFarsiConversionNeeded = true;

    private final static String szLamAndAlef = Character
            .toString((char) 0xfedf)
            + Character.toString((char) 0xfe8e); // Lam + Alef

    private final static String szLamStickAndAlef = Character
            .toString((char) 0xfee0)
            + Character.toString((char) 0xfe8e); // Lam (Sticky !!!)+
                                                    // Alef

    private final static String szLa = Character.toString((char) 0xfefb); // La
    private final static String szLaStick = Character.toString((char) 0xfefc); // La
                                                                                // (Sticky!!!)

    private final static String szLamAndAlefWoosim = Character
            .toString((char) 0xe1)
            + Character.toString((char) 0xbb); // Lam + Alef

    private final static String szLamStickAndAlefWoosim = Character
            .toString((char) 0x90)
            + Character.toString((char) 0xbb); // Lam (Sticky !!!)+
                                                // Alef

    private final static String szLaWoosim = Character.toString((char) 0xd9); // La
    private final static String szLaStickWoosim = Character
            .toString((char) 0xd9); // La

    // (Sticky!!!)

    private static final class struc {
        public char character;
        public char endGlyph;
        public char iniGlyph;
        public char midGlyph;
        public char isoGlyph;

        public struc(char Character, char EndGlyph, char IniGlyph,
                char MidGlyph, char IsoGlyph) {
            character = Character;
            endGlyph = EndGlyph;
            iniGlyph = IniGlyph;
            midGlyph = MidGlyph;
            isoGlyph = IsoGlyph;
        }
    }

    static struc[] arrStruc = {
            new struc((char) 0x630, (char) 0xfeac, (char) 0xfeab,
                    (char) 0xfeac, (char) 0xfeab),
            new struc((char) 0x62f, (char) 0xfeaa, (char) 0xfea9,
                    (char) 0xfeaa, (char) 0xfea9),
            new struc((char) 0x62c, (char) 0xfe9e, (char) 0xfe9f,
                    (char) 0xfea0, (char) 0xfe9d),
            new struc((char) 0x62d, (char) 0xfea2, (char) 0xfea3,
                    (char) 0xfea4, (char) 0xfea1),
            new struc((char) 0x62e, (char) 0xfea6, (char) 0xfea7,
                    (char) 0xfea8, (char) 0xfea5),
            new struc((char) 0x647, (char) 0xfeea, (char) 0xfeeb,
                    (char) 0xfeec, (char) 0xfee9),
            new struc((char) 0x639, (char) 0xfeca, (char) 0xfecb,
                    (char) 0xfecc, (char) 0xfec9),
            new struc((char) 0x63a, (char) 0xfece, (char) 0xfecf,
                    (char) 0xfed0, (char) 0xfecd),
            new struc((char) 0x641, (char) 0xfed2, (char) 0xfed3,
                    (char) 0xfed4, (char) 0xfed1),
            new struc((char) 0x642, (char) 0xfed6, (char) 0xfed7,
                    (char) 0xfed8, (char) 0xfed5),
            new struc((char) 0x62b, (char) 0xfe9a, (char) 0xfe9b,
                    (char) 0xfe9c, (char) 0xfe99),
            new struc((char) 0x635, (char) 0xfeba, (char) 0xfebb,
                    (char) 0xfebc, (char) 0xfeb9),
            new struc((char) 0x636, (char) 0xfebe, (char) 0xfebf,
                    (char) 0xfec0, (char) 0xfebd),
            new struc((char) 0x637, (char) 0xfec2, (char) 0xfec3,
                    (char) 0xfec4, (char) 0xfec1),
            new struc((char) 0x643, (char) 0xfeda, (char) 0xfedb,
                    (char) 0xfedc, (char) 0xfed9),
            new struc((char) 0x645, (char) 0xfee2, (char) 0xfee3,
                    (char) 0xfee4, (char) 0xfee1),
            new struc((char) 0x646, (char) 0xfee6, (char) 0xfee7,
                    (char) 0xfee8, (char) 0xfee5),
            new struc((char) 0x62a, (char) 0xfe96, (char) 0xfe97,
                    (char) 0xfe98, (char) 0xfe95),
            new struc((char) 0x627, (char) 0xfe8e, (char) 0xfe8d,
                    (char) 0xfe8e, (char) 0xfe8d),
            new struc((char) 0x644, (char) 0xfede, (char) 0xfedf,
                    (char) 0xfee0, (char) 0xfedd),
            new struc((char) 0x628, (char) 0xfe90, (char) 0xfe91,
                    (char) 0xfe92, (char) 0xfe8f),
            new struc((char) 0x64a, (char) 0xfef2, (char) 0xfef3,
                    (char) 0xfef4, (char) 0xfef1),
            new struc((char) 0x633, (char) 0xfeb2, (char) 0xfeb3,
                    (char) 0xfeb4, (char) 0xfeb1),
            new struc((char) 0x634, (char) 0xfeb6, (char) 0xfeb7,
                    (char) 0xfeb8, (char) 0xfeb5),
            new struc((char) 0x638, (char) 0xfec6, (char) 0xfec7,
                    (char) 0xfec8, (char) 0xfec5),
            new struc((char) 0x632, (char) 0xfeb0, (char) 0xfeaf,
                    (char) 0xfeb0, (char) 0xfeaf),
            new struc((char) 0x648, (char) 0xfeee, (char) 0xfeed,
                    (char) 0xfeee, (char) 0xfeed),
            new struc((char) 0x629, (char) 0xfe94, (char) 0xfe93,
                    (char) 0xfe93, (char) 0xfe93),
            new struc((char) 0x649, (char) 0xfef0, (char) 0xfeef,
                    (char) 0xfef0, (char) 0xfeef),
            new struc((char) 0x631, (char) 0xfeae, (char) 0xfead,
                    (char) 0xfeae, (char) 0xfead),
            new struc((char) 0x624, (char) 0xfe86, (char) 0xfe85,
                    (char) 0xfe86, (char) 0xfe85),
            new struc((char) 0x621, (char) 0xfe80, (char) 0xfe80,
                    (char) 0xfe80, (char) 0xfe80),
            new struc((char) 0x626, (char) 0xfe8a, (char) 0xfe8b,
                    (char) 0xfe8c, (char) 0xfe89),
            new struc((char) 0x623, (char) 0xfe84, (char) 0xfe83,
                    (char) 0xfe84, (char) 0xfe83),
            new struc((char) 0x622, (char) 0xfe82, (char) 0xfe81,
                    (char) 0xfe82, (char) 0xfe81),
            new struc((char) 0x625, (char) 0xfe88, (char) 0xfe87,
                    (char) 0xfe88, (char) 0xfe87),
            new struc((char) 0x67e, (char) 0xfb57, (char) 0xfb58,
                    (char) 0xfb59, (char) 0xfb56), // peh
            new struc((char) 0x686, (char) 0xfb7b, (char) 0xfb7c,
                    (char) 0xfb7d, (char) 0xfb7a), // cheh
            new struc((char) 0x698, (char) 0xfb8b, (char) 0xfb8a,
                    (char) 0xfb8b, (char) 0xfb8a), // jeh
            new struc((char) 0x6a9, (char) 0xfb8f, (char) 0xfb90,
                    (char) 0xfb91, (char) 0xfb8e), // keheh
            new struc((char) 0x6af, (char) 0xfb93, (char) 0xfb94,
                    (char) 0xfb95, (char) 0xfb92), // gaf
            // new struc((char) 0x6cc, (char) 0xfbfd, (char) 0xfbfe,
            // (char) 0xfbff, (char) 0xfbfc), // Farsi yeh
            new struc((char) 0x6cc, (char) 0xfbfd, (char) 0xfef3,
                    (char) 0xfef4, (char) 0xfbfc), // Arabic yeh
            new struc((char) 0x6c0, (char) 0xfba5, (char) 0xfba4,
                    (char) 0xfba5, (char) 0xfba4) // heh with yeh
    };

    static struc[] arrStrucWoosim = {
            new struc((char) 0x630, (char) 0xb5, (char) 0x82, (char) 0xb5,
                    (char) 0x82),
            new struc((char) 0x62f, (char) 0xb4, (char) 0x81, (char) 0xb4,
                    (char) 0x81),
            new struc((char) 0x62c, (char) 0x9b, (char) 0xb1, (char) 0xf9,
                    (char) 0xbf),
            new struc((char) 0x62d, (char) 0x9c, (char) 0xb2, (char) 0xfa,
                    (char) 0xc0),
            new struc((char) 0x62e, (char) 0x9d, (char) 0xb3, (char) 0xfe,
                    (char) 0xc1),
            new struc((char) 0x647, (char) 0xac, (char) 0xe4, (char) 0x93,
                    (char) 0xd5),
            new struc((char) 0x639, (char) 0xc9, (char) 0xd3, (char) 0x8b,
                    (char) 0xa4),
            new struc((char) 0x63a, (char) 0xca, (char) 0xdd, (char) 0x8c,
                    (char) 0xa5),
            new struc((char) 0x641, (char) 0xa6, (char) 0xde, (char) 0x8d,
                    (char) 0xcc),
            new struc((char) 0x642, (char) 0xa7, (char) 0xdf, (char) 0x8e,
                    (char) 0xce),
            new struc((char) 0x62b, (char) 0xbd, (char) 0xaf, (char) 0xea,
                    (char) 0x99),
            new struc((char) 0x635, (char) 0xc4, (char) 0xc8, (char) 0x87,
                    (char) 0xa0),
            new struc((char) 0x636, (char) 0xc5, (char) 0xcb, (char) 0x88,
                    (char) 0xa1),
            new struc((char) 0x637, (char) 0xc6, (char) 0xcd, (char) 0xcd,
                    (char) 0xa2),
            new struc((char) 0x643, (char) 0xcf, (char) 0xe0, (char) 0x8f,
                    (char) 0xa8),
            new struc((char) 0x645, (char) 0xd2, (char) 0xe2, (char) 0x91,
                    (char) 0xaa),
            new struc((char) 0x646, (char) 0xd4, (char) 0xe3, (char) 0x92,
                    (char) 0xab),
            new struc((char) 0x62a, (char) 0xbd, (char) 0xaf, (char) 0xea,
                    (char) 0x99),
            new struc((char) 0x627, (char) 0xbb, (char) 0x80, (char) 0xbb,
                    (char) 0x80),
            new struc((char) 0x644, (char) 0xd1, (char) 0xe1, (char) 0x90,
                    (char) 0xa9),
            new struc((char) 0x628, (char) 0xbc, (char) 0xae, (char) 0xe9,
                    (char) 0x98),
            new struc((char) 0x64a, (char) 0xdc, (char) 0xe6, (char) 0x95,
                    (char) 0xdc),
            new struc((char) 0x633, (char) 0xc2, (char) 0xb8, (char) 0xb8,
                    (char) 0x9e),
            new struc((char) 0x634, (char) 0xc3, (char) 0xb9, (char) 0xb9,
                    (char) 0x9f),
            new struc((char) 0x638, (char) 0xc7, (char) 0xcd, (char) 0xcd,
                    (char) 0xc7),
            new struc((char) 0x632, (char) 0xb7, (char) 0xb7, (char) 0xb7,
                    (char) 0xb7),
            new struc((char) 0x648, (char) 0x94, (char) 0x94, (char) 0x94,
                    (char) 0x94),
            new struc((char) 0x629, (char) 0xda, (char) 0xda, (char) 0xda,
                    (char) 0xda),
            new struc((char) 0x649, (char) 0xdc, (char) 0xe6, (char) 0x95,
                    (char) 0xdc),
            new struc((char) 0x631, (char) 0xb6, (char) 0xb6, (char) 0xb6,
                    (char) 0xb6),
            new struc((char) 0x624, (char) 0xe7, (char) 0xe7, (char) 0xe7,
                    (char) 0xe7),
            new struc((char) 0x621, (char) 0xba, (char) 0xba, (char) 0xba,
                    (char) 0xba),
            new struc((char) 0x626, (char) 0xd7, (char) 0xe8, (char) 0x97,
                    (char) 0xd7),
            new struc((char) 0x623, (char) 0x80, (char) 0x80, (char) 0x80,
                    (char) 0x80),
            new struc((char) 0x622, (char) 0x80, (char) 0x80, (char) 0x80,