Converting Unicode to Bijoy for Bangla Text with Python: A Developer's Guide

Working with Bangla text in software development can present unique challenges, especially when dealing with different encoding systems. One common issue arises when needing to convert Unicode Bangla text to the Bijoy encoding, a legacy standard still used in some applications. This article explores a Python 3 solution, unicode2bijoy, designed to tackle this conversion.

The Need for Unicode to Bijoy Conversion

While Unicode is the modern standard for representing text, including Bangla, older systems and applications sometimes rely on the Bijoy encoding. This necessitates a conversion process to ensure compatibility. For developers working on projects that interact with these legacy systems, a reliable Unicode to Bijoy converter is essential. This is particularly relevant in specific use cases, such as displaying Bangla text correctly in environments like Kivy, a Python framework for developing mobile apps and other user interfaces.

Introducing the unicode2bijoy Solution

The unicode2bijoy project, available on GitHub, provides a Python 3 solution for converting Unicode Bangla text to the Bijoy encoding. It's a forked and modified version of the bijoy2unicode project, focusing specifically on the Unicode to Bijoy conversion, as the original project's functionality was found to be incomplete.

Key Features

• Python 3 Compatibility: Designed specifically for Python 3, ensuring compatibility with modern development environments.
• Unicode to Bijoy Conversion: Provides a function to convert Unicode Bangla text to the Bijoy encoding.
• Kivy Integration: Offers guidance on integrating the converter with the Kivy framework for displaying Bangla text in applications.

Installation

To use unicode2bijoy, simply copy the unicode2bijoy folder into your project directory.

Example Usage

Here's a basic example of how to use the unicode2bijoy converter:

from unicode2bijoy import converter

test = converter.Unicode()
uni_text = 'উভয় পাশে ধানের শীষে বেষ্টিত পানিতে ভাসমান জাতীয় ফুল শাপলা। তার মাথায় পাটগাছের পরস্পর সংযুক্ত তিনটি পাতা এবং উভয পাশে দুটি করে তারকা।'
toPrint = test.convertUnicodeToBijoy(uni_text)
print(toPrint)

This code snippet will convert the Unicode Bangla text to its Bijoy equivalent, printing the following output:

Dfq cv‡k av‡bi kx‡l ‡ewóZ cvwb‡Z fvmgvb RvZxq dyj kvcjv| Zvi gv_vq cvUMv‡Qi ci¯úi mshy³ wZbwU cvZv Ges Dfh cv‡k `ywU K‡i ZviKv|

Integrating with Kivy

One of the primary motivations for developing unicode2bijoy was to enable the correct display of Bangla text in Kivy applications. Kivy's text rendering capabilities require specific formatting for Bangla text encoded in Bijoy.

The unicode2bijoy project provides a function, toBijoy(str), which handles the conversion and adds the necessary font tags for Kivy to render the text correctly. This function intelligently handles mixed English and Bangla text, applying the appropriate font tags only to the Bangla portions.

Here's an example of how to use the toBijoy(str) function in a Kivy application:

def toBijoy(str):
    def isEnglish(s):
        return s.isascii()
    import converter
    test = converter.Unicode()
    b_flag = 0
    ftext = ""
    temp = ''
    for char in str:
        if char == ' ' and b_flag == 0:
            ftext += char
        elif char == ' ' and b_flag == 1:
            temp += char
        elif isEnglish(char) is False:
            if b_flag == 0:
                temp += "[font=font/SutonnyMJ]" + char
                b_flag = 1
            else:
                temp += char
        else:
            if b_flag == 1:
                temp = test.convertUnicodeToBijoy(temp)
                temp = temp + "[/font]" + char
                ftext += temp
                b_flag = 0
                temp = ''
            else:
                ftext += char
    return ftext

# In your Kivy code:
# self.ids.bangla_mixed_text.markup = True
# self.ids.bangla_mixed_text.text = toBijoy(your_unicode_string)

In your Kivy .kv file, you would define a Label widget like this:

Label:
    id: bangla_mixed_text
    text: ''
    markup: True  # Enable markup for font tags to work

This setup allows you to display mixed English and Bangla text correctly within your Kivy application.

Important Considerations

The developer acknowledges that the code in unicode2bijoy may not be fully optimized. Users are encouraged to submit issues and suggestions for improvement. Keep in mind that this project focuses solely on Unicode to Bijoy conversion and does not include functionality for the reverse conversion (Bijoy to Unicode).

Further Resources

• Original bijoy2unicode Repository: https://github.com/Mad-FOX/bijoy2unicode
• Other Bangla Encoding Tools:
  • https://github.com/bahar/BijoyToUnicode
  • https://github.com/sh-sabbir/UnicodeToBijoy

By utilizing the unicode2bijoy project, developers can effectively address the challenges of converting Unicode Bangla text to the Bijoy encoding, ensuring compatibility with legacy systems and enabling the correct display of Bangla text in applications built with frameworks like Kivy. This tool bridges the gap between modern Unicode standards and older encoding systems, facilitating seamless integration of Bangla text in diverse software projects.