heb-usa
This page describes the internal functioning of the respective DBT translation table. If you want more information about languages, scripts, and template choices, please click here.
The initial language table for a translation is determined by the selected template, and may be changed using the Document / Translation Tables menu. Using those menus does not involve explicit use of the table designator. However, to switch to a different translation table partway through a file, one must enter a DBT code and the designator for the table to switch to. For switching secondary languages within a base language table, see the [lng~X] command. For switching from one base language to another, see the [lnb~...] command.
The Hebrew/American Uncontracted tables support print-to-braille translation of Hebrew-language and English-language literary text, following the conventions used by the Jewish Braille Institute of America (JBI) in New York, New York. the print-to-braille translation supports the production of uncontracted Hebrew braille and contracted or uncontracted English braille following American standards.
These tables support some secondary languages as well.
The American Computer Braille Code (CBC) is also supported.
The system for bringing Hebrew text into DBT requires the use of DBT's importer for Microsoft Word documents. Therefore, translating a Hebrew document into braille in DBT requires bringing the Hebrew document from Word into DBT. In addition, when creating the Word document containing Hebrew, Word must use the Unicode encoding for Hebrew. Other encodings for Hebrew simply assign a Hebrew font to ordinary ASCII characters. If DBT imports Hebrew characters of that kind, it recognizes them as the ordinary ASCII characters, not as the characters shown in the Hebrew font.
You must use Word 2000 or higher to meet the requirement of Unicode encoding for Hebrew characters.
If you have a different source (not a Word document) of Hebrew text encoded in Unicode, such as a web page, an e-mail message, a file written in DavkaWriter or another third party word processor, etc., save that material in Microsoft Word 2000 or higher in order to create a file that you can bring into DBT for translation into braille.
You can enter a Hebrew character directly in DBT by pressing Alt+F9 followed by its four-digit Dusci number then Enter; see the help topic Miscellaneous - Special characters.
If you are new to working with Hebrew on your computer, you may wish to acquire a special Hebrew keyboard to facilitate doing Hebrew data entry. Alternatively, for help with using the Hebrew keyboard layout with your usual keyboard in applications within Microsoft Office 2000 or higher, you can use Microsoft's Visual Keyboard software available for free download at:
http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2002/VkeyInst.aspx.
Once you have installed Visual Keyboard, it is part of Microsoft Office Tools.
When Visual Keyboard is running and you switch your keyboard to Hebrew, the screen shows a diagram of the Hebrew keyboard layout. You can enter Hebrew characters either by clicking on the appropriate "key" in the diagram, or by using the diagram to find the proper key on your keyboard. When you hold down a modifier key, such as the shift key, or turn caps lock on or off, the diagram changes accordingly. Keys highlighted in white are typically "hot keys" for adding accents.
DBT shows the Hebrew characters in print. However, the Hebrew characters appear from left to right, as they do in braille.
True braille-to-print translation is supported only within any embedded English text, not in the Hebrew text. This means that it is not generally useful
to translate the Hebrew braille file to print. It also means that when you view a braille document containing Hebrew, the "translated line" for the Hebrew text contains gibberish. So you may prefer to turn off the "translated line" under the View menu, or under Global/Default if you wish it to be off by default.
The Hebrew/American translation tables support a number of variations to determine which signs are shown in braille.
To issue a command for one of these variations, go to the Codes list (hot key F5). Select vrn from the list, and type the appropriate parameters in the Code Parameters field. In coded view, the command appears as [vrn~xxx], where xxx shows what you entered in the Code Parameters field. You may switch from one of these variations to another within the same document. These variations determine whether vowels, dagesh marks, and sheva marks in the print are to be shown in Braille. These three settings are independent of each other for the most part, with the exception that if you are suppressing vowels, then the print-to-braille translator will also suppress the sheva, regardless of the variation that you set for the sheva.
[vrn~uhv] - use Hebrew vowels. This is the default setting with use of the Hebrew/American translation tables.
[vrn~shv]- suppress Hebrew vowels - even if the print original includes vowel signs, the braille does not show them.
[vrn~shd]- suppress Hebrew dagesh; this is the default setting with use of the Hebrew/American translation tables.
[vrn~uhd] - use Hebrew dagesh.
[vrn~shs]- suppress Hebrew sheva. This is the default setting with use of the Hebrew/American translation tables.
[vrn~uhs] - use Hebrew sheva.
A document being translated with the Hebrew/American translation tables translates both Hebrew and English as primary languages. It may also include a number of secondary languages.
To issue a language-switching command, go to the Codes list (hot key F5), select lng from the list, and enter the appropriate parameters in the Code Parameters field. In coded view, the command appears as [lng~xxx], where xxx shows what you entered in the Code Parameters field.
[lng~he] or [lng~] - Hebrew; this is the default setting with the Hebrew/American) translation tables.
[lng~en] or [lng~eng] - English. This follows American conventions.
[lng~de] or [lng~deu] - German.
[lng~es] or [lng~esp] - Spanish.
[lng~fr] or [lng~fra] - French.
[lng~it] or [lng~ita] - Italian.
[lng~la] or [lng~lat] - Latin.
[lng~mao] or [lng~mi] - Maori.
Note that in addition to the above provisions of the Hebrew (American) table itself, it is also possible to switch to any of the available translation tables listed in DBT. (See the [lnb~...] code below.)
The Computer Braille Code, as in the English/American tables, is supported.
In addition, it is possible to switch to any of the available translation tables listed in DBT (see the [lnb~...]code below), many of which do support various technical codes, such as for mathematics or computer notation, or which support “unified” treatment of technical notation as well as literary text in the base language associated with the table.
The following DBT translation codes are available when using the Hebrew (American) table. Any other translation codes used will be ignored, or indeed may cause unexpected results. If using an alternative translation table, i.e when switching to another base language table by means of the[lnb~...] code, please refer to the relevant topic and available codes for that table.
[/] may be embedded within letter-groups that would normally be contracted, to prevent the contraction.
[ab] is equivalent to [g2]
[atxN]
[cz]
[g1] switches to "grade 1" (uncontracted) braille. This does not affect the Hebrew text, which is uncontracted anyway, but does affect any embedded English text.
[g2] switches to "grade 2" (contracted) braille. This is the normal mode,
but actually applies only to any embedded English text as the Hebrew text is always uncontracted.
[in] is equivalent to [g1]
[lnb]
[lnb~...] (for switching to another base [primary] language table)
[lng~...] see "Secondary Languages" above.
[tx] resumes normal translation, ending "direct braille."
[vrn~...] see "Hebrew Variations Supported" above.
Codes for computer notation are generally the same as for the English/American tables.
These tables were developed in April 2001 by Duxbury Systems, Inc., based on information provided by the Jewish Braille Institute of America (JBI), in New York, New York.
These tables replace the older Hebrew translation tables developed for DBT as used with the Hebrew version of WordPerfect 5.1.
(Documentation reviewed: July 2010.)