In external applications

For MS-Word and MS-Powerpoint, the procedure is different and also some extra settings are required to be effected before you commence 'Direct Unicode Typing' in them. Click here to know the same. For all other external applications (gmail, notepad, wordpad, outlook express, msn messenger etc. etc.), proceed to read further.

Unicode support for Indian languages is in-built into Vista and hence you need not do anything to enable any settings, as in the case of XP/2K below (Nevertheless, always visit http://azhagi.com/uniset.html for latest instructions in this regard). You can straightaway start typing in Unicode in any application by following the 'Steps' outlined below under 'Win2K, WinXP'.

Without enabling Unicode fully, 'Direct Unicode Tamil Input' may still be possible in a few external applications like Wordpad, Outlook Express and Internet explorer (Email message windows, Blog windows, Message posting windows of online groups such as ILLAM - http://groups.google.com/group/illam, etc.). So, do please check it out.

But, for other applications like MS-Word etc., Unicode might have to be enabled fully. Click here to know how to enable Unicode in your system. Proceed with the steps below only after enabling unicode (Note: Unicode input in external applications is possible only in 'Professional' version of Azhagi).

· Right click on Azhagi's tray icon (you may find it at the right bottom of your screen, usually near the date/time indicator) and tick 'Unicode Input'. Alternatively, you can click on Azhagi's 'Preferences' menu and then tick on 'Unicode Input'.

· Start your external application, say Notepad. Press F10. Azhagi's tray icon will(should) change color to red.

(See sample screenshot below for better understanding. It's a 'new message' window of 'MS Outlook Express')

· If you wish to change your typing mode from 'Phonetic' to 'Tamil Typewriter' or 'Tamilnet99', click on 'Preferences->Keyboard Layout' and choose your preferred layout. Alternately, you can right click on the Azhagi icon in the system tray, move your mouse to 'Typing mode' and select the preferred layout.

Latha is the font automatically chosen by Windows in the above operating systems, whenever you type in Unicode. If you find a font by name 'Arial Unicode MS' in your system, you might use that too. Apart from these, many free Unicode Tamil fonts are available on the net (incl. around 25 FREE Unicode fonts made available to the public by the GOI). For details, see http://azhagi.com/free.html#freefonts.

As of now, in Win98/ME, you cannot type in Unicode in any external application, using Azhagi. You can type in Unicode, only from within Azhagi. Click here to know how.