Overview
ISO/IEC TR 19758:2003/Amd 2:2005 is an International Standard amendment that extends the Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL) library to support complex multilingual document compositions, specifically addressing South-East Asian languages. Published by ISO and IEC, this technical report enhances the DSSSL library to meet the unique typographic and layout challenges posed by South-East Asian scripts, thereby enabling more accurate and culturally appropriate document processing.
This amendment facilitates improved support for multilingual documents, integrating style and formatting features tailored to accommodate the intricacies of South-East Asian compositions. It complements the existing DSSSL standards for document description and processing languages within the information technology domain.
Key Topics
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Multilingual Composition Enhancements
This amendment introduces specific extensions designed to handle multilingual document compositions, focusing on the South-East Asian linguistic and typographic context.
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Advanced Style Specifications
Additions include support for non-traditional line spacing, varied paragraph indentation (including two em indentations), and flexible use of open quotes as paragraph initiators.
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Enclosure and Drop Cap Features
New style elements allow characters or strings to be enclosed with customizable rules (including rounded corners), alongside drop cap implementations where large initial characters span multiple lines.
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Line Spanning and Emphasis
The standard details mechanisms for reserving line-spanning areas and emphasizes text by enlarging character spacing (Sperrsatz), enhancing readability and stylistic flexibility.
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Underline and Emphasizing Marks Adaptations
It addresses challenges like interrupted underlines to prevent overlap with characters, and tailored underline behavior specific to languages such as Thai, improving cultural and script correctness.
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Paragraph Indentation and Quotation Handling
Specifies methods for zero indentation in the first paragraph of clauses, with options for open quote placement immediately after indentation, supporting diverse paragraph styling typical in South-East Asian documents.
Applications
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Multilingual Publishing
Publishers and content developers benefit from this amendment by producing documents that correctly format and display South-East Asian languages alongside others in multilingual contexts.
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Software and Tool Development
Software vendors creating document processing, typesetting, or desktop publishing tools can implement these DSSSL extensions to provide native support for complex scripts and layouts required by South-East Asian languages.
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International Standards Compliance
Organizations aiming for ISO and IEC standards compliance in document formatting for diverse linguistic markets will find this amendment essential for accurate DSSSL library integration.
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Government and Legal Documentation
Enables the preparation of official, multilingual documents with appropriate typographic conventions for South-East Asian languages, improving clarity and legal precision.
Related Standards
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ISO/IEC TR 19758:2003
The original DSSSL Library for complex compositions, providing the baseline for document description and processing language standards.
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ISO/IEC 10179
Referenced in relation to drop cap specification improvements, governing document processing languages.
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ISO 8879:1986
Public Identifier definitions for markup entities, foundational for text and special graphic element handling.
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ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 34
The subcommittee responsible for document description and processing language standards development, ensuring consistency across multilingual document standards.
Keywords: DSSSL library, multilingual compositions, South-East Asian languages, document processing, ISO/IEC standards, drop cap, enclosure, line spanning, text emphasis, typography, multilingual publishing, document description language.