Java incorrectly display Chinese characters

[Hero Doug]

I'm using a vocabulary program called JVLT and I've noticed a problem with the way Chinese characters are displayed. I'm wondering if it's a Java problem or a JVLT problem

I've attached an image of what I'm talking about. IF you look at the characters displayed by the Google IME and JVLT you'll see their different. The two marks on 平 are inverted.

Anyone have any ideas why?

[roddy]

I don't think it's a java problem so much as a font one - I can get the same type of 平 in Word by setting the font to GungsuhChe. Have you got any control over the fonts the applications use?

[Hero Doug]

I have control over the fonts, however I'm not sure which one to use. I've tried Minglu, PMingLu, Arial, and a few others, all of which don't display properly.

I'm starting to think that maybe I should file a bug with the developers.

Would you be able to let me know if MingLu displays properly? That way I'll have a reference to use when contacting them.

[roddy]

MingLiu doesn't. 宋体 does. PMingLiu doesn't. Arial Unicode MS does. And happily enough, Wingdings works fine

Edit - I'm not sure if Google's IM works the same as Sogou's, but if it does you can go into the settings and see / change which font it is using. That will tell you which font on your system is getting it right.

[gougou]

We had the same problem for 这 here. Does anybody know where those characters come from? Is it an ancient variation, or just a Chinese font created by Western Microsoft employees?

[roddy]

I think they're just variants, either traditional (perhaps as in old, rather than as in 繁体) or geographical. Korea was mentioned here. Oh, and here

PS: Doug, one of your clocks is wrong

[imron]

That's just the difference between the way Windows and Unix set the date. Unix typically sets the hardware clock to UTC and then adjusts the time based on the user's timezone. Windows just sets the time straight from the hardware clock. So if you're running Windows from within Linux, it will look at the hardware clock which is in UTC and specify that as the time.

[character]

These font variations can be quite annoying, but since they (and variant characters) exist, it's good to get exposure to them before encountering them in the wild. It would be nice if textbooks did more with different fonts and such to better prepare students.

[gougou]

I've never seen them outside of the computer though.

But then again, these days I don't see much besides a computer screen...

[Hero Doug]

I tried all the fonts available and SimSun works well (many didn't work at all, including Windings )

There was one issue with testing as well. You can see when entering the word in a text field it's displayed "differently". But after it's been entered and processed it displays as I believe it should. It even fixed the double dot problem gougou has in Pleco (so maybe you can try out this font as well).

These font variations can be quite annoying, but since they (and variant characters) exist, it's good to get exposure to them before encountering them in the wild. It would be nice if textbooks did more with different fonts and such to better prepare students.

I would have never known that was the character for ping unless you just said it. I would figured it was another character altogether. Are there a lot of these "variations".

P.S. The clock: as imron said, it's Windows running in Linux, and I haven't a clue which clock is right. ;)

[gougou]

It even fixed the double dot problem gougou has in Pleco

Actually, I neither have that problem nor Pleco, but I appreciate your trying to help me

[Hero Doug]

Oh sorry, I didn't notice that you weren't the person who started the thread. Well, if you ever decide to pick up Pleco of JVLT, you know which font to use ;)