[thelist] Internet Explorer Install on Demand

[Syed Zeeshan Haider]

Hi George,
I do realize that the word "compel" is not regarded by
security-conscious Evolters, but the pages would be seen in some machine
language type of font if the users do not download the "Urdu Web" font.
Here is the example:

}ç ÍDd DìÆ

If it is read with Urdu Web font, it would be readable for an Urdu
reader. If translated, these words say, "How are you?".

None of the versions of Windows 98 support Urdu language at any cost; no
matter multi-language support is installed or not. "Urdu Web" font was
installed in my PC with the installation of Windows 98 SE but many of my
friends and relatives do not have this font on their machines, although
they have the same operating system.

I recently received an HTML mail (written by OE 4.0) from Hong Kong (the
mail was not a spam). It contained following line its code:

<META content=text/html;charset=big5 http-equiv=Content-Type>

And this mail tried to compel me to download the Chinese Language
Support which was 2.7 MB. I think above mentioned line was the agent
which compelled me to do so. It's something else that I did not agree to
download.

I again stress that Urdu Web is a Windows-based font and there is no
need to use Paras Negar II to use this font. I have had a very bad
experience with Paras Negar II and I would never like and never ask my
users to install this software. I have developed a little software with
VB for my personal use (I am not very easy with VB yet). This software,
"Haider Urdu Text Editor", is a text editor for Urdu and it uses the
same "Urdu Web" font. The goal to develop it was to get help in
constructing Urdu Web Pages using "Urdu Web".

As the web sites are increasing in number, the false statements on web
sites are also increasing. The site that you mentioned is giving a false
statement by saying Urdu Web needs Paras Negar II.

Urdu Web is not any Arabic font. For Arabic, there is another font
called "Arabic Web". Actually, both Urdu and Arabic have the same styles
of writing and are very similar. There is a little difference of
characters between these two. Urdu has more characters than Arabic. Urdu
Web can deal with all characters of Urdu and Arabic but Arabic Web deals
with Arabic characters only.

I can pack "Urdu Web" font in a zip file for download by clicking (and
surely, we cannot compel the user to click but we can convince). But I
want to make sure that he copies the font in the right location which is
C:\WINDOWS\FONTS for Windows. Not all users know the right location of
fonts. How can I make sure that when they download the font, they copy
it in the right location? By offering them some installation process of
Active X of IE, can't we make this thing sure? Or is there any other way
to create an exe file containing font, and that exe file could install
the font in the right location? For the download of that EXE file, I
will make sure the agreement of the user. In fact, I have downloaded
such exe files from some web sites.

I have been discussing "Urdu Web" font for a long time. Let me tell you
its size. Its size is 38.2 KB, hence, I thing there must not be any
consciousness for bandwidth for this size of download.

Thank you,
Syed Zeeshan Haider.
http://syedzeeshanhaider.faithweb.com/

----- Original Message -----
From: "George Dillon  <> Evolt!" <evolt at georgedillon.com>
To: <thelist at lists.evolt.org>
Subject: Re: [thelist] Internet Explorer Install on Demand
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 2002 13:28:47 +0100
Reply-To: thelist at lists.evolt.org

> >  ........ Can I compel my user to download this font

> Your question has been sitting up there for quite a while with no
takers

Perhaps because the whole idea of *compelling* visitors to a web site to
download *anything* sounds disturbing and many on this list would regard
such a practise as evil.  Thankfully it is not possible.  OK fonts are
no
big deal, but think what else could be involved if websites really
*could*
force downloads upon their users and you'll quickly see that if this
were
always possible the web would be so dangerous as to be unworkable.

> I some times arrive at sites... written in characters which my machine
> does not recognise e.g. Japanese and Chinese sites...
> ... a dialog box appears with "Internet Explorer Install on
> Demand" in its title bar...
> "To display this page correctly, you need to download and install the
> following components.  Loading . . . please wait"
> The question is, how this dialogue box is made to appear and ...

I may (probably will) be corrected on this, but the situation you
describe
strikes me as being the web working more or less the way it should.
Those
dialogues are thrown up by a Microsoft I.E. set-up-update routine which,
as
Mark's reply indicates, relies on ActiveX scripting.

Since this can (and should) be turned off in I.E. or set to prompt by
(un)checking the appropriate choices under Tools > Internet Options >
Security > Custom Level, your desire to force the download upon your
visitors will not be 100% reliable.

> from where it downloads those "components"?

These components are included as part of I.E. so it would be logical to
assume they are downloaded from Microsoft. However, they *may* also be
available with the original installation files, and if your users really
require Urdu language support it's likely they will be using a version
which
includes the necessary files.  If they have not installed them on set up
they can do so by clicking on Start > Settings > Control Panel >
Add/Remove
Programs > Microsoft I.E (+version no) > Add/Remove > Add a component >
OK
and then checking the appropriate box(es) under Multi-Language Support >
Next.  If the needed fonts are included in their set-up files they will
then
be installed.  If not they will be asked if they want to download them
from
the internet (i.e. Microsoft).

For security-minded users it would be much better to offer instructions
on
how to acquire the files they need than to (vainly) try to force a
download.

> For instance I have a font "Urdu Web". It is Windows based font and
deals
> with Urdu language characters.

A quick search on Google at [ mind the wrap ]

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=%22Urdu+Web%22+font+download&hl=en&btnG
=Goo
gle+Search&meta=

points to 100 pages.  The top page in the listing offers "the Urdu WebT
font" (and others) for free but states that it can only be used with
pages
created using ParsNegar II.  If that's what you're using, why not offer
a
link to that page and let them deal with the download issue (and
bandwidth)?

OTOH This page:

http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/Language/DMDX/paradigms/parad10.html

states that "In order to view this page properly you will need to
download
and install the true type arabic font. This is, in fact, a font called
"Urdu
Web" that does not need a special keyboard driver so can be used in
standard
latin alphabet versions of Microsoft packages."

So the font you are using may not be what it says it is!

HTH

George Dillon