comment on "Internationalized Resource Identifiers (IRI) draft-duerst-iri-01": 4.1 Bidi IRI Structure

Section 4.1 list 3 restrictions for components in a Bidi IRI.  The third 
restriction says:
>       3) A component using right-to-left characters MUST NOT use any
>          other class of characters (e.g.  neutrals or numbers).

This seems to me much too restrictive without a corresponding benefit.  I 
suggest the following change:
       3) A component using right-to-left characters MUST start and end 
with right-to-left characters.  Other class of characters (e.g.  neutrals or numbers) may be used in 
between.

Explanation:  the mixing of right-to-left and left-to-right characters 
within a component is already disallowed by restriction #1.  So the only 
other classes of graphic characters remaining are numbers and neutrals. As 
long as they do not appear at an extremity, they do not create ambiguity 
or "blending" of the display of logically disconnected parts.  Unless 
someone can provide examples of bad cases which are avoided by the 
original restriction #3 but are allowed by my proposed version, I suggest 
to release the restriction according to my proposal.

Shalom (Regards),  Mati
           Bidi Architect
           Globalization Center Of Competency - Bidirectional Scripts
           IBM Israel
           Phone: +972 2 5870999  ext. 1202    Fax: +972 2 5870333 Mobile: 
+972 52 554160

Received on Friday, 12 July 2002 05:27:37 UTC