- 337 - OFFICE AUTOMATION IN THE LANGUAGES OF THE WORLD Brian R. Gaines CADRE Information Transfer Systems Inc., 339, Canarctic Drive, Downsview, Ontario M3J 2P9. ABSTRACT Computer-based information systems have been restricted to those languages using the Roman alphabet. In non-numeric applications, the limitation has led to an increasing differential in applicab- ility between those countries using Latin languages and the majority which do not. Office automation, database and educat- ional applications in particular have been severely restricted, and these are very important to the developing nations of the world. Low-cost graphics techno- logy now provides the means for inform- ation systems to communicate as readily in "exotic" scripts as in Roman charac- ters. Input, display and printing sub- systems can be made available that cope with such scripts as Chinese, Devanagari, and Urdu Nastaliq. Problems remain in moving the operating systems, programming languages and application packages across language barriers. This paper is based on experience in developing systems for China, India and Pakistan, and covers both the technological ease of implemen- tion and the remaining problems. It is concluded that Canada has a combination of computing and linguistic knowledge that would make development of "universal language" computer systems simple and rapid as a co-ordinated effort. KEYWORDS: Office automation, exotic languages, laser phototypesetter, word processing, telex, ideographic computing, Chinese. INTRODUCTION Advances in computer technology during the past three decades have made inform- ation systems accessible to all. These systems now play major roles in our soc- iety: the operation of government, the management of commerce, the development of science and the application of techno- logy would be seriously impeded without them. Howevt..l', r.he "all" in the first sentence must be qualified to be "all those whose native language uses the Roman alphabet". For those whose lang- ua ge uses "exotic" characters information systems technolo gy has been acc" , 1. t1 8 on 1 y t ot he e ;: n t t ha t t he y can use Roman characters. Hhen computer systems were in use largely for numerical data processing this was not a severe limitation. Learning programming in a foreign language is not much worse than learning it at all, and arabic numerals are commonly used in most of the world. However, as information technology has impacted non-numeric data processing, the Roman character limit- ation has caused an increasingly severe differential in applicability between those countries using Latin languages and the maj ori ty which do not. Office auto- mation, database and educational applic- ations in particular become virtually impossible, and these are some of the most important to the developing nations of the world. Fortunately, graphics technology has also decreased in cost and increased in capa- bility and provides the means for inform- ation systems to communicate as readily in the "exotic" scripts as in Roman char- acters. Input, display and printing sub- systems are now available that will cope wi th languages such as Chinese and Urdu Nastaliq, each requiring some 15,000 or more characters. However, problems remain in translatin g the operatin g sy s- tems, progra mming languages and applicat- ion packages across language barriers. This paper is based on experience in developing information systems for China, India and Pakistan, and covers both the technological ease of implementing such systems and the remaining system problems. Graphics Interface '83