InScribe 2004: Description (from 2004)

Note: this material is all being updated/replaced. See www.saqqara.org. (November 2007).

Introduction

InScribe 2004 from Saqqara Technology is a major new version of the Word Processor for Egyptian Hieroglyphs first introduced in 1994. Changes include an extended and improved hieroglyphic font and a faster and more flexible user interface. Styled for Windows XP, InScribe 2004 also supports Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Millennium and Windows 2000. InScribe remains the only comprehensive software for Egyptian Hieroglyphs that interoperates with word processing software such as Microsoft Word and OpenOffice/StarOffice.

InScribe has a wide range of users from amateur and academic students of Egyptology through to professional Egyptologists and Historians. Applications range from personal use through to thesis writing, academic publications and professionally typeset books.

InScribe 2004 Hieroglyphic font

Over 600 signs beyond Gardiner's list in 'Egyptian Grammar' (EG) as supported in the first edition of InScribe. This includes signs listed in the evolved Oxford font but not used in the book plus most signs mentioned in 'Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs' [J.P. Allen, Cambridge University Press, 2000.]. Other signs have been added in response to InScribe user feedback. See InScribe 2004 font and sign list .

Hieroglyphic texts

In addition to the option of left to right or right to left texts in the first edition, InScribe now lets you create column texts. Signs can be individually reversed and commonly encountered ligatures (where signs overlap) are handled automatically. Editorial marks can be included and individual characters shaded. Cartouche, Hwt and Serekh enclosures are supported. <<link to screen shots>>

Input and Editing

Ancient Egyptian can be composed using sign selection from palettes or by typing in a Gardiner-based transliteration coding scheme. The new edition provides additional and elaborated palettes with signs organised by shape and phonetic value, see InScribe Hieroglyph Palettes. Also see Phonetics for information on phonograms and ideograms.

Signs and groups of signs can now be selected and moved or copied using customary cut/copy/paste and 'drag and drop' mouse technique. This has considerable benefit to speed and comfort of composition and makes it far easier to copy elements from one text to another,

InScribe now supports 'in-place editing' of egyptian texts from Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, WordPerfect and many other software programs.

Further information and pricing

See www.saqqara.org.