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6i Settings For Arabic Urdu Support Work | Oracle Database 10g Developer

Here’s a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to configuring Oracle Database 10g and Oracle Forms Developer 6i (and Reports 6i) for full Arabic and Urdu language support. This covers database character sets, NLS settings, form-level properties, and OS-level configurations.


2.3 Reports 6i – Arabic/Urdu Support

  • Set Character Mode = Yes (for correct shaping in older printers/PDF)
  • In Report properties: Orientation = Right-To-Left
  • For each field: Horizontal Justification = Right, Anchoring = End

2.2 Forms 6i – Form-Level Settings

5.1 Report Property Palette

  1. System Parameters: In the Object Navigator, under the Reports node, ensure the DESTYPE and DESNAME are correctly set.
  2. Font Support: Ensure the printer or PDF driver used supports Arabic fonts (e.g., Arial, Traditional Arabic).

The Core Conflict: Unicode vs. Character Sets

Before diving into the "how," it is crucial to understand the "why." Set Character Mode = Yes (for correct shaping

  • Oracle Database 10g: Fully supports modern character sets like AL32UTF8 (Unicode).
  • Developer 6i: Originally designed for older character sets like AR8MSWIN1256 (Arabic) or UTF8. While it supports Arabic, it does not support AL32UTF8 natively.

The Golden Rule: If your Database character set is AL32UTF8, Developer 6i will have trouble reading the data directly. You often have to choose a specific Arabic character set (like AR8MSWIN1256) or configure the environment to handle the conversion seamlessly. it does not support AL32UTF8 natively.


Why Urdu is Tricky in Developer 6i

Urdu uses the same base glyphs as Arabic but adds specific letters:
ٻ, ڄ, ڈ, ڑ, ں, ے, ھ (Dochashmi He). These characters are NOT present in AR8MSWIN1256. To support Urdu, you must use AL32UTF8 on the database and ensure Developer 6i can pass UTF8 bytes. System Parameters: In the Object Navigator


Complete Guide: Oracle Database 10g & Developer 6i Settings for Arabic & Urdu Support