Ancient Greek Language Support
for LibreOffice / OpenOffice

AncientGreek Features:

• Ancient Greek Language Spell Checker
• Ancient Greek Language Hyphenation Patterns
• Text manipulation Macros (text conversion between Beta Code, SPIonic etc. to Unicode, ancient greek text detection, alternative characters handling, Nomina Sacra expressions, etc.)
• LibreOffice / OpenOffice Styles Management Macros
• Ibycus Keyboard Layout to type Ancient Greek text
• Platform independent (works on Windows, Linux and Mac OS)
• GUI integration through toolbar and menu activated dialog

The installation of AncientGreek is done as any other extension installation, which means that after installing or updating the extension, you have to restart the program.

Linux users may have to install an additional package BEFORE performing the installation of the extension.

In case you want to make a clean update (uninstall the existing version and install a more recent one), you will have to export your configuration BEFORE uninstalling the old version, and import it back again, AFTER the new version is installed.

Please refer to the information about exporting/importing your configuration.

If you want to completely uninstall the extension, there is an extra step you have to preform, BEFORE proceeding with the actual removal of the extension.

AncientGreek provides two extension files (OXT files) for download. The difference is that the first one contains the off-line documentation in contrast to the second one which does not. The result is the download size difference between the two files; ~ 16MB for the first one and ~ 5,0MB for the second one.

If the second (smaller) file is downloaded and installed, when a the help button or menu entry is used, will result to the loading of the relevant on-line page.

There is a catch though: if the installed version is older than the current release, there may be inconsistencies: the on-line page may refer to features not existing in the installed release, or the on-line page may be absent altogether.

If this is the case, downloading the latest release will fix the problem.

You can of course use your Operating System method, but that has its drawbacks.

AncientGreek, on the other hand, provides Ibycus Keyboard Layout, which can insert much more characters, automatically sets the font and language (using customizable character styles), has a correction function, a search function, a dialog to insert hard to remember characters, etc.

It can even be used by Greek people, who are used to a different set of key settings.

Sounds good? Read more about it:

• Ibycus Keyboard Layout
• Ibycus Keyboard Layout for Greek people
• Ibycus Keyboard Layout Configuration
• Ibycus Keyboard Layout Search function

All you have to do is set the language of the text to Greek, ancient. It's as simple as that.

This can be done by creating a character or a paragraph style and set its language to Greek, ancient. Then assign this style to the desired characters or paragraphs.

You can create new style using LibreOffice/OpenOffice styles, AncientGreek styles management dialog, or AncientGreek styles conversion dialog, to assign existing text to existing or new styles.

If using styles is not your thing, you can use the SetAncientGreekLanguage Macro, accessible through the AncientGreek Menu / Unicode Macros / Set Language to 'Greek, Ancient'.

The so called pre-Unicode encodings (which are refereed to as Legacy Encodings in AncientGreek) supported are the following:

• Beta Code
• SPIonic
• Sgreek
• LaserGreek
• GreekKeys
• Ismini
• WinGreek
• Son of WinGreek

You can also have a look at the Legacy Encodings Settings section of the configuration dialog.

Modern computers use the Unicode Standard to represent letters and symbols of any givven language.

The problem is that the Unicode Standard has encoded the letters of the Modern Greek and the Ancient Greek language in a way that some characters exist twice (once for Modern Greek and once for Ancient Greek).

The first set of common characters (defined for Modern Greek) are called Basic Characters, while the second set (defined for Ancient Greek) are called Extended Characters.

These characters are presented here, along with the information to convert between the two sets.

It is highly recommended that Basic Characters are used instead of the Extended Characters; this is why AncientGreek provides a way to perform this conversion automatically, whenever a document is loaded.

There is another set of alternative characters, which actually present the different forms a letter can be written as. For example, Greek letter rho (ρ) can also be written as symbol rho (ϱ) and in some case as rho with rough breathing (ῥ) or even rho with smooth breathing (ῤ).

The conversion between these alternative letter forms is done using the Alternative Characters Conversion dialog.

Nothing. AncientGreek is free and will always be free.

Actually, AncientGreek is an open source project; please refer to the Licensing info for more details.

Of course. Any help is welcome and much appreciated.

Here's what you can do:

1. Submit a BUG REPORT.
2. Submit a FEATURE REQUEST.
3. Offer to TRANSLATE the software to your language.

In any case, you can contact me via email or using the contact form.