The database must be capable of storing Arabic and Urdu characters. This requires selecting the correct character set during database creation or verifying its compatibility. Database Character Set Selection
Configuring Oracle Database 10g and Developer 6i for Arabic and Urdu Support
Set the value to ARABIC_UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.UTF8 or AMERICAN_AMERICA.UTF8 .
Ensure the UI_CHARSET in your forms60.cfg or via environment variables is set to an Arabic-compatible character set. 3. Client Operating System & Locale The database must be capable of storing Arabic
: The active operating system font or font selected inside the layout does not contain Urdu/Arabic glyphs.
The UIFONT.ALI (User Interface Font Alias) file plays a crucial role in Arabic/Urdu character display in Forms 6i. This file controls font mapping for Oracle Forms components.
SELECT * FROM V$NLS_PARAMETERS WHERE PARAMETER = 'NLS_CHARACTERSET'; Ensure the UI_CHARSET in your forms60
Open the Windows and navigate to Region and Language Options .
The Windows OS must be configured to handle non-Unicode applications for these languages. System Locale: Control Panel Region and Language Administrative Change system locale . Set this to and restart. Input Language:
Under the [ PDF ] or [ Printer ] section, map standard fonts to TrueType subsets to ensure Arabic characters do not appear as question marks ( ? ) or isolated letters: The UIFONT
On each client machine:
: The recommended universal character set (Unicode). It supports both Arabic and Urdu simultaneously, along with English and other global languages.
Run SELECT * FROM nls_database_parameters; to check your current NLS_CHARACTERSET .
If you are starting a new database for legacy Developer 6i applications, choose AR8MSWIN1256 – it is the character set that most existing “Arabic/Urdu support” walkthroughs assume, and it has been proven to work with Developer 6i’s limitations. If you already have a Unicode database (AL32UTF8) and are encountering display issues, you can still make it work, but expect additional configuration steps.
| Property | Setting | |---|---| | Case Restriction | None | | Keyboard State | ARABIC (if available) | | Justification | Right | | Direction | Right-To-Left (in later FMB properties) | | Font | , Times New Roman , or Simplified Arabic | | Character Set (if shown) | AR8MSWIN1256 |