In short
The first pages of a novel written in Arabic, laid out as an Arab publisher would print it: the lines run from right to left, the book opens from what a Latin reader calls the back, and the page numbers use Arabic digits.
What you'll build
The opening of حروف من رصاص (Letters of Lead), a novel about a grandson who reopens his grandfather's print shop in a Cairo alley, set as an Arab trade paperback: 14 × 21 cm, Markazi Text at 13.5 pt on a 22 pt line, justified, with the first-line indent on the right. The excerpt starts on page 10 with a part page in the blue of the shop's door, a lattice of eight-pointed stars drawn in code, and the part's name in Reem Kufi at 64 pt. The chapter opener faces it on the left-hand page, numbered in words, الفصل الأول. Folios print ١٠, ١١, ١٢; the book title runs over the right-hand pages and the chapter over the left. A trade paperback novel sets the same kind of book left to right.
This recipe answers
- How do I set an Arabic book right to left and bind it on the right?
The short answer
const page = {
width: mm(TRIM.width), height: mm(TRIM.height), dpi: 150, backgroundColor: col('paper'),
// left and right are the flow's sides: in a right-to-left book left is the spine side,
// so these margins put 20 mm at the spine and 16 mm outside on both pages of a spread.
margins: { top: mm(23), bottom: mm(22), left: mm(20), right: mm(OUTER), mirror: true },
// binding: 'auto' (unset) is 'right' for a right-to-left locale: page 1 is a left page.
};
const bodyText = {
fontFamily: TEXT, fontSize: pt(BODY), lineHeight: pt(LEAD), color: col('ink'),
boldColor: col('ink'), italicColor: col('ink'), referenceColor: col('ink'),
// justify ends every line on both sides; the engine lengthens joined letters (kashida,
// on by default for Arabic) after it opens the spaces a quarter. Never hyphenated.
textAlign: 'justify', optimalLineBreaking: true,
firstLineIndent: em(1.5), indentAfterHeading: false, // the indent is on the right
avoidWidows: true, avoidOrphans: true, avoidRunts: true,
};
The locale sets the direction, the binding and the digits
Ingredients
- Features
- Right-to-left textBooks bound on the rightDigits of the generated numbersKashida justificationArabic fontsArabic as the document languageArabic ordinals in wordsBody typeIndents, alignment and paragraph spacingDesigned openersHeading stylesNumbered headingsHeading attributesRunning heads and foliosHeads by page roleMirrored marginsPictures in page designsPDF export
- Also uses
- Paragraphs in the other directionPaper colourParagraph stylesFonts embedded in the PDFFigures and tables as resourcesRunning heads per sectionUnnumbered chapters
- Type
- Markazi Text, Reem Kufi, Noto Kufi Arabic (SIL OFL 1.1)
- Assets
- None: every picture is drawn in code
Method
#1 · One locale, three decisions
The code is the short answer above. locale: 'ar' is all the configuration says, and the engine takes three things from it: the text runs right to left (direction: 'auto'), the book is bound on the right (page.binding: 'auto'), and every number the engine writes uses the Arabic-Indic digits (numerals: 'auto'), the folios included (Starting an Arabic book). Margins and alignments keep the words left and right, but in a right-to-left book they mean the sides of the flow: margins.left is the spine side, and the first-line indent stands on the right. Justified lines open their spaces first and then lengthen joined letters with the tatweel, the kashida of Arabic books; the text is never hyphenated (Justification and kashida).

#2 · A chapter number in words
const SINK = 58; // mm: where the text starts on an opener
const centred = (y, size) => ({ anchor: { to: 'container', edge: 'top' },
offset: { y: mm(y) }, ...(size && { size }) });
const opener = {
enabled: true, minHeight: mm(SINK),
slot: { elements: [
{ kind: 'image', id: 'star', resourceId: 'star', placement: centred(8, { width: mm(9) }) },
// {number} is the level's numbering template below: الفصل الأول, الفصل الثاني…
{ kind: 'text', id: 'kicker', content: '{number}', fontFamily: LABEL, fontSize: pt(10),
fontWeight: 600, color: col('door'), align: 'center', placement: centred(22) },
{ kind: 'text', id: 'title', content: '{titleText}', fontFamily: DISPLAY, fontSize: pt(30),
fontWeight: 600, lineHeight: 1.3, color: col('ink'), align: 'center', overflow: 'wrap',
placement: centred(29, { width: 'fill' }) },
] },
};
const chapter = {
level: 1, fontFamily: DISPLAY, fontWeight: 600, marginTop: pt(0), marginBottom: pt(0),
// Restated: any headings object drops the H1 break (gotcha: headings-drop-h1-break).
breakBefore: { enabled: true, parity: 'any' },
// A masculine ordinal in words: {1:ordinal-feminine} would give الأولى, الثانية…
numberingTemplate: 'الفصل {1:ordinal}', advancedDesign: opener,
};
The level's numberingTemplate writes الفصل and the number as a masculine ordinal, so the second chapter is الفصل الثاني with no change to the Markdown; {1:ordinal-feminine} gives الأولى, الثانية for a feminine noun such as الليلة (Ordinal and cardinal words). The opener prints it with {number} above the title. Arabic openers are usually centred, so align: 'center' avoids any question of which side the design starts on.
#3 · Running heads stay on their pages
// Running heads and folios keep their physical sides in a right-to-left book. The right page
// is an even page here and is read first: the book's title; the left page, the chapter's.
const label = { fontFamily: LABEL, fontSize: pt(8), color: col('muted'), pages: 'body' };
const at = (edge, x, y = 12) => ({ anchor: { to: 'page', edge }, offset: { x: mm(x), y: mm(y) } });
const folio = { ...label, fontWeight: 600, color: col('ink') };
const header = { elements: [
{ kind: 'text', id: 'r-folio', content: '{pageNumber}', parity: 'even', ...folio,
align: 'right', placement: at('top-right', -OUTER) },
{ kind: 'text', id: 'r-title', content: '{title}', parity: 'even', ...label, align: 'right',
placement: at('top-right', -(OUTER + 9)) },
{ kind: 'text', id: 'l-chapter', content: '{chapterTitle}', parity: 'odd', ...label,
align: 'left', placement: at('top-left', OUTER + 9) },
{ kind: 'text', id: 'l-folio', content: '{pageNumber}', parity: 'odd', ...folio,
align: 'left', placement: at('top-left', OUTER) },
] };
// The openers carry no head: their folio drops to the foot, centred.
const footer = { elements: [{ kind: 'text', id: 'drop-folio', content: '{pageNumber}', ...folio,
pages: 'opener', align: 'center', placement: at('bottom', 0, -11) }] };
Body text follows the flow, but running heads and folios keep their physical sides. Page 12 is an even page and a right-hand page in this book, so its folio goes top right with the book's title beside it; page 13 is on the left and carries the chapter. Read a spread from the right, as an Arab reader does, and the book's title comes first. showBook lays the pages out mirrored, page 11 to the left of page 10, so the screen shows the spreads as the book opens.
#4 · A part page drawn in code
// # الدرب {style="plate" kicker="…" line="…"}: a heading that paints a whole page.
const onPage = (y) => ({ anchor: { to: 'page', edge: 'top' }, offset: { y: mm(y) } });
const plate = {
id: 'plate', span: 'page', numbered: false, runningChapter: false, toc: false,
breakBefore: { enabled: true, parity: 'any' }, // (gotcha: style-inherits-break)
header: { elements: [] }, footer: { elements: [] },
advancedDesign: { enabled: true, slot: { elements: [
{ kind: 'image', id: 'field', resourceId: 'lattice', placement: {
anchor: { to: 'bleed', edge: 'top-left' },
size: { width: mm(TRIM.width), height: mm(TRIM.height) } } },
{ kind: 'text', id: 'part', content: '{attr.kicker}', fontFamily: LABEL, fontSize: pt(11),
fontWeight: 600, color: col('brass'), align: 'center', placement: onPage(76) },
{ kind: 'text', id: 'name', content: '{titleText}', fontFamily: DISPLAY, fontSize: pt(64),
fontWeight: 600, lineHeight: 1.2, color: col('paper'), align: 'center',
placement: onPage(86) },
{ kind: 'text', id: 'line', content: '{attr.line}', fontFamily: TEXT, fontSize: pt(13),
color: col('paper'), align: 'center', placement: onPage(124) },
] } },
};
The part page is a first-level heading, # الدرب {style="plate" …}, whose style paints the whole sheet and clears its head and folio. The lattice is an SVG generated in the pen from two squares turned 45°, the khātam star of Islamic geometric ornament, in the palette's blue and brass, so the PDF keeps it as vector paths. numbered: false keeps the part page out of the chapter count, and the opener that follows is الفصل الأول.
The whole recipe
// ═══ Postext Cookbook · Nº 105 · An Arabic novel set right to left, bound on the right ═══ // https://postext.dev/en/cookbook/arabic-novel-right-bound // Code: MIT · Text: original Arabic prose (CC BY 4.0) · Pattern: drawn in code // Fonts: Markazi Text, Reem Kufi, Noto Kufi Arabic (SIL OFL 1.1) · Needs postext ≥ 1.15.0 import { buildDocument, renderPageToCanvas, clearMeasurementCache, registerResourceImage, } from 'https://esm.sh/postext'; import { renderToPdf, decompressWoff2 } from 'https://esm.sh/postext-pdf'; const LANG = 'en'; // @lang: the language of the frame; the novel is Arabic in both editions const RECIPE = 'arabic-novel-right-bound'; // ─── 1 · Design ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── // The blue of the press's door, the brass of its key, ink on a cream book paper. // #region palette: the door's blue, the key's brass, every colour linked by id const palette = { ink: '#1f1c19', // text: a warm near-black door: '#2b4766', // the accent: the part page's field, the openers' kickers brass: '#b08d4a', // the second accent: the medallion's line and the openers' star lattice: '#3d5d82', // the pattern's lines, a step lighter than the field rule: '#cbc3b5', // hairlines muted: '#6b645b', // running heads, folios, the colophon paper: '#fbf8f1', // a cream book paper }; const col = (id) => ({ hex: palette[id], model: 'hex', paletteId: id }); const colorPalette = Object.entries({ ...palette, 'main-color': palette.door }) .map(([id, hex]) => ({ id, name: id, value: { hex, model: 'hex' } })); // #endregion const [TEXT, DISPLAY, LABEL] = ['Markazi Text', 'Reem Kufi', 'Noto Kufi Arabic']; const [BODY, LEAD] = [13.5, 22]; // pt: Naskh sets small, so 13.5 pt on 1.63 × the size const TRIM = { width: 140, height: 210 }; // mm: 14 × 21 cm, the Arab trade novel const OUTER = 16; // mm: the outer margin, where the folios stand // #region answer: the locale sets the direction, the binding and the digits const page = { width: mm(TRIM.width), height: mm(TRIM.height), dpi: 150, backgroundColor: col('paper'), // left and right are the flow's sides: in a right-to-left book left is the spine side, // so these margins put 20 mm at the spine and 16 mm outside on both pages of a spread. margins: { top: mm(23), bottom: mm(22), left: mm(20), right: mm(OUTER), mirror: true }, // binding: 'auto' (unset) is 'right' for a right-to-left locale: page 1 is a left page. }; const bodyText = { fontFamily: TEXT, fontSize: pt(BODY), lineHeight: pt(LEAD), color: col('ink'), boldColor: col('ink'), italicColor: col('ink'), referenceColor: col('ink'), // justify ends every line on both sides; the engine lengthens joined letters (kashida, // on by default for Arabic) after it opens the spaces a quarter. Never hyphenated. textAlign: 'justify', optimalLineBreaking: true, firstLineIndent: em(1.5), indentAfterHeading: false, // the indent is on the right avoidWidows: true, avoidOrphans: true, avoidRunts: true, }; // #endregion // #region opener: the chapter number in words over the title, sunk under a brass star const SINK = 58; // mm: where the text starts on an opener const centred = (y, size) => ({ anchor: { to: 'container', edge: 'top' }, offset: { y: mm(y) }, ...(size && { size }) }); const opener = { enabled: true, minHeight: mm(SINK), slot: { elements: [ { kind: 'image', id: 'star', resourceId: 'star', placement: centred(8, { width: mm(9) }) }, // {number} is the level's numbering template below: الفصل الأول, الفصل الثاني… { kind: 'text', id: 'kicker', content: '{number}', fontFamily: LABEL, fontSize: pt(10), fontWeight: 600, color: col('door'), align: 'center', placement: centred(22) }, { kind: 'text', id: 'title', content: '{titleText}', fontFamily: DISPLAY, fontSize: pt(30), fontWeight: 600, lineHeight: 1.3, color: col('ink'), align: 'center', overflow: 'wrap', placement: centred(29, { width: 'fill' }) }, ] }, }; const chapter = { level: 1, fontFamily: DISPLAY, fontWeight: 600, marginTop: pt(0), marginBottom: pt(0), // Restated: any headings object drops the H1 break (gotcha: headings-drop-h1-break). breakBefore: { enabled: true, parity: 'any' }, // A masculine ordinal in words: {1:ordinal-feminine} would give الأولى, الثانية… numberingTemplate: 'الفصل {1:ordinal}', advancedDesign: opener, }; // #endregion // #region heads: physical, so the right page carries the book and the left the chapter // Running heads and folios keep their physical sides in a right-to-left book. The right page // is an even page here and is read first: the book's title; the left page, the chapter's. const label = { fontFamily: LABEL, fontSize: pt(8), color: col('muted'), pages: 'body' }; const at = (edge, x, y = 12) => ({ anchor: { to: 'page', edge }, offset: { x: mm(x), y: mm(y) } }); const folio = { ...label, fontWeight: 600, color: col('ink') }; const header = { elements: [ { kind: 'text', id: 'r-folio', content: '{pageNumber}', parity: 'even', ...folio, align: 'right', placement: at('top-right', -OUTER) }, { kind: 'text', id: 'r-title', content: '{title}', parity: 'even', ...label, align: 'right', placement: at('top-right', -(OUTER + 9)) }, { kind: 'text', id: 'l-chapter', content: '{chapterTitle}', parity: 'odd', ...label, align: 'left', placement: at('top-left', OUTER + 9) }, { kind: 'text', id: 'l-folio', content: '{pageNumber}', parity: 'odd', ...folio, align: 'left', placement: at('top-left', OUTER) }, ] }; // The openers carry no head: their folio drops to the foot, centred. const footer = { elements: [{ kind: 'text', id: 'drop-folio', content: '{pageNumber}', ...folio, pages: 'opener', align: 'center', placement: at('bottom', 0, -11) }] }; // #endregion // #region plate: the part page, the door's blue edge to edge under a lattice of stars // # الدرب {style="plate" kicker="…" line="…"}: a heading that paints a whole page. const onPage = (y) => ({ anchor: { to: 'page', edge: 'top' }, offset: { y: mm(y) } }); const plate = { id: 'plate', span: 'page', numbered: false, runningChapter: false, toc: false, breakBefore: { enabled: true, parity: 'any' }, // (gotcha: style-inherits-break) header: { elements: [] }, footer: { elements: [] }, advancedDesign: { enabled: true, slot: { elements: [ { kind: 'image', id: 'field', resourceId: 'lattice', placement: { anchor: { to: 'bleed', edge: 'top-left' }, size: { width: mm(TRIM.width), height: mm(TRIM.height) } } }, { kind: 'text', id: 'part', content: '{attr.kicker}', fontFamily: LABEL, fontSize: pt(11), fontWeight: 600, color: col('brass'), align: 'center', placement: onPage(76) }, { kind: 'text', id: 'name', content: '{titleText}', fontFamily: DISPLAY, fontSize: pt(64), fontWeight: 600, lineHeight: 1.2, color: col('paper'), align: 'center', placement: onPage(86) }, { kind: 'text', id: 'line', content: '{attr.line}', fontFamily: TEXT, fontSize: pt(13), color: col('paper'), align: 'center', placement: onPage(124) }, ] } }, }; // #endregion const config = () => ({ // a factory: the engine caches resolved configs per object locale: 'ar', // written out, never LANG (gotcha: arabic-locale-tag) colorPalette, page, bodyText, layout: { layoutType: 'single' }, headings: { fontFamily: DISPLAY, fontWeight: 600, color: col('ink'), levels: [chapter] }, headingStyles: [plate], paragraphStyles: [ // The colophon is in the reader's language, set left to right ({dir=ltr} on its block). { id: 'colophon', fontFamily: TEXT, fontSize: pt(8.5), lineHeight: pt(11), color: col('muted'), textAlign: 'left', firstLineIndent: pt(0), marginTop: pt(LEAD) }, ], header, footer, }); // ─── 2 · Content ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── const markdown = String.raw`---Markdown sample · 63 lines · content.en.md
title: "حروف من رصاص" author: "نادية الشريف" --- # الدرب {style="plate" kicker="القسم الأول" line="«الحرف العربي لا يعيش وحده.»"} # الباب الأزرق نزلتُ من سيارة الأجرة عند مدخل الدرب، فالسائق لم يشأ أن يغامر بسيارته بين جدرانٍ تكاد تتلامس من فوق. كان الوقت ظهرًا، والشمس واقفة فوق الرؤوس لا تترك للظل إلا شريطًا رفيعًا عند أسفل البيوت. حملتُ حقيبتي ومشيت. اثنتا عشرة سنة لم أطأ فيها هذا البلاط، ومع ذلك عرفت قدماي الحجر المكسور أمام دكان الحلاق، فتجنّبته قبل أن أراه. لم يتغيّر الدرب كثيرًا. تغيّرت اللافتات وحدها: صار دكان الفول محلًّا لإصلاح الهواتف، وصارت ورشة النجار مخزنًا للبلاستيك تعلوه لافتة صفراء بخطٍّ مطبوع لا روح فيه. أما الشرفات الخشبية فبقيت مائلة كما كانت، وبقي الغسيل منشورًا عليها كأنه لم يُرفع منذ سافرت. كانت أم صابر جالسة على كرسيّها الخيزران أمام بابها، تقشّر البازلاء في صحن من الصاج. رفعت رأسها حين سمعت عجلات الحقيبة على الحجر، وظلّت تنظر إليّ لحظة طويلة قبل أن تضع الصحن على الأرض وتقوم. قالت: «يوسف؟ ابن سعاد؟» قلت: «أنا يا خالة.» ضمّتني إلى صدرها فشممت رائحة الصابون والبصل معًا، ثم أبعدتني لتنظر في وجهي، ثم ضمّتني مرة أخرى. قالت إن جدّي كان يذكرني كل يوم، وإنه كان يقول لكل من يمرّ بالمطبعة إن حفيده يعمل مهندسًا في بلاد الثلج، وإنه سيرجع. ثم سكتت، لأن الرجوع جاء متأخرًا أربعين يومًا. دخلت بيتها وعادت بمفتاح نحاسي كبير معلّق بخيط من الدوبارة. قالت: «تركه عندي قبل أن يدخل المستشفى. قال: إذا جاء يوسف فأعطيه المفتاح، ولا تعطيه لأحد غيره، ولا حتى لخاله.» ضحكت وهي تقول ذلك، وضحكت معها، لأن خالي لم يدخل المطبعة في حياته إلا ليطلب مالًا. كانت المطبعة في آخر الدرب، حيث ينعطف نحو الجامع الصغير. بابها خشبي عريض مطليّ بالأزرق، والطلاء قد تقشّر عند الأطراف فظهر تحته طلاء أخضر أقدم، وتحت الأخضر خشب رمادي. وفوق الباب لوحة من الصفيح كتب عليها جدّي بيده، بخط الثلث الذي تعلّمه في شبابه: «مطبعة النجمة، لصاحبها منصور عبد الحميد، تأسّست سنة ١٩٥٢». وتحتها بخط أصغر: «طبع الكتب والدفاتر وبطاقات الأفراح». أدرت المفتاح مرتين. قاوم القفل قليلًا، ثم استسلم بصوت أعرفه، طقّة مكتومة تتبعها أخرى. ودفعت الباب. خرجت إليّ رائحة المكان قبل أن تعتاد عيناي العتمة: حبر الطباعة، ذلك الخليط من الزيت والسخام الذي لا يشبه شيئًا آخر، ورائحة الورق المكدّس، ورائحة الرصاص الباردة التي كان جدّي يقول إنها رائحة الصبر. وقفت على العتبة حتى بدأت الأشياء تخرج من الظل واحدًا بعد الآخر. في الصدر آلة الطباعة الكبيرة، السوداء، ذات العجلة الحديدية التي كنت أحسبها وأنا صغير ساعة عملاقة. وعلى الجدار الأيمن الخزائن الخشبية العالية، بأدراجها الضيقة المائلة، كل درج منها صندوق حروف. وعلى الطاولة الطويلة تحت النافذة أوراق مصفوفة تحت قطعة من الرخام، ومقصّ، وفنجان قهوة جفّ في قاعه البُنّ. وكان التقويم المعلّق بجانب الباب ما يزال على شهر مايو، لم يمزّق أحد أوراقه بعد ذلك. فتحت النافذة. دخل الضوء مائلًا ومعه غبار ناعم أخذ يدور ببطء فوق الطاولة. وعلى مسمار خلف الباب وجدت مريلته الجلدية معلّقة، بنّية داكنة، لامعة عند البطن من كثرة ما مسحت عليها يداه. لم ألمسها. جلست على الكرسي العالي الذي كان يجلس عليه وهو يصفّ الحروف، ونظرت إلى الخزائن، وفكّرت أنني لا أعرف ماذا أفعل بكل هذا. جاءني صوت أم صابر من الباب: «الغداء جاهز يا يوسف. لا تجلس هنا وحدك في العتمة.» قلت إنني قادم. ولم أقم إلا بعد أن أغلقت النافذة، ومررت بيدي على حافة الطاولة، كما كان هو يفعل كل مساء قبل أن يطفئ النور. # صندوق الحروف استيقظت في السادسة على صوت بائع الخبز ينادي في الدرب، ولم أعرف أين أنا. كنت قد نمت على الأريكة في الغرفة الخلفية من المطبعة، تلك التي كان جدّي يستريح فيها بعد الظهر، لأنني لم أحتمل فكرة النوم في فندق على بعد عشر دقائق من هذا المكان. غسلت وجهي في الحوض الصغير، وصنعت قهوة على الموقد الذي لا يشتعل إلا إذا ضربته ضربة خفيفة من الجانب، كما علّمني جدّي. ثم وقفت أمام الخزائن. كان صندوق الحروف أول ما عرفته من هذه المهنة. كنت في السابعة حين أجلسني جدّي على هذا الكرسي نفسه، وفتح أمامي درجًا، وقال: «هذه هي العربية كلها يا يوسف. ثمانية وعشرون حرفًا، ولكن لا تصدّق من يقول لك إنها ثمانية وعشرون.» لم أفهم يومها، ففتح لي درجًا آخر، وثالثًا. كان في كل درج مئات من الخانات الصغيرة، وفي كل خانة قطع من الرصاص لا يزيد طول الواحدة منها على عُقلة الإصبع، وعلى رأس كل قطعة حرف بارز مقلوب. أخرج من خانة قطعة، ومن خانة أخرى قطعة ثانية، ووضعهما في كفّي. قال: «هذه عين في أول الكلمة، وهذه عين في آخرها. حرف واحد، وشكلان. وعندنا عين في الوسط، وعين وحدها. الحرف العربي يا ولدي لا يعيش وحده، يتغيّر بحسب جاره.» صرت بعد ذلك أقضي العطلة الصيفية كلها هنا. تعلّمت أن أمسك المِصَفّ، تلك المسطرة المعدنية ذات الحافة، بيدي اليسرى، وأن ألتقط الحروف باليمنى من غير أن أنظر، وأن أصفّها من اليمين إلى اليسار، مقلوبة، كما تُقرأ في المرآة. وتعلّمت أن السطر لا يُترك قصيرًا أبدًا. فإذا انتهت الكلمات قبل نهاية السطر، ملأ جدّي الفراغ بقطع صغيرة بلا حروف يدسّها بين الكلمات، أو مدّ بعض الحروف بقطع خاصة كان يسمّيها «المدّات»، حتى يستوي السطر مع جاره من الجانبين. كان يقول إن المدّ صنعة، وإن الصبي يمدّ حيث يشاء، أما الصنايعي فيعرف أين يجوز المدّ وأين لا يجوز: لا مدّ بعد الكاف، ولا في كلمتين متجاورتين، ولا تجعل المدّات تقف بعضها فوق بعض في سطور متتالية، فتبدو الصفحة كأن فيها نهرًا. وكان يمسك صفحة مطبوعة من كتاب قديم، ويمرّر إصبعه على سطورها، ويقول: «انظر. هنا مدّ، وهنا، وهنا. هل تراها؟ لا تراها. هذا هو الشغل.» فتحت الدرج الأول الآن. كانت الحروف في مكانها، مرصوصة ونظيفة. لكن الدرج الثاني كان ناقصًا، والثالث أيضًا، وحين بحثت عن الحروف الناقصة وجدتها مصفوفة على الطاولة الصغيرة بجانب الآلة: صفحة كاملة، محزومة بالخيط، مثبّتة داخل إطار حديدي، جاهزة للطبع. انحنيت عليها. القراءة في الرصاص صعبة، لأن كل شيء مقلوب، والحروف كلها بلون واحد رمادي. ولكنني عرفت بعد قليل أنها قصيدة، أبياتها مصفوفة شطرين شطرين، وفوقها عنوان بحروف أكبر. وفي الزاوية ورقة مطوية، بخط جدّي المرتعش في سنواته الأخيرة: «ديوان أحمد الصافي. الملزمة الأولى. يُطبع ألف نسخة على ورق أصفر.» لم يكن على الطاولة شيء آخر من الديوان: لا مخطوطة، ولا اسم ناشر، ولا عنوان. كانت الصفحة الأولى وحدها، تنتظر منذ مايو. جلست على الكرسي العالي، وأخذت أقرأ الأبيات حرفًا حرفًا، من اليمين إلى اليسار، كما علّمني. في الخارج بدأ الدرب يستيقظ: باب يُفتح، وماء يُرشّ على الحجر، وراديو بعيد يقرأ نشرة الأخبار. وفي الداخل، بيني وبين الصفحة المقلوبة، كان جدّي ما يزال يعمل. :::paragraphs{style="colophon" dir=ltr} An opening written in Arabic for the Postext Cookbook; the novel, its author and its people are invented. Set in Markazi Text, Reem Kufi and Noto Kufi Arabic (SIL OFL) · Text: CC BY 4.0. :::`; // content.<lang>.md: the same Arabic text in both // #region art: an eight-pointed star lattice and the brass star of the openers // Two squares turned 45° make the eight-pointed star (khātam); stars on a square grid, with a // small square between every four, make the lattice. Lines only: the PDF keeps them as paths. const star = (cx, cy, r) => { const pts = []; for (let k = 0; k < 16; k++) { const a = (k * Math.PI) / 8; const d = k % 2 ? r * 0.7654 : r; // 0.7654: where the two squares' sides cross pts.push(`${(cx + d * Math.sin(a)).toFixed(2)} ${(cy - d * Math.cos(a)).toFixed(2)}`); } return `M${pts.join('L')}Z`; }; function lattice() { const [W, H, S] = [TRIM.width + 6, TRIM.height + 6, 14]; // mm, 3 mm bleed a side let lines = ''; for (let y = -S; y <= H + S; y += S) { for (let x = -S / 2; x <= W + S; x += S) { lines += star(x, y, S * 0.46); lines += `M${x + S / 2} ${y + S / 2 - 2.6}l2.6 2.6l-2.6 2.6l-2.6 -2.6Z`; } } const [cx, cy] = [W / 2, 104]; // the medallion, behind the part's name return `<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="${W * 10}" height="${H * 10}" ` + `viewBox="0 0 ${W} ${H}"><rect width="${W}" height="${H}" fill="${palette.door}"/>` + `<path d="${lines}" fill="none" stroke="${palette.lattice}" stroke-width="0.4"/>` + `<path d="${star(cx, cy, 56)}" fill="${palette.door}" stroke="${palette.brass}" ` + 'stroke-width="0.7"/>' + `<path d="${star(cx, cy, 52)}" fill="none" stroke="${palette.brass}" stroke-width="0.3"/>` + '</svg>'; } const brassStar = () => '<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="200" height="200" ' + `viewBox="0 0 20 20"><path d="${star(10, 10, 9.5)}" fill="${palette.brass}"/>` + `<path d="${star(10, 10, 4)}" fill="${palette.paper}"/></svg>`; // #endregion const resources = [ { id: 'lattice', typeId: 'figure', kind: 'svg', createdAt: 0, updatedAt: 0, svg: { fileId: 'lattice.svg', width: (TRIM.width + 6) * 10, height: (TRIM.height + 6) * 10 }, altText: t({ en: 'A lattice of eight-pointed stars in blue lines on a deep blue field, ' + 'with a large star outlined in brass at its centre.', es: 'Una celosía de estrellas de ocho puntas en líneas azules sobre un fondo azul oscuro, ' + 'con una gran estrella perfilada en latón en el centro.' }) }, { id: 'star', typeId: 'figure', kind: 'svg', createdAt: 0, updatedAt: 0, svg: { fileId: 'star.svg', width: 200, height: 200 }, altText: t({ en: 'A small eight-pointed brass star.', es: 'Una pequeña estrella de latón de ocho puntas.' }) }, ]; // ─── 3 · Fonts ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── const FONTS = { // every face the pages use, loaded before the build (gotcha: fonts-first) 'Markazi Text': ['400'], // TEXT: the novel, the part page's line, the colophon 'Reem Kufi': ['600'], // DISPLAY: the part's name, the chapter titles 'Noto Kufi Arabic': ['400', '600'], // LABEL: running heads, folios, kickers }; // ─── 4 · Build & show ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────── await loadFonts(FONTS, markdown); // Each Arabic face's letters live in a file of their own (gotcha: arabic-fonts-subset). await loadArabicFonts(FONTS, markdown); await loadSvg('lattice.svg', lattice()); await loadSvg('star.svg', brassStar()); // The excerpt opens on page 10 of the book, a right-hand page: folios and parity follow it. const continuation = { pageIndexOffset: 9, pageNumbering: { startAt: 10 } }; const doc = await buildWithFonts( () => buildDocument({ markdown, resources, continuation }, config()), markdown); showBook(doc, { title: t({ en: 'An Arabic novel, bound on the right', es: 'Una novela árabe encuadernada por la derecha' }) }); offerPdf(() => renderToPdf(doc, { fontProvider: arabicPdfProvider, resourceBytes: imageBytes }), `${RECIPE}.pdf`);Kit · core, fonts, viewer, pdf, images, arabic, book: the same in every recipe · 446 lines
// ─── Kit ── helpers shared by every Cookbook recipe · postext.dev/cookbook ───── // ─── Kit · core v1 ── the same in every recipe · postext.dev/cookbook ───────── function mm(value) { return { value, unit: 'mm' }; } function pt(value) { return { value, unit: 'pt' }; } function em(value) { return { value, unit: 'em' }; } /** The sample language's string: t({ en: 'Figure', es: 'Figura' }). */ function t(strings) { return strings[LANG] ?? Object.values(strings)[0]; } /** A file in this recipe's assets folder, served from the Postext repo by jsDelivr. */ function asset(file) { return `https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/drnachio/postext@main/cookbook/${RECIPE}/assets/${file}`; } // ─── Kit · fonts v1 ── the same in every recipe · postext.dev/cookbook ──────── // Postext measures text with the faces the browser has loaded, and caches the // widths, so every face must be ready before the first build. Faces come from // Fontsource: the same static files the PDF embeds, so screen and PDF agree. /** faces = { 'Family Name': ['400', '400i', '700'] }. `text` is the sample: * letters beyond Latin-1 (č, ł, ő…) also load the latin-ext files. With * `optional`, a face Fontsource does not ship is skipped instead of failing. * Resolves to the number of faces added. */ async function loadFonts(faces, text = '', { optional = false } = {}) { kitStatus('Loading fonts…'); const ranges = { latin: 'U+0000-00FF,U+0131,U+0152-0153,U+02BB-02BC,U+02C6,U+02DA,U+02DC,U+0304,U+0308,U+0329,' + 'U+2000-206F,U+20AC,U+2122,U+2191,U+2193,U+2212,U+2215,U+FEFF,U+FFFD', 'latin-ext': 'U+0100-02BA,U+02BD-02C5,U+02C7-02CC,U+02CE-02D7,U+02DD-02FF,U+0304,U+0308,U+0329,' + 'U+1D00-1DBF,U+1E00-1E9F,U+1EF2-1EFF,U+2020,U+20A0-20AB,U+20AD-20C0,U+2113,U+2C60-2C7F,U+A720-A7FF', }; const subsets = /[Ā-˿Ḁ-ỿ]/.test(text) ? ['latin', 'latin-ext'] : ['latin']; const jobs = []; let added = 0; for (const [family, specs] of Object.entries(faces)) { const id = fontsourceId(family); const meta = optional ? await fontsourceMeta(family) : null; for (const spec of new Set(specs)) { const weight = parseInt(spec, 10); const style = spec.endsWith('i') ? 'italic' : 'normal'; if (hasFace(family, weight, style)) continue; if (optional && !(meta?.weights.includes(weight) && meta.styles.includes(style))) continue; for (const subset of subsets) { const url = `https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@fontsource/${id}@5/files/${id}-${subset}-${weight}-${style}.woff2`; const face = new FontFace(family, `url(${url}) format('woff2')`, { weight: String(weight), style, unicodeRange: ranges[subset] }); jobs.push(face.load().then((ready) => { document.fonts.add(ready); added++; }, () => { if (subset === 'latin' && !optional) throw new Error(`Fontsource has no ${family} ${weight} ${style}`); })); } } } await Promise.all(jobs).catch((error) => { kitFail(error); throw error; }); return added; } /** Runs `build` (a buildDocument or buildBundle call) and checks the faces * the pages use. A regular face missing from FONTS is loaded with a warning; * bold and italic variants are loaded when the family ships them. Then the * measurement caches are cleared and the build runs again. */ async function buildWithFonts(build, text = '') { const tried = new Set(); for (let round = 0; round < 3; round++) { kitStatus('Laying out…'); await new Promise(requestAnimationFrame); // let the status paint first const result = await Promise.resolve().then(build).catch((error) => { kitFail(error); throw error; }); const wanted = { base: {}, variants: {} }; for (const { font, base } of [result].flat().flatMap(fontStringsOf)) { const { family, weight, style } = parseFont(font); const key = `${family}|${weight}|${style}`; if (tried.has(key) || hasFace(family, weight, style)) continue; tried.add(key); (wanted[base ? 'base' : 'variants'][family] ??= []).push(`${weight}${style === 'italic' ? 'i' : ''}`); } if (Object.keys(wanted.base).length) { console.warn(`[cookbook] FONTS does not list ${JSON.stringify(wanted.base)}: loading them.`); } const added = await loadFonts(wanted.base, text) + await loadFonts(wanted.variants, text, { optional: true }); if (added === 0) return result; clearMeasurementCache(); } throw new Error('The fonts did not settle after three builds.'); } /** Every font string of the layout. `base` marks a block's own face; its * bold, italic and bold-italic variants are listed whether or not used. */ function fontStringsOf(doc) { const found = new Map(); const walk = (node) => { if (!node || typeof node !== 'object') return; if (Array.isArray(node)) { node.forEach(walk); return; } for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(node)) { if (typeof value === 'string' && /fontString$/i.test(key)) { found.set(value, found.get(value) || key === 'fontString'); } else if (value && typeof value === 'object') walk(value); } }; walk(doc.pages); walk(doc.blocks); return [...found].map(([font, base]) => ({ font, base })); } /** '700 37.5px Open Sans' / 'italic 400 13px "Source Serif 4"' → { family, weight, style }. * A string with no weight ('95.8px Young Serif', from a design text) is 400. */ function parseFont(font) { const m = /^(?:(italic|oblique)\s+)?(?:small-caps\s+)?(?:(\d+|bold|normal)\s+)?[\d.]+px\s+(.+)$/.exec(font.trim()); if (!m) throw new Error(`Unexpected font string: ${font}`); const weight = m[2] === 'bold' ? 700 : !m[2] || m[2] === 'normal' ? 400 : Number(m[2]); return { family: m[3].replace(/^["']|["']$/g, ''), weight, style: m[1] ? 'italic' : 'normal' }; } /** True when a loaded FontFace covers exactly this family, weight and style * (document.fonts.check() is also true for families nobody declared). */ function hasFace(family, weight, style) { for (const face of document.fonts) { if (face.status !== 'loaded' || face.style !== style) continue; if (face.family.replace(/^["']|["']$/g, '') !== family) continue; const [low, high = low] = face.weight.split(' ').map(Number); if (weight >= low && weight <= high) return true; } return false; } /** Fontsource's id for a family: 'Source Serif 4' → 'source-serif-4'. */ function fontsourceId(family) { return family.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, '-'); } /** The weights and styles a family ships ({ weights: [400, 700], styles: ['normal', 'italic'] }), or null. */ function fontsourceMeta(family) { fontsourceMeta.cache ??= new Map(); const id = fontsourceId(family); if (!fontsourceMeta.cache.has(id)) { fontsourceMeta.cache.set(id, fetch(`https://api.fontsource.org/v1/fonts/${id}`) .then((res) => (res.ok ? res.json() : null), () => null)); } return fontsourceMeta.cache.get(id); } // ─── Kit · viewer v1 ── the same in every recipe · postext.dev/cookbook ─────── /** Shows the pages as facing spreads on a dark desk: the first page is a * recto on its own, then verso | recto pairs, as in a bound book. Pages * are painted when they scroll near the screen. */ function showPages(docs, { title, width = 460 } = {}) { const root = viewer(title); const pages = [docs].flat().flatMap((doc) => doc.pages.map((page) => ({ doc, page, n: (doc.pageIndexOffset ?? 0) + page.index }))); const spreads = []; let verso = null; for (const p of pages) { if (p.n % 2 === 1) { if (verso) spreads.push([verso, null]); verso = p; } else { spreads.push([verso, p]); verso = null; } } if (verso) spreads.push([verso, null]); const density = Math.min(window.devicePixelRatio || 1, 2); showPages.painter?.disconnect(); const painter = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => { for (const { isIntersecting, target } of entries) { if (!isIntersecting) continue; painter.unobserve(target); const { doc, page } = target.postext; renderPageToCanvas(page, doc, target, { scale: (width * density) / page.width }); } }, { rootMargin: '800px' }); showPages.painter = painter; root.replaceChildren(...spreads.map((pair) => { const spread = document.createElement('div'); spread.className = 'pt-spread'; for (const p of pair) { const figure = document.createElement('figure'); if (p) { const label = p.page.pageLabel || String(p.n + 1); const canvas = document.createElement('canvas'); canvas.postext = p; canvas.style.aspectRatio = `${p.page.width} / ${p.page.height}`; canvas.setAttribute('role', 'img'); canvas.setAttribute('aria-label', `Page ${label}`); const folio = document.createElement('figcaption'); folio.textContent = label; figure.append(canvas, folio); painter.observe(canvas); } else figure.className = 'pt-blank'; spread.append(figure); } return spread; })); kitStatus(`${pages.length} ${pages.length === 1 ? 'page' : 'pages'}`); document.documentElement.dataset.postext = 'ready'; return pages.length; } /** The desk, the bar and the error reporting, created once. */ function viewer(title) { if (!document.getElementById('pt-kit')) { document.head.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<style id="pt-kit"> :root { color-scheme: dark; } body { margin: 0; background: #0e1014; color: #b9bcc4; font: 13px/1.45 system-ui, sans-serif; } #pt-bar { position: sticky; top: 0; z-index: 1; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; gap: 6px 16px; padding: 10px 16px; background: rgb(14 16 20 / .92); backdrop-filter: blur(6px); border-bottom: 1px solid #23262d; } #pt-bar strong { color: #f4f1ea; font-weight: 600; } #pt-actions { display: flex; gap: 12px; margin-left: auto; } #pt-actions a, #pt-actions button { color: #d8a21a; font: inherit; background: none; border: 0; padding: 0; cursor: pointer; } #pages { display: grid; justify-items: center; gap: 48px; padding: 32px 16px 72px; } .pt-spread { display: flex; } .pt-spread figure { margin: 0; width: min(460px, 44vw); } .pt-spread canvas { display: block; width: 100%; background: #fff; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgb(0 0 0 / .5), 0 22px 44px -16px rgb(0 0 0 / .8); } .pt-spread figure:first-child canvas { box-shadow: inset -14px 0 14px -14px rgb(0 0 0 / .18), 0 1px 2px rgb(0 0 0 / .5), 0 22px 44px -16px rgb(0 0 0 / .8); } .pt-spread figcaption { margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; font: 600 10px/1 system-ui, sans-serif; letter-spacing: .18em; text-transform: uppercase; color: #6c7079; } .pt-blank { visibility: hidden; } @media (max-width: 760px) { .pt-spread { flex-direction: column; gap: 32px; } .pt-spread figure { width: min(460px, 92vw); } .pt-blank { display: none; } } </style>`); document.body.insertAdjacentHTML('afterbegin', '<header id="pt-bar"><strong id="pt-title"></strong><span id="pt-status" role="status"></span><span id="pt-actions"></span></header>'); document.getElementById('pt-title').textContent = document.title || 'Postext'; addEventListener('error', (event) => kitFail(event.error ?? event.message)); addEventListener('unhandledrejection', (event) => kitFail(event.reason)); } if (title) document.getElementById('pt-title').textContent = title; return document.getElementById('pages') ?? document.body.appendChild(Object.assign(document.createElement('main'), { id: 'pages' })); } function kitStatus(text) { viewer(); document.getElementById('pt-status').textContent = text; } function kitFail(error) { document.documentElement.dataset.postext = 'error'; kitStatus(`Error: ${error?.message ?? error}`); } // ─── Kit · pdf v1 ── the same in every recipe that exports a PDF ────────────── /** postext-pdf embeds TrueType bytes. Fetch the Fontsource file the screen * used, snapping to a weight the family ships and falling back to upright * when it has no italic: the PDF asks for every face a block could use. */ async function fontsourceProvider(family, weight, style) { const id = fontsourceId(family); const meta = await fontsourceMeta(family); const weights = meta?.weights?.length ? meta.weights : [400, 700]; const w = weights.reduce((a, b) => (Math.abs(b - weight) < Math.abs(a - weight) ? b : a)); const s = style === 'italic' && meta && !meta.styles.includes('italic') ? 'normal' : style; const res = await fetch(`https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@fontsource/${id}@5/files/${id}-latin-${w}-${s}.woff2`); if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Fontsource has no ${family} ${w} ${s} (${res.status})`); return decompressWoff2(new Uint8Array(await res.arrayBuffer())); } /** A "Build the PDF" button in the bar. Once built: "Open the PDF" (a new * tab, since CodePen's preview frame cannot show PDFs) and a download link. */ function offerPdf(makePdf, filename) { viewer(); const button = Object.assign(document.createElement('button'), { type: 'button', textContent: 'Build the PDF' }); button.dataset.postextPdf = filename; button.addEventListener('click', async () => { button.disabled = true; button.textContent = 'Building the PDF…'; try { const bytes = await makePdf(); const url = URL.createObjectURL(new Blob([bytes], { type: 'application/pdf' })); const size = `${Math.max(1, Math.round(bytes.length / 1024))} KB`; button.replaceWith( Object.assign(document.createElement('a'), { href: url, target: '_blank', rel: 'noopener', textContent: 'Open the PDF ↗' }), Object.assign(document.createElement('a'), { href: url, download: filename, textContent: `Download ${filename} · ${size}` })); } catch (error) { button.disabled = false; button.textContent = 'Build the PDF'; kitFail(error); } }); document.getElementById('pt-actions').append(button); } // ─── Kit · images v1 ── recipes with pictures · postext.dev/cookbook ────────── /** Registers a photo or PNG for the canvas and keeps its bytes for the PDF. * fetch → ImageBitmap never taints the canvas (a plain cross-origin <img> would). */ async function loadImage(fileId, url) { const res = await fetch(url); if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Image not found (${res.status}): ${url}`); const bytes = new Uint8Array(await res.arrayBuffer()); registerResourceImage(fileId, await createImageBitmap(new Blob([bytes]))); (loadImage.bytes ??= new Map()).set(fileId, bytes); } /** Registers SVG markup (drawn in code, or fetched) as a vector image. */ async function loadSvg(fileId, svg) { const img = new Image(); img.src = `data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,${encodeURIComponent(svg)}`; await img.decode(); registerResourceImage(fileId, img); (loadImage.bytes ??= new Map()).set(fileId, new TextEncoder().encode(svg)); } /** renderToPdf({ resourceBytes: imageBytes }) */ function imageBytes(fileId) { return loadImage.bytes?.get(fileId); } /** renderToHtml({ resourceImageUrl: imageUrl }) */ function imageUrl(fileId) { const bytes = imageBytes(fileId); if (!bytes) return undefined; imageUrl.urls ??= new Map(); if (!imageUrl.urls.has(fileId)) { const type = /\.svg$/i.test(fileId) ? 'image/svg+xml' : /\.png$/i.test(fileId) ? 'image/png' : 'image/jpeg'; imageUrl.urls.set(fileId, URL.createObjectURL(new Blob([bytes], { type }))); } return imageUrl.urls.get(fileId); } // ─── Kit · arabic v1 ── Arabic-script faces · postext.dev/cookbook ─────────── // Fontsource ships an Arabic family as one file per subset and weight: the // `arabic` file holds the letters, the harakat, the Arabic-Indic digits, the // Arabic punctuation and the presentation forms; `latin` and `latin-ext` // hold the rest. loadFonts loads the latin files; this block adds the arabic // file of every Arabic family, for the canvas and for the PDF, which shapes // the letters with HarfBuzz from the same bytes. /** The code points of Fontsource's `arabic` subset, as its stylesheets * declare them (the same unicode-range the browser picks the file by). A * function, not a const: the kit is inlined after the recipe's top-level * awaits, and a const read before its line throws, where a function * declaration is hoisted. */ function arabicRange() { return 'U+0600-06FF,U+0750-077F,U+0870-088E,U+0890-0891,U+0897-08E1,U+08E3-08FF,' + 'U+200C-200E,U+2010-2011,U+204F,U+2E41,U+FB50-FDFF,U+FE70-FE74,U+FE76-FEFC,U+102E0-102FB,' + 'U+10E60-10E7E,U+10EC2-10EC4,U+10EFC-10EFF,U+1EE00-1EEFF'; } /** Whether code point `cp` is in the arabic file. */ function inArabicRange(cp) { inArabicRange.ranges ??= arabicRange().split(',').map((part) => { const [lo, hi = lo] = part.slice(2).split('-'); return [parseInt(lo, 16), parseInt(hi, 16)]; }); return inArabicRange.ranges.some(([lo, hi]) => cp >= lo && cp <= hi); } /** Whether Fontsource serves `family` with an `arabic` subset. Fails when * the API does not answer: an Arabic face taken for a Latin one would set * its letters in a system face. */ async function isArabicFamily(family) { const meta = await fontsourceMeta(family); if (!meta) throw new Error(`api.fontsource.org did not describe ${family}: reload to try again`); return !!meta.subsets?.includes('arabic'); } /** The arabic file of a face. */ function arabicFileUrl(family, weight, style) { const id = fontsourceId(family); return `https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@fontsource/${id}@5/files/${id}-arabic-${weight}-${style}.woff2`; } /** faces = { Amiri: ['400', '700'] }, as for loadFonts, after it: the whole * FONTS object may be passed, its families without an arabic subset are * left alone. Adds the arabic file of every listed weight of each Arabic * family (the latin files come from loadFonts) and loads it. `text` is * the sample: fails when it holds an Arabic-script character the arabic * file does not cover. List every weight the pages set in Arabic: a weight * left to buildWithFonts gets the latin file only, and its Arabic letters * fall back to a system face. Resolves to the number of files loaded. */ async function loadArabicFonts(faces, text = '') { kitStatus('Loading fonts…'); let loaded = 0; try { const outside = [...new Set(text)].filter((ch) => /\p{Script=Arabic}/u.test(ch) && !inArabicRange(ch.codePointAt(0))); if (outside.length) throw new Error(`Fontsource's arabic files have no ${outside.slice(0, 12).join(' ')}`); for (const [family, specs] of Object.entries(faces)) { if (!(await isArabicFamily(family))) continue; for (const spec of new Set(specs)) { const weight = parseInt(spec, 10); const style = spec.endsWith('i') ? 'italic' : 'normal'; const face = new FontFace(family, `url(${arabicFileUrl(family, weight, style)}) format('woff2')`, { weight: String(weight), style, unicodeRange: arabicRange() }); document.fonts.add(await face.load().catch(() => { throw new Error(`Fontsource has no arabic file for ${family} ${weight} ${style}`); })); loaded++; } } } catch (error) { kitFail(error); throw error; } return loaded; } /** The PDF font provider for recipes with Arabic faces: a family with an * arabic subset gets its arabic file when its pages set Arabic letters * (`request.codePoints`), then its latin file, and its latin-ext file for * the letters beyond latin (transliteration: ā ḥ ʿ). The arabic file comes * first: it also holds the space and the brackets, so a line of Arabic is * shaped as one run and not cut at every space. Any other family goes to * fontsourceProvider (the "pdf" block). */ async function arabicPdfProvider(family, weight, style, request) { if (!(await isArabicFamily(family))) return fontsourceProvider(family, weight, style); const meta = await fontsourceMeta(family); const weights = meta.weights?.length ? meta.weights : [400, 700]; const w = weights.reduce((a, b) => (Math.abs(b - weight) < Math.abs(a - weight) ? b : a)); const s = style === 'italic' && !meta.styles.includes('italic') ? 'normal' : style; const wanted = [...(request?.codePoints ?? [])]; const id = fontsourceId(family); const urls = []; if (!wanted.length || wanted.some(inArabicRange)) urls.push(arabicFileUrl(family, w, s)); urls.push(`https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@fontsource/${id}@5/files/${id}-latin-${w}-${s}.woff2`); if (meta.subsets.includes('latin-ext') && wanted.some((cp) => /[Ā-˿Ḁ-ỿ]/u.test(String.fromCodePoint(cp)))) { urls.push(`https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@fontsource/${id}@5/files/${id}-latin-ext-${w}-${s}.woff2`); } return Promise.all(urls.map(async (url) => { const res = await fetch(url); if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Fontsource file ${url} (${res.status})`); return decompressWoff2(new Uint8Array(await res.arrayBuffer())); })); } // ─── Kit · book v1 ── books bound on either edge · postext.dev/cookbook ────── // A book bound on the right (Arabic, Hebrew or Persian text, vertical // Chinese, or page.binding 'right') opens from what a Latin reader calls // the back: page 1 lies alone on the left of the spine, then [3 | 2]. /** showPages for a book bound on either edge. A right-bound book (the * document says so: doc.binding is 'right' for page.binding 'right', for * text that runs right to left and for vertical text, when the binding is * left to 'auto') lies on the desk as it opens: page 1 alone on the left * of the spine, then [3 | 2], the spine shade on each page's inner edge. * `binding` ('left' | 'right') overrides the document's. */ function showBook(docs, { binding, ...options } = {}) { const count = showPages(docs, options); const right = (binding ?? [docs].flat()[0]?.binding) === 'right'; if (!document.getElementById('pt-kit-book')) { // The pages keep direction ltr, as in a left-bound book: a canvas takes // the direction its element inherits, and under the spread's rtl a run // painted for an ltr canvas would end where the engine starts it. document.head.insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend', `<style id="pt-kit-book"> .pt-spread[dir="rtl"] canvas { direction: ltr; } .pt-spread[dir="rtl"] figure:first-child canvas { box-shadow: inset 14px 0 14px -14px rgb(0 0 0 / .18), 0 1px 2px rgb(0 0 0 / .5), 0 22px 44px -16px rgb(0 0 0 / .8); } </style>`); } // Each pair stays [verso, recto] in the page; right to left, the verso // sits on the right. Phones stack the pages in reading order either way. for (const spread of document.querySelectorAll('#pages > .pt-spread')) spread.dir = right ? 'rtl' : 'ltr'; document.getElementById('pages').dataset.binding = right ? 'right' : 'left'; return count; } // ─── /Kit ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
The composed script.js runs as it is: paste it into any page’s module script, or open the recipe on CodePen. Recipe folder on GitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Variations
#Print European digits
A Maghreb edition prints 1, 2, 3; locale: 'ar-MA' does it by itself, and the Maghreb edition shows the whole book.
- locale: 'ar', // written out, never LANG (gotcha: arabic-locale-tag)
+ locale: 'ar', numerals: 'latn',#Justify with spaces alone
Some publishers keep the tatweel out of running text: the spaces take the whole difference.
textAlign: 'justify', optimalLineBreaking: true,
+ kashida: 'none',Pitfalls
Pitfall
Tag an Arabic book 'ar', not with LANG
A recipe's editions are en and es, but an Arabic sample is Arabic in both: `locale: LANG` would set it left to right, bind it on the left, number its pages 1 2 3 and caption its figures Figure or Figura. Write the tag yourself: 'ar' (Arabic-Indic digits, the Mashriq convention), a region such as 'ar-EG' or 'ar-SA', or 'ar-MA', 'ar-DZ' or 'ar-TN' for a Maghreb edition with European digits. A Latin page that only quotes Arabic keeps its own locale. Right-to-left text →
Pitfall
Arabic faces need their arabic file, through the arabic block
Fontsource serves Amiri, Noto Naskh Arabic or Scheherazade New as one file per subset, and the Arabic letters are in the arabic file. loadFonts fetches only latin (and latin-ext), so on screen the Arabic comes from a system face and measures wrong, and fontsourceProvider hands the PDF that latin file, which prints empty boxes. List the arabic kit block, call loadArabicFonts(FONTS, markdown) after loadFonts, with every weight the pages set in Arabic listed in FONTS, and give renderToPdf fontProvider: arabicPdfProvider. Arabic fonts →
Pitfall
A right-bound book shows its spreads with showBook
In a book bound on the right (Arabic, Hebrew or Persian text, vertical Chinese, or page.binding 'right') page 1 is still the recto, but it lies on the left of the spine, and the pairs read [3 | 2]. showPages lays every book out left-bound; showBook from the book block (the cjk block carries the same function) reads doc.binding and mirrors the pairs. capture.hero still names a spread in reading order, [verso, recto]: [2, 3]. Books bound on the right →
Pitfall
Any headings object switches off the H1 page break
By default an H1 breaks to a recto (always-odd), but passing any headings object resets that default, so chapters run on and span: 'page' does nothing. Restate headings.levels[0].breakBefore: { enabled: true, parity } in every config. Chapters that open on a recto →
Pitfall
A heading style inherits its level's page break
A headingStyles entry takes every field it leaves out from its heading level, breakBefore included. A contents page or a colophon styled on an H1 after a :::pagebreak inherits parity 'odd' and lands behind a blank page. Give such a style breakBefore: { enabled: false }. Heading styles →
Pitfall
Load every face before layout
Layout measures text with the faces the browser has loaded and caches the widths, so a face that arrives after the first build leaves wrong line breaks and a PDF that no longer matches the screen. Load every weight and style first, and call clearMeasurementCache() before rebuilding when one arrives late. Fonts before layout →
- A colophon in English or Spanish at the end of an Arabic book needs
{dir=ltr}on its block: without it the Latin line is aligned and punctuated as a right-to-left paragraph, with its full stop on the left.
Credits
- Recipe
- Ignacio Ferro
- Text
- The opening of a novel, حروف من رصاص (Letters of Lead), written in Arabic for the recipe; its author and its people are invented · Postext Cookbook · original
- Fonts
- Markazi Text (SIL OFL 1.1) · Reem Kufi (SIL OFL 1.1) · Noto Kufi Arabic (SIL OFL 1.1)
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