Frequently Asked Questions.
- Why do I need T99?
- Why older phones have no problem with text messages, and newer ones with Symbian have it?
- Could you explain exactly what problem with text messages and diacritical marks Symbian phones have?
- Is there any other way to solve the problem than T99?
- Read description page, you'll find the answers there.
- How to install T99?
- How to check if T99 is working after installation?
- I know that counter of characters in text message, doesn't show correct numbers when I use T99. How will I know, how many parts my text message will be divided into?
- Read manual page, you'll find the answers there.
- Why is the name of the program T99?
- Because T9 + 90 = T99
- Which encodings can one use in text messages (smses)?
- Is there a possibility to use for example iso8859-2 as encoding for text message?
- According to the standard ETSI GSM 03.38, GSM phones must understand so called default GSM 7-bit alphabet and for text transmission can use UCS2 (Unicode variant). There is also possibility to use 8-bit encoding, but only to transfer binary data. That is why if you encode text message in iso8859-2 receiver's phone won't understand it without additional software.
- Don't you think that it would be better to encode text messages in something like utf-8 (that uses 1 byte for most common characters, and 2 bytes for the rest) than in UCS2? There would be a possibility to encode all characters, and text messages could be longer!
- From users point of view it would be a better idea. But (as you can know from previous question) one can't use utf-8 in text messages. Why? The only reason I can imagine is that encoding with variable length of character is more difficult to process, and designers of the standards for smses (text messages) didn't want to force phones (that wasn't so fast as today) to use such encoding... but on the other hand there is alphabet for phones that use variable length of characters – 7 bit alphabet extension (see next question). Well, I don't know what to think about that... Maybe you can tell me more?
- What is "GSM 7 bit alphabet extension"?
- When I type | - character that isn't present in the table, then my phone doesn't change encoding to UCS2 (maximal length of the message isn't changed to 70 characters), but... it "takes" two characters instead of one! Is it some kind of bug?
- No it isn't a bug. Character "|" is part of so called GSM 7 bit alphabet extension. When the phone that supports that extension is decoding text message, and it finds in text message special number (that is marked with note "1" in the table) it knows that the next number is part of extension of standard alphabet. It means that the next number should be shown as character from another table – not the one mentioned before. That second table according to standard GSM 03.38 version 7.2.0 Release 1998 contains 9 printable characters: ^{}\[~]|€ , page break mark and... number that will let to add another extension table.
- Why didn't they place all letters with diacritical marks in GSM alphabet extension?
- I don' know. I wish they did. Extension table has only 11 cells that contain characters, and 245 that are empty, so there is enough space... If you know more about that - send me a message.
- Characters ÁÂÃÍÎÏÊËÔÓÚÝ aren't present in the table, and despite of this on Symbian phones they take only 1 character! How is it possible?
- It turns out that Symbian OS don't treat every character equal – it uses method number 1 to those you've written in the question (and a few more), while to others (like. ĄĘŚ) it uses method number 2. On the other words for some letters it does itself, what for the rest T99 can do. I have to say that, when I discovered it, during implementation of T99, I was surprised. If you also can't believe that it's true – try to send from Symbian phone (without T99) text message that contains: "ÁÂÃÍÎÏÊËÔÓÚÝ". Receiver will get "AAAIIIEEOOUY". In phones with S60 3rd Edition there is an option that lets you change this behaviour. Note that on Nokia N95 this behaviour was changed.
- Why Symbian OS treats different Á, than Ą? (see previous question)
- I don't know. Maybe someone in Symbian thinks that letters like Ą are more important then Á, and users should have possibility to send them in text message? What I do know is, that's why people that speak for example Spanish, Portugal, or French don't have a problems with text messages like people in my country (and in other countries). From my point of view this is why about billion of people that speak that languages, don't need T99 ;-).
- On my phone with S60 3rd Edition I've found an option that lets me change encoding of text message. Does it mean that I don't need T99?
- If you have Nokia N95 you don't need T99, but if you don't have it T99 will be equally useful for you, as it would be useful if there won't be that option. The option, that can be found in text message's settings called Character Encoding lets you set Reduced support, that turns on method number 1, only for a few letters (see question above). This option is the only possible in earlier version of S60.
- I have Symbian OS phone, and do not have the problem...
- It is possible if you have one of the oldest Symbian OS phones - Siemens SX1, that doesn't have letters with diacritical marks in T9 dictionary, or one of the newest phones – Nokia N95, that correctly uses reduced support setting.Write to me if you know more phones that could be placed on the list above. Thanks to: Marcin W. for information about SX1.
- What languages do people that have a problem with text messages on Symbian, speak?
- On the top of page you can see flags of countries in which people speak that languages (except flag of Great Britain that represents English language, which there is only as an international language). It means that in this countries people may need T99 , so I hope that t99.pl will be translated to that languages.
- Your program is free, why don't you make it open source?
- Maybe I will... You can try to - convince me to do that.
- Is there T99 version to phones without Symbian OS (e.g. with Java Micro Edition)?
- No, but almost all phones without Symbian OS don't need T99, because that phones removes diacritical marks themselves. If your phone doesn't do this let me know its name. If it turns out that there are many such phones I may decide to write T99 for those phones.
- I have an idea for program to Symbian OS, could you implement it?
- Maybe... Write to me, if the idea is good, and I have some time I will try to do it.
- I haven't found an answer to my question on this site...
- I have found a bug on this site/in the program!
- I have interesting information related to T99/an issue that T99 solves.
- Send me an e-mail. I will answer you, if I find some time.
