Patch name: japanese56.mep
Timestamp:  2025-12-30 13:37
Requires:   
- MetaEdit+ 5.6 (Build 4 or later)
- OS locale set to Japanese before starting MetaEdit+

Documentation:
* Allows inline input of Japanese characters
* Uses Microsoft's fonts supporting Japanese characters
* NB 5.6 already allows Unicode characters in calls to shell commands
* NB 5.6 already contains the Japanese encodings, 
  listed here with the names to use in the encoding clause in generators:
  - JIS ('jis' or 'iso-2022-jp')
  - ShiftJIS ('shiftjis' and platform variants 'ms_cp_932' and 'hp15_jp')
  - EUC ('euc-jp')

To use: 
Place the file japanese56.mep in a 'patches' subdirectory of your MetaEdit+ 
working directory, e.g. Documents\MetaEdit+ 5.6\patches, and check the 
target in your MetaEdit+ shortcut properties includes 'fileInPatches', e.g.

"C:\Program Files\MetaEdit+ 5.6 Evaluation\mep56eval.exe" fileInPatches
                                                         --------------

On Windows, the "Language for non-Unicode programs" must also be set
to Japanese to enable inline input of Japanese characters 
(Control Panel | Clock and Region | Region | Administrative tab). 
Or: in Windows PowerShell (Admin):
  powershell Set-WinSystemLocale ja-JP; Restart-Computer
Changing the OS settings after MetaEdit+ has started has no effect.

Version history
---------------
2025-12-30 13:37 japanese56.mep (MEJapaneseExtension 7.7.1 - 23)
* Windows: 
  - Prefer BIZ UDGothic (anti-aliasing) over MS Gothic
* Linux:
  - Add jisx0208.1990-0 as alias to jisx0208.1983-0 encoding
  - For Xft fixed-width fonts, require specifiesFixedWidth in addition to fixedWidth
  - Only set font encoding to 'kanji' on Windows
  - MERL Editor and symbols use Linux-specific font families for fixed-width font: Dejavu Sans Mono, Liberation Mono, Noto Mono
  
2025-11-14 23:17 japanese56.mep (MEJapaneseExtension 7.7.1 - 17)
* Refactoring: Removed unnecessary overrides for Unicode characters in calls to shell commands - now already present in 5.6.

2017-04-19 17:59 japanese55.mep
* Correction: Error dialog 'bad argument 2' when trying to write a PNG to a filename with wide characters in its name, e.g. Japanese kanji, with Cairo enabled. 
* Correction: Normal execution of external programs on Windows opened a DOS box for a fraction of a second before executing the requested program.

2016-12-22 20:30 japanese55.mep
* Original version for 5.5