Taming Noto Nastaliq: Fixing Urdu Font Rendering Issues in Android
Challenges and solutions with Noto Nastaliq in Jetpack Compose
1Transition to Noto Nastaliq
The Urdu font in the Android app was migrated from Jameel Noori to Noto Nastaliq. While this seemed like a simple font swap, it led to unexpected issues due to how Android measures and renders complex text. In Jetpack Compose, text consumed excessive vertical space or unexpectedly wrapped onto multiple lines.
2Vertical Space Issue
Noto Nastaliq caused text to consume more vertical space than needed in Compose, creating large gaps between text components and neighboring elements. The issue stemmed from how the font was measured and rendered. The solution involved removing font padding and developing a custom layout modifier.
3Text Positioning Problem
After resolving the vertical space issue, it became apparent that text appeared too low within its container. To address this, a modifier was developed to shift the text upward based on the font's em size, ensuring visual alignment with the surrounding UI.
4Differences Between XML and Compose
The same font behaved differently in XML layouts and Jetpack Compose. In XML, text clipping was the primary issue, while in Compose, text unexpectedly wrapped onto multiple lines. The solution in XML involved dynamically determining text width and centering it horizontally.
5Line Break Issue in Compose
Using wrapContentWidth() in Compose with Noto Nastaliq caused text to unexpectedly wrap onto multiple lines. This issue even split single Urdu words across lines. The solution required a more controlled approach to text width and alignment.
6Developing Custom Modifiers
Custom layout modifiers were developed to address the issues. These modifiers reduced vertical space and shifted text upward, ensuring Noto Nastaliq appeared more consistent with the UI. The solutions were isolated to Noto Nastaliq, leaving other fonts unaffected.
7Examining Font Properties
The measurement and rendering behavior of Noto Nastaliq was thoroughly examined. This analysis was crucial to understanding how the font behaves in Android and identifying the root causes of the issues. The insights gained formed the basis for developing effective solutions.
8Conclusion and Importance
This work provides practical solutions to challenges encountered when using complex fonts in Android. Understanding font behavior and developing custom solutions, especially in modern UI tools like Jetpack Compose, can significantly enhance user experience.
Original article: ProAndroidDev - Medium — Android'de Urdu Yazı Tipi Sorunlarını Çözme