Ed Trager

I maintain the Unifont web site which provides information about Unicode fonts, Unicode-enabled software, internationalization, and Unicode usability issues on free/libre/open source (FLOSS) operating systems.

I also maintain the LASi library written by a friend of mine, Larry Siden. LASi provides a C++ stream output interface with operator "<<" for creating Unicode PostScript documents. LASi is a great example where I got lucky because I suggested the kind of functionality and API I was looking for, but then did not have to write it myself!

I have actually written some software though. My biggest "baby" is Madeline which is a program used for preparing, visualizing, and exploring human pedigree data used in genetic linkage studies. I and my colleague Ritu Khanna are now working on version 2.0 which, among numerous other improvements, features very robust Unicode support. I have no proof, but I suspect it might be one of the few bioinformatics programs in the world with robust Unicode support.

A few other software projects:

• Gladiator Components is a nascent Javascript, AJAX, and SVG toolkit for building web applications.

• Font Playground is the first public application using Gladiator Components. It also uses LASi on the back end.

Non-software interests include:

• Pen and ink illustration, especially botanical illustration for field guides such as

  • Michigan Trees by Burton V. Barnes.

• Calligraphy. I did a fair amount western medieval-style calligraphy when I was younger.
• Origami. I have an unpublished manuscript of original designs which I really need to turn into a book some day.
• Hockey in winter.
• Languages and writing systems.
• Biodiesel.