mdc2html : a Manuel de Codage to HTML converter

Examples

A web page with embedded MdeC - a Commemorative Scarab of Amenhotep III
An email containing Manuel de Codage text

A web page with embedded MdeC

This is an extract from a description of a Commemorative Scarab of Amenhotep III. It includes the text and a translation. It is taken from a pamphlet written for the "Life and Death under the Pharaohs" exhibition from the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, which toured Australia in 1999. The full text can be found in the files scarab_full.txt and scarab_full.html.

It is written in HTML and the +H/-H convention is used to embed the hieroglyphic text in MdeC format. This has been expanded using mdc2html:

perl mdc2html.pl scarab.txt > scarab.html

The input looks like this -

<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>
<H1> Commemorative Scarab of Amenhotep III </H1>

<H4> NewKingdom, Dynasty 18 (c. 1390 BC) </H4>

More than 200 commemorative scarabs are known from the reign of
Amenhotep III (c. 1391-1353 BC).
They are divided into five groups according to the events that they
commemorate.
<p>
This object is an example of a marriage scarab, so called because
they bear an inscription announcing Amenhotep III's marriage to Queen Tiy.

 .....

+H
-M23-N41:t-G36:r-t-<-U33-Z4-i-i->-S34-U33-r:n:n-t:f:O34
-i-i-w-i-A-A42-r:n:n-(G14*t):O34-T-w
-i-A-B1-N41:t-B1-p-w-t:n-M23-t:n-n:M3:x
-t:D40-(t*U30):N37-(Z9*N21):f-M24-(Z4:N21)-r:D28-Z1-r:Z1
-i-i-T14-N25-V22:(t*Z4)-N21:Z4-(n:O4)-A
-r:Z4-n:A-T14-N25
-H

The great Royal-wife Tiy, may she live.<br>
The name of her father is Yuia, the name of her mother is Tjuia.<br>
She is the wife of the mighty king whose southern boundary is as far as Karoy,
whose northern is as far as Naharin.<br>
   
</body>

The result looks like this:

Commemorative Scarab of Amenhotep III

NewKingdom, Dynasty 18 (c. 1390 BC)
More than 200 commemorative scarabs are known from the reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1391-1353 BC). They are divided into five groups according to the events that they commemorate.
This object is an example of a marriage scarab, so called because they bear an inscription announcing Amenhotep III's marriage to Queen Tiy.
.....

The great Royal-wife Tiy, may she live.
The name of her father is Yuia, the name of her mother is Tjuia.
She is the wife of the mighty king whose southern boundary is as far as Karoy, whose northern is as far as Naharin.

An Email

Here is an email from the Ancient Egyptian Mailing List that contains embedded MdeC. It is from a prolific contributor, Stephen Fryer:

Here is a (reasonably) straightforward passage for you to read.  It is in
Manuel de Codage format, and should be able to display OK with WinGlyph or
MacScribe.

Admiral Ahmose relates his deeds

cut here
------------------------------------------------------
Hr:r:pt  D33:n-i-t-i-A1-Z3  N12:ms*s D&d-f D&d-A1-n-t:n:Z2 r:T-A1-Z3
nb:t  D37-A1 r:x:Y1-t:n:Z2 Hz-Hz-Hz xpr-r:t n:A1  E9-w-a:D40-k-w-i !
M nbw:N33A z:p*zp 4-3 x*t:f Hr:1 n N16 r Dr:r-f Hm-A1-Z3 Hm*t*B1:Z2 !
r mi-t:t i-r:Z2  D63-Y1v-k-w-i M A-H-t*N21:Z2 aSA:Z2 wr:r-t !
i-w r:n-A1 n q:n:D40 M ir:t n:f  D35:n H-t:tm-m wr M !
N16 p:n D&t&tA ini-n:A1 wr:r-i-t-i-T17 z:z-m-E6-s n:t*y Hr:r-s M !
s-q:Aa7-A13-anx !!
-------------------------------------------------------
cut here


Stephen Fryer
Lund Computer Services

We can use mdc2html thus:

perl mdc2html.pl FORMATTED=Y PRINT_MdeC=Y fryer.txt > fryer.html

to generate the HTML below.

We have used two options here:
FORMATTED=Y means add a <BR> after every input line to preserved the line formatting of the text file in the HTML.
PRINT_MdeC=Y means output the original MdeC as well as the hieroglyphs.

Result:

Here is a (reasonably) straightforward passage for you to read. It is in
Manuel de Codage format, and should be able to display OK with WinGlyph or
MacScribe.

Admiral Ahmose relates his deeds

cut here
------------------------------------------------------
Hr:r:pt D33:n-i-t-i-A1-Z3 N12:ms*s D&d-f D&d-A1-n-t:n:Z2 r:T-A1-Z3

nb:t D37-A1 r:x:Y1-t:n:Z2 Hz-Hz-Hz xpr-r:t n:A1 E9-w-a:D40-k-w-i !

M nbw:N33A z:p*zp 4-3 x*t:f Hr:1 n N16 r Dr:r-f Hm-A1-Z3 Hm*t*B1:Z2 !

r mi-t:t i-r:Z2 D63-Y1v-k-w-i M A-H-t*N21:Z2 aSA:Z2 wr:r-t !

i-w r:n-A1 n q:n:D40 M ir:t n:f D35:n H-t:tm-m wr M !

N16 p:n D&t&tA ini-n:A1 wr:r-i-t-i-T17 z:z-m-E6-s n:t*y Hr:r-s M !

s-q:Aa7-A13-anx !!

-------------------------------------------------------
cut here

Stephen Fryer
Lund Computer Services