Quote:
Originally Posted by ericshliao
Definitely I am a layman for Chinese publication, but I can prove that you are wrong. Those rules applying to English publication do not absolutely apply to Traditional Chinese publication. Several books on my shelf contain lines with comma starting a line, including a dictionary edited by several language experts.
In fact, if the layout of each glyph is monospaced, it's inevitable that some comma will start a line. To avoid such problem, the font used must be proportional, not monospaced.
For English or other western language, there is space between words, so it's quite easy to avoid comma starts a line, both with monospaced or proportional fonts. But for Chinese publication, if decided to use monospaced layout, the rule to avoid comma starting a line is impossible.
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I have badly formatted books too, especially independently-published stuff that was done with Microsoft Word (I've worked doing writing in one private publishing office in Taipei).
There are plenty of terrible publications, sure, but that does not refute the point that there are typographic rules. You can even modify the rules in decent word processors.
For formal monospacing with strict justify, the appropriate measure is to set up hanging punctuation rules as I mentioned in my first post on the topic. Otherwise, spacing can be modified, expanded or contracted, and the punctuation can be condensed as well. For most things I read on the internet, basic linebreaking rules apply with left-justify (ragged right) and the line will be broken automatically 1 character prior to an offending (i.e. slated to start following line) punctuation mark.