Convert old InPage Urdu documents into modern Unicode text — works fully offline, no internet required, and no data ever leaves your computer.
For developers and advanced users, the application is built in Python and PyQt5 to provide bidirectional conversion between InPage's legacy glyph encoding (CP-1252/custom) and standard Unicode. This paste-based text utility bypasses the need to parse binary .inp files, designed to easily migrate text databases between legacy print layouts and modern web formats.
- Urdu Publishers & Typesetters: Digitizing old InPage books and newspapers into modern digital formats.
- Students & Researchers: Converting legacy InPage thesis files and documents to edit them in modern tools.
- IT Administrators: Migrating legacy office archives to modern content management systems.
- Everyday Users: Anyone who has legacy
.inp-era copied or pasted text that renders as gibberish (e.g., CP-1252 character maps) in Microsoft Word or web browsers.
- 🚀 Download Installer (for everyday users, no Python needed): Download the latest setup executable to install the application instantly on Windows.
- 💻 Build from source (for developers): Follow the instructions below to run the code locally or package it manually.
- Bidirectional Conversion: Select between
InPage → UnicodeandUnicode → InPagemodes. - Offline-First: Runs entirely on the local machine with no external network calls, telemetry, or API requirements.
- Nastaliq Rendering: Bundles Google's Noto Nastaliq Urdu font and automatically configures Right-to-Left (RTL) reading layout for Unicode text, ensuring consistent rendering on any Windows machine.
- Raw Clipboard Bypass: Uses a Windows
ctypesclipboard integration to access raw clipboard bytes directly, bypassing lossy Windows ANSI/Unicode translations that strip character markers (like non-breaking spaces\xa0representing Noon). - Optional File Output: Direct toggle to export converted outputs into a clean, UTF-8 encoded
.txtfile via native Windows file dialogs. - Character Statistics & Validation: Live input character count, warning dialogs for empty entries, and basic heuristic checking to prevent incorrect conversion directions.
- Python 3.8+
- Windows OS (for ctypes raw clipboard operations and packaging)
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/salmanasmat/InPageToUnicode.git cd InPageToUnicode - Create and activate a virtual environment:
python -m venv .venv .\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 - Install dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txt
- Run the application:
python src/main.py
The codebase includes comprehensive unit tests verifying mapping coverage, digits reversal, Hamza correction, quotation rules, and clipboard handling. To execute the test suite:
python -m unittest discover -s testsThe application can be compiled into a single executable using PyInstaller. A spec file is already provided:
pyinstaller InPageConverter.specThe packaged executable will be generated inside the dist/ directory with all assets (icon, Nastaliq font, mapping module) bundled natively.
An Inno Setup compiler script (inno_setup.iss) is included to package the executable into a setup installer:
- Ensure you have Inno Setup 6 installed.
- Compile the installer:
ISCC.exe inno_setup.iss
- Text-only Conversion: This application processes plain text only. InPage text styling (e.g. bold, italics, custom font sizes, text boxes, tables, pages, and images) is not preserved.
- Encoding Dependability: Accuracy depends on standard InPage glyph mapping conventions. Highly corrupted or non-standard font maps in legacy files may require manual correction.
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPL v3). See the LICENSE file for the full text. Copyright (C) 2026 Salman Asmat