fribidi
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Description:
Implementation of the Unicode BiDi algorithm
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Developer tools
Tags: unicode text-processing bidirectional library cli rtl
Install: brew install fribidi
About:
Fribidi is a command-line utility and C library that implements the Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm (UBA) as specified in the Unicode Standard. It enables proper display of right-to-left (RTL) languages like Arabic and Hebrew within left-to-right contexts. Its main value is providing a fast, reliable, and lightweight solution for text shaping and bidirectional text handling.
Key Features:
  • Fast and lightweight C library implementation
  • Compliant with the Unicode Bidirectional Algorithm
  • Command-line interface for text processing
  • Minimal dependencies
  • Widely used in major text rendering libraries
Use Cases:
  • Processing and rendering bidirectional text in terminal applications
  • Integrating RTL text support into custom software
  • Debugging and analyzing text directionality issues
  • Building text layout engines
Alternatives:
  • HarfBuzz – HarfBuzz is a more comprehensive text shaping engine that includes bidirectional processing, whereas Fribidi focuses solely on the Bidi algorithm.
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 10, 2025 9:34am 0 VERSION_BUMP 2d3203c5
Sep 26, 2024 3:49pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 8633dd03
Sep 26, 2024 9:39am 0 VERSION_BUMP 0b20166f