[Gnome-print] Re: GNOME font library RFC

[Lauris Kaplinski <lauris ariman ee>]

Freetype is nice, but gnome-font-system should go a step beyound that and
hide all TTF/TypeX specific stuff from user. Most of that is 
overcomplicated for users too...
All, that user would need in GNOME programs, are IMHO
- ArtBpath outline
- Various rendered bitmap formats
- Glyph set
- Ligature lists
- Kerning lists
- Various metrics
- Raw font data
Freetype uses TTF specific data formats, which were created long ago, when
computers were slow (TTF fonts were usable on 286 too), but are of little
interest to average programmer. For GNOME I find doubles, ArtPoints,
ArtBpaths and GdkPoints to be more convenient, than 16.16, 2.14 and 26.6
floats. The former can be used directly in real situations, the latter
should be converted by hand by every program.
Also, at least at moment, gnome-font library should deal with both type1
and TTF fonts, giving common, higher-level API for handling these.

Regards,
Lauris

On Sun, 28 May 2000, Nathan Hurst wrote:

> On Sun, 28 May 2000, Lauris Kaplinski wrote:
> 
> > - A way to get bezier outlines and exact metrics of glyphs
> Freetype
> 
> > - A way to get integer-aligned shapes and integer metrics of glyphs
> Freetype
> 
> > - Bunch of methods to render to actual destinations
> Freetype
> 
> > Now - how you think, would be best to implement abstract font description,
> > shared between 2 slightly different subsystems? Should pango know about
> > different font formats? If so, then it should implement outline fetching
> > and rendering itself - and gnome-font should be only server
> > implementation.
> 
> Freetype :-)
> 
> hope that helps <grin>
> 
> njh