Pango development trouble (Kerning - PLEASE HELP!)

["Trever L. Adams" <tadams-lists myrealbox com>]

I am having trouble figuring this out.  I am trying to add the much
needed manual kerning functionality to the Pango library.  The problem
is that pango_fc_font_kern_glyphs in pangofc-font.c doesn't get the
Markup attributes from the shaper (basic-fc.c in this case).  I am
having trouble following this back far enough to figure out how to get
the data down.

My best guess so far is that layout calls the shaper.  So, how can I get
layout to modify a new version of GlyphItem setting the manual kerning
value inside of it, so that I can access it from pangofc-font.c?

I have removed the absolute kerning from the patch.  It is not relative
using em, much like the rise functionality works.  This also simplifies
my patch tremendously.

There was one individual (copied privately) who asked me to make sure I
used em this way.  I ask him to now make a suggestion on the following:

I am assuming the markup for pango WANTS to follow the XML rules,
meaning no overlapping tags like <b1>a<b2></b1>b</b2>.  So, for kerning,
if you do <span kern="100">abc</span> it will modify the kerning between
all of those... to be simple here.

The question is, since you usually only want to kern specific pairs this
way, should the <span kern="100>?</span> go around the a in ai or the i
in ai?

So, two questions, how can I get this kerning data (just an integer) to
be added to every GlyphItem in the Layout functions so that it is
available in the kerning function way down in?  And 2) How do people
want this tag to work?

People, we really need this functionality if we want Pango to be worth
much.  Yes, it is great as is, but this is needed.

Please, Please, respond and help me figure out how to do this the best
possible way.

Trever
--
"All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them"
-- Walt Disney