On 8/17/07, Jesse Ross <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> The real reason for that choice could only be given by Alexander > >> Malmberg, who implemented the art backend. > >> I may be able to offer you a few hints, but none of it may be the > >> true > >> reason. > >> Using the nfont concept offers some benefits over fontconfig. It > >> allows > >> us to assign a Postscript name to a font, which is then used for > >> printing. All the other GNUstep backends need to guess a name > >> here. The > >> nfont file FontInfo.plist allows you also to change the name of > >> the font > >> of the type face to something more readable and to specify > >> information > >> missing or wrong in the actual font data. In addition this concept > >> allows you to limit the available fonts for GNustep. > >> > >> Overall I think this is not worth it, this is why I use fontconfig > >> for > >> the xlib and the cairo backend, still I can understand when people > >> take > >> a different point of view. If there is a demand for it, I could add > >> fontconfig for art as well as a compile time option. > >> > > > > I agree. While these arguments against using fontconfig are valid, the > > mere annoyance of having to create a bundle for each font you want, > > and not being able to keep all your fonts in one place, out weighs > > them in my mind. > > > > In short, I think it would be a good idea if the art back end could > > use fontconfig. > > This begs the question -- why make more adjustments to the art > backend when Cairo has been blessed as the backend of choice for > future development? > > From Greg's blog ( http://heronsperch.blogspot.com/2006/12/plans-for- > change.html ): > > > 5) Focus and concentrate on one and only one set of display > > technologies per platform. We expend way too much time and energy > > on maintaining mulitple backends (xlib, art and etc) when we really > > don't have to. For Linux/BSD we have two functional backends and > > another on the away for cairo. What's the point of this? In my > > opinion we should complete the cairo backend and deprecate BOTH the > > xlib and art backends. xlib is hopelessly outdated and libart isn't > > really supported by anyone anymore. > > My suggestion would be that you develop FontManager (which is why I > assume you're asking, Isaiah)
Yep. > on top fontconfig exclusively, and see > if there is a way to help get the Cairo backend to the point where > art/xlib really can be deprecated, per Greg's plans. I'm ashamed to say that I haven't taken a good look at cairo yet. I also don't have it running on my system yet. I've been able to compile and install cairo, but it crashes when I try using it, and I haven't been all that proactive in figuring out why. I'll see if I can't get that working over the weekend ... I guess it's just me being lazy ... (= Thanks, Isaiah Beerbower -- View my website at www.ipaqah.com. "Facts are stubborn things, but statistics are more pliable." -- Mark Twain _______________________________________________ Discuss-gnustep mailing list [email protected] http://lists.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss-gnustep
