I would argue the reverse -- make the initial font conversion a
virtually invisible process initially, something that doesn't require
any additional user interaction, as painless as just dragging a font
into the Font Manager window or clicking the + button on the bottom
of the window and selecting the font.
As I mentioned, it's not just what's in the plist but what's in the
package.
An automatic process cannot collect a font family correctly, so
it's something
that needs a human being able to make decisions.
After all, isn't that what a computer is FOR? It does the grunt
work, you make
the decisions. :)
Yep -- totally agree. But for quick and dirty, single font installs
(the kind that the great percentage of people who are not designers/
typographers would be doing), wrapping up that single font into an
nfont without asking any questions is probably the right route to go.
I see three easy solutions for how to generate a multi-font family
using Font Manager:
1) If the user drags in multiple fonts, ask the user if they would
like to package them as a single font entry, and have them provide a
name for the family
2) If fonts are already in Font Manager and the user wants to make
them a single font family, they can:
a) drag one font onto another font to automatically create a family
b) select multiple fonts and select a menu item named something
like Edit > Create Family from Selected Fonts
In all three cases, Font Manager should be smart enough to see where
the names overlap and use that as the family name (ie: if I have
"Helvetica Extra Black", "Helvetica Ultra Light" and "Helvetica
Thin", name the family "Helvetica"). If there is no name overlap, ask
for a name. That name should be easily edited from within Font
Manager, from both right in the main font list panel and in a
separate "font editing" UI (allowing me to do something like change
the name to "Helvetica Neue" from "Helvetica", should I choose).
Just to be clear, I agree that having good typography, and good tools
for designers is important. I am a designer, and believe me, I
wouldn't be involved in the project if I didn't think it was. I just
want to make sure that we're not turning the process of installing a
font into an interactive question and answer session when it doesn't
seem like it has to be. The truth is, the great majority of people
who would use GNUstep/Etoile would likely never be concerned with how
their fonts are grouped together... and I don't want to slow up their
lives by forcing them through a package editing process every time
they add a new font.
J.
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