"Peter B. West" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> schrieb am 28.05.2004 17:16:08:
> Thanks Arnd. My argument is that the renderer must tell the layout > engine about font metrics. I have always regarded PDF and PS (with > obligatory fonts) as stable targets in this respect. They are. PostScript files and PDF should not be created with specifics of an output device in mind. The only thing that may happen is that you directly add job-control features to PostScript file - for example paper try switching. Please be aware that the difficulties I mention are in the chain Acrobat->printer and PSFile->printer, NOT in the chain formatter->renderer. > It's reassuring to find that there are so many ways in which variations > will creep in to the output of even such a heavily standardised > format as PDF. To get the output point-perfect then, the renderer > needs to know the peculiarities of the output device. My take on this is - as I hopefully have been able to communicate - that the renderer should tell the formatter what it *can* do. This includes but is not restricted to fonts or font metrics. The *holder* (I deliberately do not say owner here) of this kind of information should be the formatter (or a separate centralized entity that the formatter can access). The formatter can also hold information of its own - like for example a repository of TTF or Type 1 fonts that all renderers wo are able to handle this type of font can subsequently make use of. Like in a federalistic political system, this structure makes sure that everyone can give his input into the decision process. You just have to make sure that there is just *one* entity responsible for the final decision - otherwise, you're in Germany.. 8-) More on this later - I still owe Victor an answer. Arnd -- Arnd Beißner Cappelino Informationstechnologie GmbH