It seems quite a few linux distros have dejavu packages available, so it's probably not worth worrying about for the linux packages: http://dejavu-fonts.org/wiki/Download
It seems that Deja Vu is similar to or compatible with Verdana - which is more widely available in Windows and OS X ? If we end up embedding fonts (in say Windows and OSX), it might be worth only embedding what is really necessary to save some space. If you need only 4 typefaces (out of 21 total), then download size would be about 1MB instead of 5MB. Etienne On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 6:46 PM, Etienne Tourigny <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Larry, > > I agree with using a unique font - but it would be best to choose one > which would minimize the need to add size to qgis. > > For example, deja vu font has packages in ubuntu (to name one linux > distro), so adding it as an external dependency would not add size to > the qgis package. > Don't know about windows, osx and other linux distros though. Any case > we could provide an extra package, to be installed when needed. > > On another note - do you plan to allow user to choose his font of > choice, or hard-code a specific font - based on all your arguments > above? > > Etienne > > On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 5:33 PM, Larry Shaffer <[email protected]> wrote: >> Hi, >> >> Not sure if this has been discussed before, but how about including a >> default typeface to package with releases/source? Here are several >> reasons for doing so: >> >> * Standard QFontMetrics allow for developing a GUI overhaul around a >> known font across all platforms (at least in a pointsize@dpi default >> sense). >> * Known font metrics allow for standardizing relative font sizes in >> app-wide stylesheets, and per platform where needed. >> * Adding tests for the labeling engine would need a standard font of >> consistent metrics and available/functional on all platforms. >> * Currently the only Qt default font on all platforms (Courier, I >> believe) is not necessarily of similar metrics, since it is from >> various sources, nor is it IMHO very nice looking (apologies to any >> Courier fans). >> * Have a better/consistent monospaced font for the Python Console and >> anywhere editor instances (e.g. QScintilla2) or code snippets are >> displayed. >> * Have a known set of available Unicode glyphs for translators to rely upon. >> * Have a default font that provides a known set of Unicode glyphs for >> font markers in symbology. (Could be spread across multiple default >> symbol fonts.) >> * Provide workarounds for QtDesigner bug where platform-specific fonts >> end up embedded in .ui files [0]. >> >> There are probably other good reasons. I've looked at several typeface >> candidates and think the DejaVu project's family of fonts [1] would >> work well. While DejaVu (based off of Bitstream's Vera Sans) is >> already available for Ubuntu and other Linux distros, it is relatively >> unused, though fully compatible, on all supported QGIS platforms [2]. >> Downside: about 5 MBs extra (compressed) for package. >> >> As a TTF DejaVu can readily be loaded into QFontDatabase [3] on >> platforms that do not have a compatible DejaVu typeface already >> installed. This would probably entail only loading 4 heavily-used >> faces, like Sans Book/Bold and Mono Book/Bold, though I think the >> entire typeface should be included. >> >> Any other ideas for embedded fonts? Note: fonts to consider should be >> in TTF format, offer enough font faces, provide enough language and >> Unicode character support, and be available under the SIL Open Font >> [4] or similarly compatible license. >> >> >> [0] Search for 'font-family:' in .ui files >> [1] http://dejavu-fonts.org/wiki/Main_Page >> [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DejaVu_fonts >> [3] >> http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-4.7/qfontdatabase.html#id-5441ac2b-3b52-411e-b2be-7ee83eef8041 >> [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIL_Open_Font_License >> >> Regards, >> >> Larry >> _______________________________________________ >> Qgis-developer mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer _______________________________________________ Qgis-developer mailing list [email protected] http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/qgis-developer
