[Cuis-dev] Unicode Truetype coverage

[Juan Vuletich]

Hi Folks,

On 8/16/2022 9:21 AM, Hilaire Fernandes via Cuis-dev wrote:
>
> Hi Ken,
>
> I will need to address the font issue for DrGeo. In Pharo version I 
> was using two fonts: UnDotum ttf file (for Korean) and the font 
> wqy-microhei in ttc format (for other languages). The later seems to 
> be an aggregate format for several fonts. Supported by FreeType Pharo 
> plugin but not by Cuis. I just learn that when I tried to use it with 
> Cuis.
>

After just a quick check, it looks like TTC files are not too 
complicated. We'd work on TTC support. Additionally, we need to work on 
automatic font substitution.

> Then at load time, depending on the host locale I was using one font 
> or the other one to have a better language coverage. It is a bit waste 
> as most OS come with fonts files...
>
> May be I will have to generalize this approach with more fonts, better 
> with host fonts, but I a bit complicate.
>

The challenge here is to take advantage of host fonts without 
compromising portability. If there are well known platform specific 
folders to look for fonts, we could do it. Still, we need to be careful 
so stuff won't break when moving to another platform that doesn't 
include the fonts... Each time a regular pdf app gives me an error like 
"There are missing fonts, this content may look bad", I get mad.

> The Unifont your are referring seems to be pure bitmap, not nice 
> looking but still useful indeed. I have looked at it in the past.
>

I agree that better Unicode coverage is something we want. But I also 
agree with Hilaire here. This font can be useful to those who know what 
they want. But in the official Cuis distribution, I prefer to only 
include stuff that looks great. I don't want newcomers to say "well, 
after all this talk on high quality vector graphics, all I see is very 
pixelated stuff" and walk away in disappointment.

> Hilaire
>
> [1] https://github.com/anthonyfok/fonts-wqy-microhei
>
>
> Le 15/08/2022 à 16:04, ken.dickey--- via Cuis-dev a écrit :
>> I was looking at
>> https://github.com/Cuis-Smalltalk/EnhancedText/blob/master/Unicode/utf8sampler.txt 
>>
>> (attached) but did not find a font in 
>> Cuis-Smalltalk-Dev/TrueTypeFonts which displayed all the characters.
>>
>> All display fine in my web browser.
>>
>> There is an open source GNU Unifont which has excellent coverage.
>>
>> https://www.unifoundry.com/pub/unifont/unifont-14.0.04/font-builds/unifont-14.0.04.ttf 
>>
>>
>> This is also useful as a backup font when a character is lacking in a 
>> selected font.
>>
>> Details at
>> https://www.unifoundry.com/unifont/index.html
>>
>> I think this would be a useful addition to 
>> Cuis-Smalltalk-Dev/TrueTypeFonts/
>>
>> $0.02,
>> -KenD
> -- 
> GNU Dr. Geo
> http://drgeo.eu
> http://blog.drgeo.eu

Cheers,

-- 
Juan Vuletich
cuis.st
github.com/jvuletich
researchgate.net/profile/Juan-Vuletich
independent.academia.edu/JuanVuletich
patents.justia.com/inventor/juan-manuel-vuletich
linkedin.com/in/juan-vuletich-75611b3
twitter.com/JuanVuletich

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.cuis.st/mailman/archives/cuis-dev/attachments/20220816/9a6bf3a1/attachment-0001.htm>