hint, interpreter, lsb , advance width

[st946tbf_at_drexel . edu]

Hi All,

Could someone please tell me about the following:

1) Is hinting and interpretation the same thing?
that is if I #define TT_CONFIG_OPTION_NO_INTERPRETER
Then does it still do somesort of hinting at all?
If so, what does it do?

2) Where do I get advance width and lsb?  the hmtx table
seems to give me the data.

However, numberOfHMetrics (font file description) is not the numGlyphs.
Ok, so the rest of glyph use the same advance width as the last hMetrics
item.  Is that correct the index of each glyph also is used for this array?
(that is glyph of index 0 has aw and lsb of hMetrics[0] and so on)

Then what leftSideBearing FWord[] for?  For those without index in the 
hMetrics?  Then why it says the last entry applies to all subsequent glyphs.

If I am just plain wrong, please point me to the right place.

3)  When do the decomposing of curve, making profile, sorting, ... spanning... 
does FT still use 26.6 format?  (that is 64 point for each pixel), then when 
put to the bitmap or pixmap, it scale down? (I guest so because if it scale 
right away, the all the precision is lost, and what is the point of 
64point/pixel)


Thanks all for any help.