Re: high-quality typesetting within lilypond

[Danalute]

Werner LEMBERG wrote:
> 
> 
>> Can we not depend on whatever kerning
>> tables are provided with the users-specified font?
> 
> What you say is basically valid for [simple writing systems]
> Other scripts like Devanagari or Khmer need much more powerful
> rendering engines.
> 

Understood, I wasnt aware that full unicode typesetting support was our
goal.

I have been developing on macintosh and defering to the apple OS text
manager for all that, which provides acceptible screen and printed output
with minimal fuss.  

Apples model has been for developers who need higher quality to roll their
own on a per-script basis; this allowed for individualized standards of
quality layout.  Macaronic content is a challenge tho, for everyone as it
has only been an issue recently, not enough time for full intermix standards
to be set.

Some writing systems are monospaced (eg, Japanese), even intermixed with
Romaji, others depend heavily on kerning for legibility.

I agree, a text engine that deals with an arbitrary stream of unicode is a
massive effort which needs solution at the OS level so as to serve all
applications that care to use it.  A gnu-level effort if you would.  If not
undergoing then maybe we can work with other application teams to develop an
interface; inspired by extant polyglot-capable OS like Apple, Windoz,
Solaris etc.  One advantage to us is we only need print layout.

I would expect us to accept a stream of 16-bit unicodes, maybe the OS would
accept that as is, but if not, perhaps parse it by unicode code space and
word breaks into writing-script-based fragments, then obtain word-break and
width info from the OS that would enable us to compose lines and paragraphs.  

If we can identify some common approach it should be possible to provide
OS-specific glue which would then be supported by a gnu-provided engine for
those platforms which lack an OS engine.

--
Danalute
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