Re: Apostrophes at www.unicode.org

From: Mark Davis (mark.davis@icu-project.org)
Date: Sun Aug 26 2007 - 00:37:12 CDT

  • Next message: James Kass: "Re: Apostrophes at www.unicode.org"

    I□find□this□reasoning□bizarre.↓

    Simply□because□someone□might□want□a□visible□symbol□of□a□character↓
    in□unusual□circumstances□like□a□code□chart□or□Show□Hidden□Mode,↓
    the□font□designer□is□supposed□to□have□an□abnormal□glyph?↓
    It□is□the□*unusual*□case□that□calls□for□*unusual*□glyphs,↓
    including,□those□for□space,□tab,□and□others.□And□since□fonts□cannot↓
    be□depended□on□to□always□have□"Show□Hidden"□glyphs,□*those*↓
    are□the□ones□that□need□to□be□handled□specially□in□rendering.↓

    Mark↓

    On 8/24/07, James Kass <thunder-bird@earthlink.net> wrote:
    >
    >
    > Any font may be called upon to populate a chart.
    >
    > The attached graphic shows a word in Mongolian from a page by Andrew
    > West in the application BabelPad with both default rendering and the
    > rendering option which displays text as single characters. Where's
    > the problem?
    >
    > The control pictures are coming from the font-in-use, which is the
    > absolute *best* place for any renderer to get the outline data from.
    >
    > If the font-in-use does not support VS characters, then I expect the
    > renderer to use the missing glyph from that font. That makes the
    > fact that the selected font is inappropriate visible to the author/user.
    >
    > Best regards,
    >
    > James Kass
    >
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > >From: Mark Davis <mark.davis@icu-project.org>
    > >Sent: Aug 24, 2007 9:46 AM
    > >To: James Kass <thunder-bird@earthlink.net>
    > >Cc: Unicode Mailing List <unicode@unicode.org>
    > >Subject: Re: Apostrophes at www.unicode.org
    > >
    > >If that is a common perception, then we certainly need to correct that
    > >misapprehension.
    > >
    > >For general-purpose fonts, the default ignorable code points should be
    > >invisible, just like whitespace characters should be invisible.
    > Specialized
    > >fonts, such as those used for a "Show Hidden" mode or for code charts,
    > may
    > >well want to have visible glyphs for default ignorables, whitespace
    > >characters, controls, confusable characters, and so on, so that people
    > can
    > >see the internals of their text. But those are very specialized cases.
    > >
    > >Mark
    > >
    > >On 8/24/07, James Kass <thunder-bird@earthlink.net> wrote:
    > >>
    > >>
    > >> Mark Davis wrote,
    > >>
    > >> >A similar annoyance is the fact that so many fonts don't map the
    > >> >default-ignorable code points (like variation selectors) to a
    > zero-width
    > >> >invisible glyph by default.
    > >>
    > >> It's up to individual font developers to weigh the pros and cons
    > >> of including control picture glyphs for such characters, as it
    > >> should be.
    > >>
    > >> Mapping characters like VS to zero-width no outline glyphs would
    > >> mean, for one thing, that applications which give the user the
    > >> option of displaying control characters (and related items) would
    > >> not be able to get appropriate outlines for such characters from
    > >> the font. Opinions on this differ, as discussed on this list in years
    > >> past.
    > >>
    > >> If an OpenType font supports a sequence which involves a VS, the
    > >> user won't see the control picture. If the font doesn't support
    > >> the particular sequence, it can be helpful if that is reflected in
    > >> the display.
    > >>
    > >> Best regards,
    > >>
    > >> James Kass
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>
    > >
    > >
    > >--
    > >Mark
    >
    >

    -- 
    Mark
    


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