Re: New FAQ page

From: James Kass (thunder-bird@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri Oct 12 2007 - 12:04:35 CDT

  • Next message: Kenneth Whistler: "Re: New FAQ page"

    Mark Davis wrote,

    >Your chart example means absolutely zilch.

    Chart example? What chart example? I suppose you mean the
    character map application example in which "zilch" is that
    which is gained.

    > In the Unicode charts, space is
    >given by a box with SP in it; tab is given by a box with HT in it;
    >zero-width joiner is given by a box with ZWJ in it. That simply doesn't mean
    >that a page should be littered with boxes (or moral equivalents thereto)
    >instead of invisible gaps for space or tab, or that ZWJ's in a position
    >where the adjacent characters cannot be joined should show up as boxes.

    Right. It doesn't mean that. It also doesn't mean that a
    user should be barred from selecting a font which does exactly
    that, though, if that's what the user wants.

    As mentioned before, it is *Microsoft* which recommends fonts
    include a display glyph for isolated ZWJ's, not me.

    And, this recommendation comes from Microsoft's *typography*
    specifications, which is where it belongs!

    >It is perfectly appropriate to have these kinds of visual appearances in a
    >chart, or in a Show Hidden mode. But they are just wrong for normal usage;
    >it's not the expected appearance to see SP, HT, and ZWJ boxes on a page
    >instead of their being invisible.

    Again, if the user selects a font which uses such boxes, then the
    user is NOT expecting invisibility. And, again, populating charts
    *is* one of many normal uses of a font.

    >The VS is a *request* for a specific glyph variant, out of the many that
    >might be appropriate for a character. If that specific glyph variant is not
    >available, it is perfectly correct and desired to see another appropriate
    >variant instead. In that respect, it is like a joiner between characters
    >that can't join. You don't want to see a box.

    I know what I want to see.

    Now, if I understand your paragraph above correctly, if a user
    enters (base) + (VS2) and the system displays (base) + (VS3),
    that's perfectly correct? *That* doesn't sound right, either.

    Best regards,

    James Kass



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