Re: Using combining diacritical marks and non-zero joiners in a name

From: Otto Stolz (Otto.Stolz@uni-konstanz.de)
Date: Thu Apr 10 2008 - 09:44:39 CDT

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    Hello Andreas Prilop,

    you have written:
    >>> http://www.unics.uni-hannover.de/nhtcapri/combining-marks.html
    > View the above page with
    > - Firefox 2
    > - Internet Explorer 6
    > - Internet Explorer 7
    > using the same typeface(s) and note the differences.

    OK. I’ll try it again, with the browsers
    - Firefox 2.0.0.13
    - IE 6.0.2900.2180.xpsp_sp2_gdr.070227-2254
    - IE 7.0.5730.11
    and the fonts:
    - proportional: TITUS Cyberbit Basic 3.0
    - fixed-pitch: Lucida Console 1.60

    In IE, I have chosen these fonts for both Latin, Greek and
    Cyrillic scripts. I have also adjusted the font size, so
    the three programs render your page at approximately the
    same size.

    With this setup, I can spot no difference between the
    three browsers’ rendering of your examples.

    I guess that the differences you have seen, stem from
    the following quirks in the browsers:

    - IE has script-specific font settings; to be sure that
       you use the same font, everywhere, you have to assign
       it specifically for all scripts contained in your example
       text.

    - If a particular character is missing in the font you have
       specified, Firefox will get it from another font, which
       IE doesn’t. Hence you have to use a font comprising all
       characters contained in your example text.

    Or perhaps from the following pitfall in fonts:

    - The glyphs rendered may well depend on the font-size used.

    After this test, I maintain: The differences are a matter
    of fonts rather than programs (except for some clever stop-
    gaps, as discussed for Firefox, or, of course, for possible
    bugs).

    >>> http://www.unics.uni-hannover.de/nhtcapri/temp/messy.html
    > Internet Explorer 6 shows letters with grave accent.
    > Can't you see them?

    With the setup discussed above, I see ties everywhere.

    This shows that you have to be very careful in setting up
    a software test, and that you have to describe the outcome
    rather specifically (just “experience the surprise” is not
    enough).

    Best wishes,
       Otto Stolz

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