Re: [Freetype] Legacy software and bitmap-only snfts [was: FreeTypebug report]

[David Turner]

Hi Brian,

On Wed, 2002-09-11 at 07:51, Brian Stell wrote:
> 
> 
> JC wrote:
> > ... deprecate core fonts without carrying too much baggage for 
> > backwards compatibility.
> 
> Speaking of carrying baggage like this forward, perhaps we could 
> call them *.btf for "Bitmap Truetype Fonts". That would make it 
> easy for users to recognize them as repackaged bitmaps that lack
> outlines.
>
Seems like a good idea. By the way, I think these files should be
considered as "attachments" used to hold bitmap strikes for a given
font. Just like the ".afm/.pfm" hold metrics.

I.e., you would use a "real" outline font file to open a FT_Face,
then call FT_Attach_File to read the bitmaps in it.

This way, the outline format is still the dominant "paradigm" for
applications, and we'll avoid the silly case you described previously
(where applications try to get rid of bitmaps instead of using them).

What do you all think about that ??

Regards,

- David Turner
- The FreeType Project  (www.freetype.org)