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Re: MacOS X GUI build


From: Ben Abbott
Subject: Re: MacOS X GUI build
Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:37:40 -0500

On Jan 31, 2012, at 7:47 AM, Jacob Dawid wrote:

> Ok, but what will it be on Windows, (or Android, some day, etc. etc.) I
> think using a free font is also more in keeping with the GNU ethos?
> Users could then select from other detected fonts on their system if
> they prefer.
> 
> This way, the default look and feel will be maintained across platforms
> and you won't have to worry about how things will behave so much. For
> instance in QtOctave I was binding the CTRL++ CTRL+- keys to increase
> and decrease the font sizes in all windows with an aim one day to
> provide an 'Accessibility Mode' for the visually impaired, it will be
> more difficult to know what the correct settings are on all platforms
> without a known font for this.
> 
> Richard
> 
> --
> The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
> Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
> 
> 
> Well, the idea is to make our application the chameleon and adopt to each OS. 
> I think this is a key feature: If the users think that the application does 
> not "feel" right, they won't use it. However, this is a situation of 
> conflicting interests, but to be honest I expect the loss through not 
> adopting the look and feel of the target system is greater than the win in 
> being ethically correct in every detail. Strictly speaking it even isn't 
> "ethically correct" to aim at non-free platforms.
> 
> The GNU ethos is an idea. Walking the road is the goal. Making it popular to 
> walk the right road is a good compromise, I think. You have to carefully 
> listen to what people complain about - and having an application that does 
> not follow the native look-and-feel is a no-go. I already browsed the GUI 
> Octave (not Octave GUI) forums for feature requests ;)

Ensuring the default font is always present will avoid a long stream of bug 
reports. Looks to me like this is under control.

The graphics backends allow the user to specify the font(s) as they choose.  I 
don't think there is any urgency, but allowing the fonts to be specified for 
the gui would be a nice way to mitigate the gauntlet of subjective user 
preference.

Ben




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