Re: [9fans] [RFC] fonts and unicode/utf [TeX]

[tlaronde@polynum.com]

On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 11:43:28AM -0700, Bakul Shah wrote:
> > Modifying TeX to accept utf as input (I mean the compiler/interpreter by
> > itself; not macros), converting to rune and then using 16 bits à la math
> > mode to switch inside a font family to the "correct" 256 vector is
> > something that, for a first step, seems to me both reasonable and
> > simple.
> 
> What about XeTeX?  It is a merge of TeX with Unicode and
> modern font tech.  Works with OpenType Fonts.

I will give it a look. The decision will depend on:

	1) The licence: if it is GPL, I will not touch it even with a long
	spoon...
	2) If the core modifications are separated enough from the kpathsea
	and so on dance.
	3) The nature of the solution.

There is another program I have to give it a look: John Hobby has given
me the information about an evolution of his MetaPost. It is original
AT&T and LGPL, so for the licence it's OK. For the modifications, I will
have to look.

So just to say that I'm not discarding existing solutions by principle. 
If XeTeX does answer correctly---to my taste---to the problem, why not?

But since there is now almost only the lost needle in kerTeX, I will not
add back hay.

And just for the record once more: LaTeX can work with kerTeX; so even
the unicode.sty hack Russ Cox wrote about can work with kerTeX. User has
all the rope he can dream of...
-- 
        Thierry Laronde <tlaronde +AT+ polynum +dot+ com>
                      http://www.kergis.com/
Key fingerprint = 0FF7 E906 FBAF FE95 FD89  250D 52B1 AE95 6006 F40C