new beta

[Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>]

Hi,

I uploaded a new beta. As a prelude to some updates / improvements in 
the font handling an experimental new otf fontloader/handler is present. 
This one is not used by default but will likely replace the current one 
(only when it has been tested enough). At that time also some other 
pending changes will happen (no functional differences, only improvements).

There are a few advantages to the new approach:

- Indentifying fonts goes a bit faster (some 20 times) but that is 
already in the core.
- The mem footprint of initial loading a font is smaller.
- Initial loading can a bit slower depending on the kind of font (no big 
deal as we cache files) and if really needed can be sped up a bit.
- The cached instance is smaller.
- Loading the cached font is faster (not that it was slow but still).
- Some bits and pieces have been optimized (there is room for more but
I might decide not to do that).
- Extra substitution features like tlig and trep are now runtime and not 
cached.
- Processing in node mode can be somewhat faster for complex fonts.
- The generic font code will stay as it is for at least a while after 
the new code has become stable and the current method will stay around too.

Of course there will be bugs although the test suite runs without 
crashing. I will use the new code on my machine but you can test it with:

\usemodule[newotf]

before \starttext (or in cont-loc.mkiv).

Hans

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                                           Hans Hagen | PRAGMA ADE
               Ridderstraat 27 | 8061 GH Hasselt | The Netherlands
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                                              | www.pragma-pod.nl
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