.fd files

.fd files

[Bruce D'Arcus]

Question:

Why can't ConTeXt read LaTeX font definition files?

Shouldn't it?

Bruce

Re: .fd files

[Hans Hagen]

At 03:38 PM 1/9/2003 -0500, you wrote:

>Why can't ConTeXt read LaTeX font definition files?

my only latex experience is with the first versions, so i'm not familiar 
with the font mechanisms

>Shouldn't it?

dunno, never had a reason, don't have the time now

Hans

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Re: .fd files

[Bruce D'Arcus]

On Friday, January 10, 2003, at 03:30  AM, Hans Hagen wrote:

> At 03:38 PM 1/9/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>
>> Why can't ConTeXt read LaTeX font definition files?
>
> my only latex experience is with the first versions, so i'm not 
> familiar with the font mechanisms
>
>> Shouldn't it?
>
> dunno, never had a reason, don't have the time now

Fair enough.  The question is based on the observation that a) the 
mechanisms in LaTeX and ConTeXt are AFAIK not all that different, and 
b) most of the font installation tools and packages, both now and into 
the future, are written for LaTeX.  It opens up more possibilities if 
ConTeXt can read .fd files.

Perhaps something to come back to later on, along with adding support 
for other font weights and such...

Bruce

Re: .fd files

[Bruce D'Arcus]

On Friday, January 10, 2003, at 08:11 PM, Taco Hoekwater wrote:
> That said, it is not a lot of work to create a module that reads fd 
> files
> (based on the LaTeX .fd reader, which is quite isolated from the rest 
> of
> LaTeX). I just don't agree that it is a good idea to do so.

OK; I guess I'll take your word for it.  The other option is to lobby 
people developing these tools to include support for ConTeXt 
typescripts, or just continue to create them manually.  Texfont can't 
do some of what I need done (for example, to install truetype rich 
fonts with additional glyphs like small caps).

Bruce

Re: .fd files

[Ed L Cashin]

"Bruce D'Arcus" <bdarcus@fastmail.fm> writes:

> On Friday, January 10, 2003, at 08:11 PM, Taco Hoekwater wrote:
> > That said, it is not a lot of work to create a module that reads fd
> > files
> > (based on the LaTeX .fd reader, which is quite isolated from the
> > rest of
> > LaTeX). I just don't agree that it is a good idea to do so.
> 
> OK; I guess I'll take your word for it.  The other option is to lobby
> people developing these tools to include support for ConTeXt
> typescripts, or just continue to create them manually.  Texfont can't
> do some of what I need done (for example, to install truetype rich
> fonts with additional glyphs like small caps).

Wouldn't it be easier to create a perl script that translates from
latex .fd files to something that context can use?

-- 
--Ed L Cashin            |   PGP public key:
  ecashin@uga.edu        |   http://noserose.net/e/pgp/

Re: .fd files

[Taco Hoekwater]

I firmly disagree. Fd files are hard to read and even harder to create,
the filenames therein are close to unreadable, texfont.pl is easier to
use than fontinst, I consider packager-based silent font substitutions
a major design mistake, Context currently cannot find LaTeX files anyway
(in most distribs) and the two systems are not orthogonal to the same 
degree. 

That said, it is not a lot of work to create a module that reads fd files
(based on the LaTeX .fd reader, which is quite isolated from the rest of 
LaTeX). I just don't agree that it is a good idea to do so.


On Fri, 10 Jan 2003 10:29:57 -0500
"Bruce D'Arcus" <bdarcus@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> Fair enough.  The question is based on the observation that a) the 
> mechanisms in LaTeX and ConTeXt are AFAIK not all that different, and 
> b) most of the font installation tools and packages, both now and into 
> the future, are written for LaTeX.  It opens up more possibilities if 
> ConTeXt can read .fd files.
> 
> Perhaps something to come back to later on, along with adding support 
> for other font weights and such...
> 
> Bruce
> 
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