Re: 10+ reasons why I still use MKII

["Idris Samawi Hamid ادريس سماوي حامد" <ishamid@colostate.edu>]

On Fri, 14 May 2010 06:37:02 -0600, Khaled Hosny <khaledhosny@eglug.org>
wrote:

>> >>for arabic you really need to set the interline space (idris might
>> >>have more input on this)
>> >>
>> >>- it has more height than depth
>> >
>> >Not always عٍ or فيٍ is as deep as high is أً.
>>
>> so for say 12pt arabic we should use 8pt ht and 8pt depth?
>
> I'm not sure about this, but I'd rather trust the font designer for
> knowing better about his font, and something like in the attached file
> (except it doesn't work :) see my other mail)

systems         : begin file linespace.tex at line 7
! You can't use `\dimexpr' in horizontal mode.
<recently read> \dimexpr

\setstrutgridyes ...e \strutheightfactor \dimexpr
                                                     \normallineheight \fi
\str...
\setstrut ->\ifgridsnapping \setstrutgridyes
                                                \else \setstrutgridnop \fi
<inserted text> ...nizefont \fi \spacing \plusone
                                                     \presetnormallineheight
\s...
\setfontparameters ...tsfalse \the \everybodyfont
                                                     \synchronizefontstrue
\dosetupspecifiedinterlinespaceindeed ...rameters
                                                     \updateraggedskips
...
l.24 \stopluacode

?

In any case, overly trusting the font designer is a bad idea in this
arena, particularly with Arabic fonts. For example, vowels are treated as
something of an afterthought even in "good" arabic fonts; yet they affect
linespace calculations. In a document with no vowels one can get away with
things you cannot get away with when they are extensively used; manual
control is essential. And "good" arabic fonts contain numerous errors
anyway.

This is part of the luatex/mkiv philosophy anyway; otherwise we'd just use
uniscribe or pango ;-)

Peace
Idris

-- 
Professor Idris Samawi Hamid, Editor-in-Chief
International Journal of Shi`i Studies
Department of Philosophy
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523

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