On 20/10/2008, at 10:48 AM, John M McIntosh wrote:
Well for one thing it requires then implementing the freetype plugin on the iPhone, so it's a barrier to entry for VM developers who are dealing with platforms that may or may not have freetype on them to enable the running of a pharo image.
In that is the case, then I think a stated requirement for Pharo should be a list of platforms, or an explicit statement that it must be usable without FreeType. I'm making two unrelated points: 1. Who not use only FreeType and/or native metrics/rendering. I'm not talking ATSUI, just the kind of simply metrics and character rendering that Squeak has now i.e. char widths, kerning pairs, no ligatures, no bidi etc). 2. Have a clear specification of Pharo's target/constraints/ requirements/intended users/use cases/task applicability, next to the manifesto. What existing code/packages must continue to run? What features must be retained?
Although the iPhone does have freetype buried somewhere on it, I'm not sure if this is a one hour change or will take all week to enable it.
Would it matter if it were a week? Wouldn't the simplification of that part of Pharo be a worthwhile tradeoff? In the scope of a 3 year project, this would seem a simple decision. Or, alternatively, use a metrics/rendering system that uses the native API, with a fallback to FreeType, which IMO would be better, and would work in the iPhone. IMO a clearer statement of goals and constraints would enable better decision making and targeting of effort. Maybe 99% of the problem is Morphic, and a quicker solution would be a native control interface ala SWT. For the purposes of the tools, esp OB, this might be a better outcome for the same effort (OB uses very few controls), especially if the purpose of Pharo is a better Smalltalk playground, rather than an improved Morphic playground. One strategy (which I am following) is to improve OB, get all tools into OB (sans Workspace/Transcript), and then move OB off Morphic. Antony Blakey ------------- CTO, Linkuistics Pty Ltd Ph: 0438 840 787 Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else. -- J. M. Barre