Re: [Freetype] Legacy software and bitmap-only snfts [was: FreeTypebug report]

[Juliusz Chroboczek]

BS> Not at all. I just do not see that we get much by repackaging
BS> them.

We get the ability to efficiently use Unicode-encoded fonts, thus
removing the need to install a bunch of PCFs in different encodings on
every system.  (The PCF file format makes on-the-fly recoding of
Unicode-encoded fonts prohibitive.)

We get the ability to efficiently share bitmap files between core
fonts and client-side fonts.

We get the ability to deprecate all core fonts backends other than the
FreeType backend.  This is part of a secret plan to deprecate core
fonts without carrying too much baggage for backwards compatibility.

BS> In a few years we are likely to have a reasonable selection of
BS> outline fonts in the open source market and I can easily see
BS> developers writing code to detect and not use these old fonts
BS> since they cannot be printed.

Let's hope so.

                                        Juliusz