amir@taux01.nsc.com (Amir J. Katz (Xpert)) (05/16/91)
I fuzzily recall seeing something about font direction (right-to-left or
left-to-right) in some .bdf files. The BDF.PS document in X11R4/hardcopy/BDF
does not mention it.
1. Is there such a property for a font?
2. If so, does anyone use it?
And the clinchers:
3. Is it possible to write text in a direction other than left-to-right?
4. If not, how does Kanji X work?
Please e-mail to me and I'll summarize if there is anough interest.
--
Amir J. Katz, System Manager
Internet: amir%pilat.UUCP@taux01.nsc.com
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Snail-mail: Amir J. Katz, Silvaco Israel Ltd.
19 Maskit St., Herzelia, Israel 46733mouse@lightning.mcrcim.mcgill.EDU (der Mouse) (05/17/91)
> I fuzzily recall seeing something about font direction (right-to-left > or left-to-right) in some .bdf files. The BDF.PS document in > X11R4/hardcopy/BDF does not mention it. > 1. Is there such a property for a font? Yes. The XFontStruct you get back from XQueryFont and related functions contains a `direction' member which is described as o The direction member can be either FontLeftToRight or FontRightToLeft. It is just a hint as to whether most XCharStruct elements have a positive (FontLeftToRight) or a negative (FontRightToLeft) character width metric. The core protocol defines no support for vertical text. I have not looked at the code to determine where this comes from in the chain from BDF file to XFontStruct (via bdftosnf and the server). > 2. If so, does anyone use it? I know of no programs that use it, though one I am planning to write (someday!) will. > And the clinchers: > 3. Is it possible to write text in a direction other than > left-to-right? If the font contains characters with negative width values, writing them produces right-to-left text. Non-horizontal text is not directly supported; you have to deal with figuring out glyph placement yourself. > 4. If not, how does Kanji X work? I have seen Japanese and Chinese written left-to-right horizontally, with lines top-to-bottom, in the English fashion, so it is not an utterly unheard-of thing. Of course, I daresay proper top-to-bottom columns ordered right-to-left[%] would be preferable, but not being anything close to fluent in either language I am only guessing. [%] R-to-L for Japanese, unless my memory has gotten confused since that Japanese course I took; I have no reason for thinking R-to-L is appropriate for Chinese except a presumption based on its writing system being related to that of Japanese. der Mouse old: mcgill-vision!mouse new: mouse@larry.mcrcim.mcgill.edu