FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: StyledEdit issues : text encodings,opentracker integration, etc.

["Michael Phipps" <mphipps1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Hello all,
>
>I have been tweaking away at Mattias Sundblad's excellent StyledEdit 
>implementation in order to increase its compatibility and conformance 
>to the user interface experience in R5.  I'm happy to say that it's 
>approaching a complete replacement.  Most people will probably say that 
>it is complete already if they try it.
>
>However, there are four issues I have hit up against.  I'd appreciate 
>any feedback. [but especially insightful feedback :-) ]
>
>Andrew
>
>* Issue 1: text encodings

[snip]

I know that this is an unpopular stand, but I wouldn't go beyond what R5 does, 
here.
Why? Well, because I think that we should do the Right Thing or nothing. We 
clearly
are no where near ready to tackle all of the consequences of this. Obviously, 
there are 
(many) issues with using BeOS in any language other than English. Many things 
need to
change. But doing it piecemeal (like in StyledEdit, here, there and over there) 
is, I think, the
wrong approach. I think that the right approach is to say "hey - here is R1 in 
English only".
R2 or later will be in every language under the sun. Again - not that 
localization is a bad
thing, but that it is such an important feature that we should do it Right.

>* Issue 2: opentracker integration

[snip]

I have long thought that we should integrate OpenTracker into our source tree. 
But effectively
using it will require some analysis and documentation by some energetic people. 
And, of course,
Axel's permission, since he is the keeper of OT/OD.

>* Issue 3: font sensitivity
>
[snip]

I put this in the same catagory as localization. Hey - we all know that bigger 
monitors and smaller
dot pitches are coming. We all know that people don't like the same fonts. We 
know that not all
languages are the same size. We *need* to do a layout engine. It will solve 
this issue for all
reasons. But we don't need to do it now. I think that this is really an R2 
issue.