[liblouis-liblouisxml] Re: Expanding the typeforrm parameter

  • From: "John J. Boyer" <john.boyer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: liblouis-liblouisxml@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 08:36:45 -0500

I think March 2014 is also a reasonable time for people to expect any 
changes in the API and get ready for them. 

John

On Wed, Oct 16, 2013 at 01:17:44PM +0000, Keith Creasy wrote:
> I'm not sure I can answer your question but for APH we need the emphasis for 
> us-en-g2 to be working within the next couple of months. That may or may not 
> have any baring on this change. 
> 
> 
> UEB emphasis support needs to be at least mostly complete by March, 2014.
> 
> 
> Keith
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: liblouis-liblouisxml-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:liblouis-liblouisxml-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John J. Boyer
> Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 9:13 AM
> To: liblouis-liblouisxml@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [liblouis-liblouisxml] Re: Expanding the typeforrm parameter
> 
> The spacing parameter is used by ViewPlus to determine which spaces in the 
> output correspond to which spaces in the input. I have never liked it. It is 
> a holdover from the early days. Since ViewPlus will soon be using utd, it 
> will soon be unnecessary. 
> 
> Since we're talking about changing the API by making typeform a larger size, 
> we might as well consider dropping the spacing parameter also. 
> 
> How soon do people thing changes in the API should be made? A lot of 
> applications will need tweaking.
> 
> John
> 
> On Wed, Oct 16, 2013 at 11:40:58AM +0000, Keith Creasy wrote:
> > OK, I confess ignorance. What does the "spacing parameter" do? 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: liblouis-liblouisxml-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> > [mailto:liblouis-liblouisxml-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John 
> > J. Boyer
> > Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 1:54 PM
> > To: liblouis-liblouisxml@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: [liblouis-liblouisxml] Re: Expanding the typeforrm parameter
> > 
> > The reason for not using a larger data type is backward compatibility. 
> > That is important. It is also important to preserve the spacing parameter. 
> > The typeform and spacing parameters together give 16 bits, of which 4 are 
> > already committed. That should be enough to handle colored type, script, 
> > etc. the 12 uncommitted bits can be used for anything in the particular 
> > document.
> > 
> > John
> > 
> > On Tue, Oct 15, 2013 at 05:16:38PM +0100, Michael Whapples wrote:
> > > This had also been going through my mind, why not just use a larger 
> > > data type?
> > > 
> > > I do not know enough about the internals to know what sort of impact 
> > > this might have.
> > > 
> > > Michael Whapples
> > > On 15/10/2013 16:31, Mesar Hameed wrote:
> > > >I haven't looked at the details of what might be required to do 
> > > >this,, but since we are processing more than ascii in more recent 
> > > >versions of liblouis, it might be worth considering changing the 
> > > >typeform from a char array to a unsigned long int array.
> > > >That would give us a lot of additional bits, without the implicit 
> > > >dependancy and complexity of always having to decode both the 
> > > >intention by reading the mode and the typeform.
> > > >
> > > >thoughts?
> > > >thanks,
> > > >Mesar
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >On Tue 15/10/13,15:04, Ken Perry wrote:
> > > >>My only concern here is how expandable will this be in the future 
> > > >>if for example there turns out to be more than 12 needed?
> > > >>
> > > >>Ken
> > > >>
> > > >>-----Original Message-----
> > > >>From: liblouis-liblouisxml-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > >>[mailto:liblouis-liblouisxml-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John J. 
> > > >>Boyer
> > > >>Sent: Monday, October 14, 2013 7:09 AM
> > > >>To: liblouis-liblouisxml@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > >>Subject: [liblouis-liblouisxml] Expanding the typeforrm parameter
> > > >>
> > > >>Let me know if you have comments on the folowing.
> > > >>
> > > >>At present the typeform parameter can handle only four kinds of 
> > > >>emphasis, bold, italic, underline and computer Braille. Although 
> > > >>this parameter is a character array the high-order bits are used 
> > > >>for the ascii numeric code, -x30. This is because at the beginning 
> > > >>loblouis functions were called from Visual Basic.
> > > >>
> > > >>However, four types of emphasis are not enough to handle the 
> > > >>Braille indicators required by modern textbooks, where it may be 
> > > >>necessary to indicate colored type, script, etc.
> > > >>
> > > >>Therefore, I am proposing to use all eight bits of the typeforrm 
> > > >>parameter. To preserve backward compatibility an additional bit in 
> > > >>the mode parameter will be defined, extTypoeform . Since the 
> > > >>spacing parameter is used only by ViewPlus and they may stop using 
> > > >>it, I propose to make it an extension of the typeform parameter. 
> > > >>This will provide 12 additional ways to indicate things in the 
> > > >>text. It will also be controlled by the extTypeform bit.
> > > >>
> > > >>The present system of defining opcodes for things like beginning 
> > > >>of phrase, end of phrase, etc for each type of emphasis is 
> > > >>unworkable for an extended typeform parameter because it would 
> > > >>result in a huge number of opcodes.
> > > >>
> > > >>The present algorithm for handling Braille indicators cannot be 
> > > >>expanded for the same reason. Therefore, the 
> > > >>correct-context-multipass feature will be extended with a 
> > > >>scripting language. The base of this language already exists.
> > > >>
> > > >>John
> > > >>
> > > >>--
> > > >>John J. Boyer; President, Chief Software Developer Abilitiessoft, Inc.
> > > >>http://www.abilitiessoft.com
> > > >>Madison, Wisconsin USA
> > > >>Developing software for people with disabilities
> > > >>
> > > >>For a description of the software, to download it and links to 
> > > >>project pages go to http://www.abilitiessoft.com For a description 
> > > >>of the software, to download it and links to project pages go to 
> > > >>http://www.abilitiessoft.com
> > > 
> > > For a description of the software, to download it and links to 
> > > project pages go to http://www.abilitiessoft.com
> > 
> > --
> > John J. Boyer; President, Chief Software Developer Abilitiessoft, Inc.
> > http://www.abilitiessoft.com
> > Madison, Wisconsin USA
> > Developing software for people with disabilities
> > 
> > For a description of the software, to download it and links to project 
> > pages go to http://www.abilitiessoft.com For a description of the 
> > software, to download it and links to project pages go to 
> > http://www.abilitiessoft.com
> 
> --
> John J. Boyer; President, Chief Software Developer Abilitiessoft, Inc.
> http://www.abilitiessoft.com
> Madison, Wisconsin USA
> Developing software for people with disabilities
> 
> For a description of the software, to download it and links to project pages 
> go to http://www.abilitiessoft.com
> For a description of the software, to download it and links to
> project pages go to http://www.abilitiessoft.com

-- 
John J. Boyer; President, Chief Software Developer
Abilitiessoft, Inc.
http://www.abilitiessoft.com
Madison, Wisconsin USA
Developing software for people with disabilities

For a description of the software, to download it and links to
project pages go to http://www.abilitiessoft.com

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