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List:       koffice-devel
Subject:    Re: WYSIWYG and a common document file format
From:       Vadim Plessky <lucy-ples () mtu-net ! ru>
Date:       2002-07-21 20:22:50
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On Thursday 18 July 2002 9:16 pm, Seth Kurtzberg wrote:
|  Technically, it is certainly possible.  What I was saying is that, as a
|  practical matter, if the big vendors don't even bother to do it correctly
| for different incarnations of their own programs, how likely is it that
| they will conform to a specification?

I think Microsoft is not going to conform to such specification.
Specification would be limited to KOffice, OpenOffices, other office apps...

As about WYSIWYG - trick is to make computtaions (glyph widths, word widths, 
word positioning, etc.) at resolution of most precise device.
Modern laser alyout systems have about 4000dpi.
For printing on paper - 2400dpi is close to maximum.
So, if you calculate all metrics for "virtual" 2400dpi typesetting device, and 
than re-layout text on screen (say, 96dpi) using those metrics, rescaled to 
that lower resolution - you will get very good results.
And this is how KWord and KPresenter layout text, BTW.

Now problems start.
Such well-formatted, rich text looks ugly on screen.
And the only way to fix this is to increase effective resolution of the 
screen.
You can do this in a such way:
a) increase real dpi (from current 100dpi-120 dpi to, say at least 200dpi, 
like IBM did in their experimental displays)
b) use sub-pixel decimation
 XFree86 allows to do it - but only on LCD displays with digital (DVI) 
interfaces.

Second solution is much cheaper (compare $16000 for IBM display with $500 for 
15" LCD), and I think we should think of var. 2) as min.requirement for 
*real* WYSIWYG.
For the rest of people (who do not have LCD) - current WYSIWYG in KWord is 
more than enough ;-)

|
|  On Thursday 18 July 2002 05:47 am, Thomas Zander wrote:
|  > On Thursday 18 July 2002 11:07, Seth Kurtzberg wrote:
|  > > Martin,
|  >
|  > Hi Seth!
|  >
|  > > I can see why this would be desirable, but I'm not sure that it is
|  > > achievable.  Not technically achievable, but logistically achievable.
|  > > Consider a few "facts of life" with currently available software:
|  > >
|  > > 1.  The display (and also the printed format) change from version to
|  > > version, and, with our friends at Microsoft, from service pack to
|  > > service pack.
|  >
|  > What do you mean? If I want to print to an A4 today, I still want to do
|  > that in 5 years.
|  > I don't care HOW its displayed on screen, as long as it displays that my
|  > page stops at a certain sentence.  It should also do this in all
|  > versions. I think there is no technical or logistical problem. Could you
|  > specify which problems you forsee?
|  >
|  > > 2.  The displayed text is different among systems that have different
|  > > fonts installed.  You would have to ensure that every machine has some
|  > > base set of fonts, and that different fonts never have the same name.
|  >
|  > This is a technical problem and can be overcome.  If only by supplying
|  > the font in the file.
|  >
|  > > 3.  The displayed text is sometimes different depending on the size
|  > > and resolution of the monitor.
|  >
|  > This sentence tells me that WYSIWYG is simply impossible.  I think that
|  > is not quite true :)  Luckily.

Cheers,
-- 

Vadim Plessky
http://kde2.newmail.ru  (English)
33 Window Decorations and 6 Widget Styles for KDE
http://kde2.newmail.ru/kde_themes.html
KDE mini-Themes
http://kde2.newmail.ru/themes/


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