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From: grp@Unify.com (Greg Pasquariello)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.open-look
Subject: Re: Lucida, and the OPEN LOOK Functional Specification
Message-ID: <1990Nov14.130354@Unify.com>
Date: 14 Nov 90 21:03:54 GMT
References: <o49ybtw@openlook.Unify.Com>
Sender: news@Unify.Com (news admin)
Reply-To: grp@Unify.com (Greg Pasquariello)
Organization: Unify Corporation, Sacramento, CA, USA
Lines: 67

In article <o49ybtw@openlook.Unify.Com>, sane!genmri!doug@crdgw1.ge.com
(Doug Becker) writes:
> Having determined that the default XView font is too small for our
> application's needs, I'm investigating other fonts as candidates for
> use in our application's user interface elements.
> 
> I was surprised to find that the OPEN LOOK Functional Specification
> appears to be quite lenient in terms of font selection for UI items.
> In particular, the only relevant passage appears to be on page 5
> (Chapter 1), under Fonts:
> 
>     "A sans serif, variable width font is used for the common
elements
>     of the OPEN LOOK UI.  Consistent use of the same font in all the
>     elements of the interface contributes to the design concept of
the
>     interface as a backdrop against which the application is
featured.
>     Of course, an application can use whatever fonts the developer
>     chooses in the part of the window that is reserved for the
display
>     of application information."
> 

In an old copy of the "AT&T Open Look Graphical User Interface 
Specification Guide", there is a section of engineering specifications
that specifies all fonts as "sans serif, roman" and usually specifies a
point size that corresponds to the control's size.  I don't know if
these
engineering specs are present in the Addison-Wesley books or not; mine
is at home.  

Is Lucida san-serif roman?

There is also a passage in the "International Considerations" section
the advises you to keep in mind the fact that some character sets (Asian
is noted) support specific font heights, and do not have serifs.

> I had always been under the vague impression that the Lucida font was
> part of the OPEN LOOK functional spec; apparently this is incorrect,
> as the spec seems to indicate that any sans-serif, variable-width
font
> is acceptable.  Fonts don't appear to be mentioned to any meaningful
> degree at all in the Application Style Guidelines.  Of course, many
> (if not all) the other OPEN LOOK applications I've seen appear to use
> the Lucida font, and I agree that consistency across applications is
> desirable.  However, our particular circumstances may preclude the
use
> of Lucida at this time.
> 
> What is the general feeling about using a non-Lucida font in OPEN
LOOK
> UI items, especially a non-Lucida font that conforms to the spec,
i.e.
> is sans-serif and variable width?
> 
> --
> 
> Douglas H. Becker
> doug@nmri.GE.COM
> {somewhere}!crdgw1.GE.COM!sane!doug

--

---
Greg Pasquariello	
Unify Corporation 	grp@Unify.Com