Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!gatech!prism!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!sun13!gw.scri.fsu.edu"!"lyons
From: lyons@gw.scri.fsu.edu ("Jim Lyons")
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: FONTs in stack: what's bad?
Message-ID: <1500@sun13.scri.fsu.edu>
Date: 29 Nov 90 16:03:38 GMT
Sender: news@sun13.scri.fsu.edu
Organization: "Florida State University"
Lines: 41
References:<1990Nov28.180031.677@sics.se> <46927@apple.Apple.COM>

In article <46927@apple.Apple.COM> jdevoto@Apple.COM (Jeanne A. E. DeVoto) 
writes:
> In article <1990Nov28.180031.677@sics.se> ollef@sics.se (Olle Furberg) 
writes:
> >There has been some postings concerning FONT-resources in stacks:
> > In <18615@unix.SRI.COM> mxmora@unix.SRI.COM (Matt Mora) writes:
> > >Apple recommends that you don't include fonts in any documents. And 
since
> > >a stack is just a document Apple recommends not putting them into a 
stack 
> > >either. 
[Furberg quotes from Apple dox indicating it's ok to put fonts in stacks]

Devoto continues:
> My feeling is that if there is a bug in the Font Manager that causes
> heap corruption when fonts are found outside the System file then System
> Software should be chartered to take the time to fix that bug. If there
> are other technical issues around the installation of fonts in the 
resource
> chain, those issues should be resolved. It makes sense to install custom
> fonts in a stack; it localizes the fonts to the context in which they're
> used, it's transparent to the user, it doesn't require "deinstallation"
> of the font if the user gets rid of the stack. It makes a stack a simple
> self-contained module, instead of a cumbersome set of files requiring
> special installation procedures. It makes sense, it's in keeping with the
> way the resource chain is used, and if system software needs fixing in 
order
> to allow the trouble-free use of this Macintosh feature, it should be 
fixed.

Hear, hear!  I can't believe there would be any other course considered by 
Apple on this situation.  I have some stacks (ok, they're just games, but they 
are educational in nature) that use special purpose fonts; the fonts just contain a few characters and, without going into details, are the best way to implement the things I wanted to do in these stacks.  But it would make absolutely no sense to put these in the System; they have no use whatsoever outside of these stacks.  In addition to the reasons given by Jeanne, you don't want to clutter up every other application's fonts menu with useless entries.  And if the user has different system disks the fonts






 would have to be installed in every one. If I want to show the stack on a friend's system,
I have to first install the special fonts.  I have always marveled at how handy this capability of HyperCard is, and haven't begun to exploit all the uses for it.

Please fix it so we can put special fonts in stacks without breaking 
anything! Thank you.

__________________Jim Lyons, innocent HyperHacker_______________
_____________________lyons@scri1.scri.fsu.edu___________________