Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!bagate!dsinc!cs.widener.edu!news.cs.indiana.edu!news.nd.edu!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!iguana.cis.ohio-state.edu!meranda From: meranda@iguana.cis.ohio-state.edu (deron meranda) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer Subject: Re: console.device Message-ID: <95997@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> Date: 15 Mar 91 07:41:37 GMT References: <4964@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au> Sender: news@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Reply-To: deron meranda Organization: Ohio State University Computer and Information Science Lines: 49 In article <4964@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au> phi@goanna.cs.rmit.oz.au (Philip Hingston) writes: > I have been fiddling with the example program in the RKM's for >opening the console device using a custom screen. > > Everything is fine if that window uses the default font. But if I >have some other font, e.g. ruby 15, things get confused. > The main problem is that Ruby fonts are PROPORTIONALLY SPACED! --------------------- > For example, if I write out a string of characters, the cursor finishes >up a long way past the end of the string - not in good shape for inserting >more characters, editting the string etc. > > There are other problems too which seem to be related to miscalculating >the width of characters. > > Is there anything special that needs to be done to have this work >properly? I am talking 1.3 here, not 2.0. >... I have noticed this problem too, and it has really bothered me -- GREATLY. I have even considered writing my own console device, but all that BCPL stuff and other DOS nonsense makes me sick. This problem happens with any screen (using SetFont 2.7), not just custom ones. Along the same lines, the Intuition string gadget also messes up when using a proportional spaced font. ( Also, a related but separate bug (read, unsupported wish) is that the console device always uses the algorithmic conversion of fonts, even if a real matching italics or boldface font exists and is already loaded. ) Of course there are arguments against supporting proportional fonts at all, since the console device is a rough implementation of the standard ANSI X3.64 style terminal emulation (which is only designed for mono- spaced characters - consider problems with cursor addressing). There is also a speed and efficiency issue. BUT, why support it only HALF WAY? If the user intentionally specifies a proportional font, then they should not expect everything (like absolute cursor movements) to work -- but the cursor should still follow the rendered text correctly! If this is impossible to fix, does there exist an console-like package (or subset of) which does support proportional fonts? Deron E. Meranda ( meranda@cis.ohio-state.edu )