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0 pointsvirtualritz3y ago0 comments

So for sub-pixel accurate font rasterization in Rust there are [1], [2], [3] and now the one from Typist, [4]. Possibly there are more (I know Raph Linus stopped maintaining [5] so that one is out).

All of these crates are actively maintained. Are people re-inventing the wheel?

[1] https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/rusttype

[2] https://github.com/alexheretic/ab-glyph

[3] https://github.com/mooman219/fontdue

[4] https://github.com/typst/pixglyph

[5] https://github.com/raphlinus/font-rs

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vitorsr3y ago

To me, all of these crates reinvent the wheel when we have FreeType and HarfBuzz which are actually used in the real world.

I see no net gain in implementing or in using subpar nonreal-world-tested libraries just to do so in Rust.

virtualritzOP3y ago

How do you know something is sub-par if it is not tested? You can only make a statement about the former if the latter is true. But nice try.

vitorsr3y ago

The linked libraries are not even close to solving limited subsets of problems solved by FreeType or HarfBuzz. No test is needed if they do not even have a working implementation of particular requisites: Do they work on heterogeneous layouts, directions, languages, locales, scripts, symbols and composites, extensions, variations, legacy, missing, partial or corrupted instructions, standards interpretations, platforms, output devices, nonstandard point structures and grids?

They do not. What they solve is almost a toy problem compared to the size, scope and breadth of these libraries.

Just because some project is implemented in Rust does not make it comparable never mind superior by default.

There is a world out there and it is not homogeneous format and standards-compliant Latin fonts in English LTR text in linear disposition with some generic rectangular subpixel rendering on a regular rectangular grid.

I warmly welcome you to browse closed issues of FreeType [1] and also the closed issues of HarfBuzz [2]. If you feel inspired please do also look into mailing lists and discussion pages related to the development, building, tracking and patching of packages of these projects in any of the numerous places it is used.

The only argument Rust people have is in relation WASM but if you insist in targeting WASM why not fork FreeType, strip it to the strict subset of features your application needs and target it?

Why do it in the first place? Why reinvent the wheel?

As such I will restate my view: I see no gain in using any of these subpar libraries.

[1] https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/freetype/freetype/-/issues/?s...

[2] https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/issues?q=is%3Aclosed

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0 pointsvirtualritz3y ago0 comments

So for sub-pixel accurate font rasterization in Rust there are [1], [2], [3] and now the one from Typist, [4]. Possibly there are more (I know Raph Linus stopped maintaining [5] so that one is out).

All of these crates are actively maintained. Are people re-inventing the wheel?

[1] https://gitlab.redox-os.org/redox-os/rusttype

[2] https://github.com/alexheretic/ab-glyph

[3] https://github.com/mooman219/fontdue

[4] https://github.com/typst/pixglyph

[5] https://github.com/raphlinus/font-rs

0 comments

vitorsr3y ago

To me, all of these crates reinvent the wheel when we have FreeType and HarfBuzz which are actually used in the real world.

I see no net gain in implementing or in using subpar nonreal-world-tested libraries just to do so in Rust.

virtualritzOP3y ago

How do you know something is sub-par if it is not tested? You can only make a statement about the former if the latter is true. But nice try.

vitorsr3y ago

They do not. What they solve is almost a toy problem compared to the size, scope and breadth of these libraries.

Just because some project is implemented in Rust does not make it comparable never mind superior by default.

The only argument Rust people have is in relation WASM but if you insist in targeting WASM why not fork FreeType, strip it to the strict subset of features your application needs and target it?

Why do it in the first place? Why reinvent the wheel?

As such I will restate my view: I see no gain in using any of these subpar libraries.

[1] https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/freetype/freetype/-/issues/?s...

[2] https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/issues?q=is%3Aclosed

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