[tdf-discuss] Font Embedding in ODF (was RE: ANN: ODF 1.2 Candidate OASIS Standard Enters 60-Day Public Review)

I'm having trouble with this entire thread.

Here's what I know:

 1. Font Embedding is *not* supported in ODF 1.2 (although there is probably room for implementers 
to provide it using a convention that does not break compatibility -- that is, implementations that 
are not implemented to be aware of the convention will safely ignore it).  I don't know that anyone 
is addressing this in an implementation though.

 2. Font substitutions, something you get to specify in your copy of LibreOffice, can be used to 
map, especially when there are issues that prevent the font from being embedded but for which there 
are successful substitutes.  I notice a couple of Linux-provided Unicode fonts in current 
distributions that can be used that way. This won't help for specific decorative fonts and their 
metrics, however.

 3. There are other ways to make fonts available in the meantime, although not so straightforward 
as embedded fonts, they also don't make the document bigger.

 4. It is incorrect to presume that Font Embedding will not be in ODF 1.3 or any other.  While font 
embedding did not make the feature cut in the prioritization for ODF 1.2, that does not mean it 
can't be resurrected.  It is early days for ODF 1.3, which is scheduled to take a two-year 
development process.
    What is *missing* is a serious proposal that deals with the complexities, borrows from some 
already-worked-out approach in other software, and is brought forth at the ODF TC in an 
unencumbered form.  Someone has to do the heavy lifting.  
    You can also respond to the public review, although something concrete that can be used in a 
constructive manner would be particularly welcome.  The ODF TC *has* to address every Public Review 
comment, although that doesn't mean we will do anything about it.  Good catches will probably be 
saved up for an Errata or lead to action in ODF 1.3.
 
 5. For a snapshot of what the ODF TC is doing now, it is useful to look at the ODF TC list archive 
(linked from the home page,< http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=office>).  
    Anyone can examine the JIRA issues being worked on (and subscribe to JIRA-issue notices on 
Twitter [;<).  
    You'll from the minutes and the separate Advanced Collaboration Subcommittee list that 
change-tracking is the most difficult topic at the moment.  
    Meanwhile, a number of small defects are starting to surface for consideration in an ODF 1.2 
Errata (probably a year from now) or in ODF 1.3 (with Committee Drafts coming out roughly every six 
months).  The first cut for content in the first ODF 1.3 Committee Draft is coming up in July.

 - Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Marc Paré [mailto:marc@marcpare.com] 
Sent: Friday, June 24, 2011 14:11
To: discuss@documentfoundation.org
Subject: Re: [tdf-discuss] Re: ANN: ODF 1.2 Candidate OASIS Standard Enters 60-Day Public Review, 
prerequisite for balloting as OASIS Standard

Le 2011-06-24 13:13, Charles-H. Schulz a écrit :
> Hello,
>
> Le Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:48:54 -0700 (PDT),
> plino<pedlino@gmail.com>  a écrit :
>
> > I really hope that revision 1.2 allows for font embedding in ODF
> > documents.
> >
> > IMO that is a (the?) major obstacle for sharing documents with other
> > users.
>
> So, let me state and restate this : ODF will not embed fonts in the
> 1.2, 1.3, nor in the future, because the format is not meant to focus on
> faithful layout rendering. Instead, PDF is meant that. ODF focuses on
> office document exchanges.
>
> Best,
>
> Charles.

Hi Charles

I wonder about this last statement, does this mean that if I download a 
copy of our documentation in .odt format, that if my font is missing 
from my machine that I will not be able to print a high quality version 
of that documentation. And worse, if I download a copy of a writer, 
impress file or draw and wish to print it off in its native file, that I 
would then have to hunt around and make sure that all of the necessary 
fonts used in a particular document would have to be installed on my 
machine so that I could get a high quality print from it?

[ ... ]


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