[Qgis-developer] Default typeface to package with app

[Larry Shaffer]

Hi,

Not sure if this has been discussed before, but how about including a
default typeface to package with releases/source? Here are several
reasons for doing so:

* Standard QFontMetrics allow for developing a GUI overhaul around a
known font across all platforms (at least in a pointsize at dpi default
sense).
* Known font metrics allow for standardizing relative font sizes in
app-wide stylesheets, and per platform where needed.
* Adding tests for the labeling engine would need a standard font of
consistent metrics and available/functional on all platforms.
* Currently the only Qt default font on all platforms (Courier, I
believe) is not necessarily of similar metrics, since it is from
various sources, nor is it IMHO very nice looking (apologies to any
Courier fans).
* Have a better/consistent monospaced font for the Python Console and
anywhere editor instances (e.g. QScintilla2) or code snippets are
displayed.
* Have a known set of available Unicode glyphs for translators to rely upon.
* Have a default font that provides a known set of Unicode glyphs for
font markers in symbology. (Could be spread across multiple default
symbol fonts.)
* Provide workarounds for QtDesigner bug where platform-specific fonts
end up embedded in .ui files [0].

There are probably other good reasons. I've looked at several typeface
candidates and think the DejaVu project's family of fonts [1] would
work well. While DejaVu (based off of Bitstream's Vera Sans) is
already available for Ubuntu and other Linux distros, it is relatively
unused, though fully compatible, on all supported QGIS platforms [2].
Downside: about 5 MBs extra (compressed) for package.

As a TTF DejaVu can readily be loaded into QFontDatabase [3] on
platforms that do not have a compatible DejaVu typeface already
installed. This would probably entail only loading 4 heavily-used
faces, like Sans Book/Bold and Mono Book/Bold, though I think the
entire typeface should be included.

Any other ideas for embedded fonts? Note: fonts to consider should be
in TTF format, offer enough font faces, provide enough language and
Unicode character support, and be available under the SIL Open Font
[4] or similarly compatible license.


[0] Search for 'font-family:' in .ui files
[1] http://dejavu-fonts.org/wiki/Main_Page
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DejaVu_fonts
[3] http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-4.7/qfontdatabase.html#id-5441ac2b-3b52-411e-b2be-7ee83eef8041
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIL_Open_Font_License

Regards,

Larry