Re: definining fontsets in /etc/gtkr/gtkrc.* is a very bad thing

[Owen Taylor <otaylor redhat com>]

Vlad Harchev <hvv@hippo.ru> writes:

>  It looks like fontset concept is actively pushed by gtk developers (the proof
> for this is existance of /etc/gtk/gtkrc.* for most languages). I think this is
> _very_ bad approach. I think any /etc/gtk/gtkrc.* shouldn't be installed at
> all or they should define a safe default for _font_, _not_ _fontset_. First
> of all, most files in /etc/gtk/ define several fonts for a given charset.

The way internationalization works in Xlib is via fontsets. GTK+-2.0
will bypass this mechanism, but for GTK+-1.2, we are using that
mechanism.

> Let's see gtkrc.ru from gtk-1.3.1:
> 
> style "gtk-default-ru" {
>        fontset = "-adobe-helvetica-medium-r-normal--12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-*,\
>                   -*-arial-medium-r-normal--12-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1,\
>                   -cronyx-helvetica-medium-r-normal--12-*-*-*-*-*-koi8-r,\
>                   -*-arial-medium-r-normal--12-*-*-*-*-*-koi8-r"
> }
> class "GtkWidget" style "gtk-default-ru"
> 
>  The last two line for some reason list 2 fonts with the same encoding koi8-r.
>  This means that Xlib according to XCreateFontSet(3X) will choose random font
>  (at fontset creation) that will be used for strings in koi8-r charset (and
>  almost each /etc/gtk/gtkrc.* defines several fonts for the same encoding).
>  That's a bad thing.

It may be random in theory, in practice, it is the first found wins.

>  Even if we removed either of two fonts from that fontset,
>  that will mean that user will have no way to choose font using  gnome control 
>  center! 

Yes, the font selection mechanism in the control center is not
properly internationalized.

> Also, that limits to only given font size and font weight. This
> is true for any language for which exists /etc/gtk/gtkrc.*.
> 
>  Since gtk reads /etc/gtkrc/gtkrc.* before ~/.gtkrc (checked), putting default
> font  for that language in /etc/gtk/gtkrc.ru will serve two purposes:
> 1) it will provide well-choosen default font for that language
> 2) it will allow user to override that default font in his/her ~/.gtkrc using
>    gnome control center.
> 
>  So, what do you think about all this?

I'm afraid, for GTK+-1.2, if your language is not encoded in iso-8859-1,
you will either:

 a) need to edit your ~/.gtkrc by hand.

 b) Submit a patch to the control center so it sets the fontset not
    the font, for those languages.

(The way it works, is that if a fontset has been specified, then that
overrides the font. Otherwise (basically) the last specified fontset
or font wins.)

Regards,
                                        Owen