HC convert: help with text as graphic or rotated text

[J. Landman Gay]

Richmond Mathewson wrote:
> RunRev will bother about better text management/manipulation
> stuff when, either, enough financial pressure is brought to bear, or one 
> of their big-time customers (???????) demands it.

Or when they can work out how to provide seamless text capabilities 
across multiple operating systems, each with its own specs. This will 
require a complete rewrite of the field object. I've spoken to Mark 
Waddingham about this and believe me, it isn't a trival task.

Rewriting the field object, which is indeed on their list of things to 
do, will also integrate unicode so that it works without any special 
commands or settings. When I asked Mark when this might happen, he told 
me to go read the 6,000 pages of the unicode specs and get back to him.

The field object is one of the most complex and snarly bits of code in 
the entire engine. Raney called it "the beast" and I'd be surprised if 
privately the team didn't have even stronger words for it.

> If you want to believe RunRev's propaganda, they are
> doing 'fine-and-dandy' right now with people trampling bodies in the 
> streets just to get a copy of Studio or Enterprise; personally
 > I don't believe that at all -

But you should. As a RevSelect vendor, I see how many new people are 
coming in and the response has been astounding. Most of the newcomers do 
not join the mailing list, some are on the forums instead. And many 
don't join either one. The current megabundle promotion has been one of 
the most successful in RR's history. Kudos to them for that.

> the rather low level of
> attendance at the Edinburgh conference what a complete shock to me

It shouldn't have been. I almost didn't go myself. Scotland is far away 
and fairly costly to get to if you live in a distant country.

> Supercard can do all sorts of things with text that RunRev cannot

Yes. They only have to write for OS X, which has built-in hooks for all 
sort of text manipulation. Now multiply the effort by several operating 
systems, each of which does it differently. The scope of the endeavor is 
huge. Mark's been working out how to manage it for some time now.

> The argument that RunRev can deploy on Mac, Win, Lin and all sorts of 
> other "funny" platforms
> that most people have absolutely nothing to do with; while Supercard 
> cannot, is not enough
> in and of itself to claim superiority over Supercard.

RR supports OS X, three kinds of Windows, and Linux. Seems pretty 
standard to me.

-- 
Jacqueline Landman Gay         |     jacque at hyperactivesw.com
HyperActive Software           |     http://www.hyperactivesw.com