The Linux problem, and a suggestion

[Richard Gaskin]

Peter, I'm with you on just about everything you wrote, but this one may 
be more complex than Rev alone can address:

Peter Alcibiades wrote:
> Fix fonts.  I have no idea how Rev picks what fonts it can and cannot see,
> and we get no answers, but every other Linux application there is can
> handle fonts in Linux.  Why not Rev?
..
> Fix the size issue.  It must be possible to SEE the palette of controls and
> the dictionary.  Every other Linux application manages it, regardless of
> monitor size.  Why is Rev on a 22 inch screen showing up in what looks like
> 4 point font, with no way of changing it?  Am I really supposed to peer at
> my screen through reading glasses, just to use Rev?

Those two appear to be interrelated, per the Ubuntu and Gnome bug 
database reports.

As I noted earlier, I spent some time with those bug reports to look 
into this issue, and found that there are quite a few issues with Gnome 
that affect many applications, and to some degree Gnome itself.

At the heart of Rev's part in this is that Rev is still using 
fixed-resolution coordinates, while Gnome uses resolution-independent 
geometry.  Firefox is the same as Rev in this regard, which explains why 
the content region in FF matches what you see in Rev almost perfectly, 
even though both of them differ from the OS.

Given that Snow Leopard and Vista are also resolution-independent 
systems, it seems a safe bet that making Rev's internal rendering scheme 
also resolution-independent is in queue at RunRev's office.

But that will address only part of the problem.  The other part is Gnome 
itself.

Look at section 7 near the bottom of this page,"Comparative Summary of 
Buttons":
<http://fourthworldlabs.com/revfonts/>

All of those screen shots were taken using the same display set to the 
same resolution, yet even if we ignore the Rev controls and look only at 
controls rendered by the OS, we see Gnome's way out of proportion, much 
larger in size even as it reports that it's using the smallest font size 
(ostensibly 10 points as opposed to the 12 on Win and 13 on Mac).

That disparity is the subject of much debate in the Ubuntu and Gnome 
communities, as I noted with the links provided in this post:
<http://mail.runrev.com/pipermail/use-revolution/2010-March/135822.html>


So on this issue I see two sets of solutions:

Long-term:  Rev migrates their rendering to resolution-independent 
geometry, as is needed by all modern OSes.  Gnome also fixes their 
issues, and together they make for an excellent, consistent experience.

Short-term: When we deploy to Gnome we use whatever font size gets a 
useful result for our application, even if that means using a larger 
number than what Gnome erroneously reports, or a smaller font size than 
Gnome sometimes erroneously renders currently.


For myself, my Gnome deployments will use 12-point Sans, which will 
render on screen smaller than most Gnome controls but be in line with 
common universal conventions and allow me to ship one layout for all 
platforms.

I recognize this introduces an inconsistency in the Gnome user 
experience, but I also believe it simply makes better use of their 
screen real estate, and in the long run as Gnome fixes their size issue 
and Rev becomes resolution-independent my controls will be more in line 
with their convention.

If this means I get a complaint or two from Gnome purists, I'll just 
refer those folks to the Gnome bug database.  I suspect most of our 
users will be glad to have more effective use of their screen space.


Note that my interest here takes a different focus from yours:  I'm 
focusing on my own deliverables, and you're looking out for the Rev IDE 
experience.  Maybe I'm just selfish in this regard, since I don't use 
the Rev IDE anyway and am always more concerned with my customers' 
experience than my own.

But your interest in improving the Rev IDE experience is laudable, and 
hopefully will get more attention at RunRev as the Linux community grows 
strong enough to warrant it, as I believe it will in the next two years.

I think Linux is near a tipping point for many consumer markets, 
hopefully at least half well as it's come to dominant the server arena. 
  We're about to see its Golden Age.

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World
  Rev training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
  Webzine for Rev developers: http://www.revjournal.com
  revJournal blog: http://revjournal.com/blog.irv