[MPEG-OTSPEC] lookup processing and 'chws', 'vchw'

[Peter Constable]

Noticed this again.

Actually, this intent appears to be reflected in the spec:

"The OpenType Layout feature model provides great flexibility to font developers because features do not have to be predefined by Microsoft Corporation. Instead, font developers can work with application developers to determine useful features for fonts, add such features to OpenType Layout fonts, and enable client applications to support such features."

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/ttochap1


Now, there is language elsewhere that seems to suggest otherwise:

"Microsoft reserves the right to officially assign feature tags in the Microsoft Tag Registry. Although Microsoft has reserved the feature and feature tag definitions listed in this registry, Microsoft fonts do not necessarily contain all of the features."

I'm not sure if the intent was that MS felt free to reject features they didn't like, or simply that they would maintain some minimal quality bars and not take things that were clearly not well-formed or supportable (e.g., no world-peace feature).

In the years I was working at MS, I'm not aware of any request for addition of a feature, script, language system or baseline tag that was not accepted.


Peter

From: mpeg-otspec <mpeg-otspec-bounces at lists.aau.at> On Behalf Of John Hudson
Sent: Wednesday, August 19, 2020 3:18 PM
To: mpeg-otspec at lists.aau.at
Subject: Re: [MPEG-OTSPEC] lookup processing and 'chws', 'vchw'

Peter wrote:

    As the OTL feature tag registry was set up _as a registry_, I have taken that to mean
    that new feature tag requests may be subject to technical review for refinement but,
    unless a requested tag is really not well formed or very obviously flawed, that it's not
    subject to any kind of veto...

That's a not unreasonable interpretation of the way a registry could or should work, but so far as I know there is no formal statement to that effect, particularly with regard to the registry of OTL features (and script tags, and language system tags, and variation axis tags) as maintained by Microsoft.

JH



--



John Hudson

Tiro Typeworks Ltd    www.tiro.com<https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiro.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7C%7C6f8cc2acfcc64e227c6808d8448dc909%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637334723034132285&sdata=JjJJJ%2BzUazB9izAQpWWKwEEhNM0dQjTwY0%2BtLb2v5MY%3D&reserved=0>

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