[MPEG-OTSPEC] Variable Composites and CFF2 (or other formats)

[Skef Iterum]

Back in August I sent a message to this list asking whether variable 
composites should be in the glyf table instead of in their own table, 
making them more like COLR glyphs and thereby compatible with CFF(2). I 
also opened boring-expansion-spec issue #103 
<https://github.com/harfbuzz/boring-expansion-spec/issues/103> as a 
context for further discussion.

That discussion went fairly well to start with, indicating both that the 
separate-table solution is viable and that there has been and continues 
to be support for that alternative. Progress stalled in mid-September, 
however, not because of any obstacle but because the discussion just 
stopped. This was partly because of other commitments on the part of the 
people who were talking and because some answers were needed from people 
not yet involved.

Anyway, based on the discussion so far, and the fact that there is at 
least some independent support for the separate-table approach, we—that 
is, Adobe—wants to help ensure that the option has a chance to be 
developed and evaluated by the Ad Hoc group. And because with the ISO 
process what gets into the working draft is on auto-pilot towards the 
eventual specification, we think that development and evaluation should 
happen /before/ the variable components part of the specification is 
approved.

Of course, in practice this means that we're asking that variable 
composites be taken out of the upcoming proposal (and that if it isn't 
Adobe will vote not to approve it, and encourage others to do the same). 
However, we want to stress that this does not necessarily mean we will 
not vote in favor later if further research indicates that glyf is the 
better way to go.

Accordingly, we also suggest that how to go about that research and 
development, including who needs to be involved, should be one topic for 
the meeting next week.

Skef
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