[scribus] automatically size text frame, font metrics Font::TTFMetrics

[andrew james]

Gregory Pittman wrote:
> On 11/09/2009 04:35 PM, andrew james wrote:
>> I think font metrics to automate size frames is useful when there is 
>> some constants, especially for full page algorithmic automation when 
>> multiple unknown sized articles are posed on a page.
>>
>>
>> Craig, you stated that you think there is too many variables to 
>> automate frame size. I think that is wrong.
>>
>> I think two types of user want this function, graphic users, and 
>> programmers.
>>
>>
>> For users of the interface graphic, automatic frame size is used as a 
>> quick action that increases productivity. The users should define 
>> their preferred constant, width or height.
>>
>> In scribus, the icon to show that text is too long for the frame is a 
>> box with an X that appears in the corner of the frame low, right. For 
>> example, the action to automate frame size is double click the box.
>>
>> On double click, the frame increases size at one dimension to fix all 
>> the text in the frame. Width or height increase, that is a user 
>> preference, the other dimension is a constant.
>>
>> If a control key (control, shift, or alt) is pressed on double click 
>> then the frame increases to fit at the dimension opposite to the 
>> preference. A user should find this preference in a dialog.
>>
>> I know of other interfaces graphic that have this function. It is 
>> intuitive to use and sometimes useful. For example, spreadsheets, 
>> presentations.
>>
>>
>> Another use for automatic size frame is as a programmer. I would like 
>> to have font metrics in the API python, is it there?
>>
>> For example, someone could write a scribus script to get news from 
>> the local news client (thunderbird) then design a news paper with 
>> some favoured articles. No more need to read screen, you could wake 
>> to an automated daily print of the news at your house.
>>
>>
>> Craig, part of your questions confused me
>>
>> Based on the current content's first line ending, or
>> the 2nd? last? Or the current number of lines and adjust the width?
>> I cannot reply for my confusion. I think, the only use to automate 
>> frame size is to fit all text, or am I wrong? You implied that 
>> someone wants to size the text frame small to make some text 
>> invisible, unprinted?
> I think your response proves Craig's point...why should your 
> suggestions be the ones to implement? 
I want to solve problems for everyone I found a program that I thought 
could help everyone. Since then I talked with some scribus developers 
who told me that there is metrics for fonts in scribus, but not in the 
scripter.

> Changing the size of a frame, changing the size of a font can easily 
> affect the entire layout of a page, so it's hard to see that such a 
> quick fix is what many/most users would want.
I do not want a quick fix either.
>
> If there is anything that might be useful, it would be a less clumsy 
> Scripter way to know when a frame has overflow and by how much, so 
> that custom scripts could be more easily written.
>
For the scripter, a-l-e at irc, a developer, who I talked with told me 
that he wrote a new scripter.

This new scripter is not fully ready. At this state, the scripter new 
has not exposed any more functions of the source C++, but I was told 
that to expose functions in the new scripter is easier.
> Greg
>
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