[pdftex] SVG and pdftex.

[Robin Fairbairns]

Hans Hagen <pragma at wxs.nl> wrote:

> Jim Diamond wrote:
> 
> > Are there any plans afoot to facilitate the use of microtypography in
> > luatex for plain tex users?
> 
> as plain is a 'frozen' format with a fixed font subsystem adding micro
> typography to it would render it non-plain

i don't think that's really a barrier.

what _is_ a barrier is the lack of plain programmers.

jim seemed to suggest that "they ought to write it", without specifying
who "they" might be.  they would of course be discerning plain users who
were able to program complex macro constructs.

the latex microtype package arose (i assume) because robert schlicht
realised that the earlier pdfcprot wasn't really "up to it".  things
like that don't happen in a community that isn't in the habit of sharing
macro packages.

my impression, as an archivist, is that there are rather few plain
programmers who feel the value of sharing stuff.  (in the past year, i
think we've had *one* new plain package submitted to ctan, by comparison
with dozens of new latex packages, and quite a lot of context ones --
remember that ctan isn't a primary source for context stuff.)

so, afaict, plain users who want new features are more-or-less "on their
own".

so ... good luck, jim!  (and submit it to ctan, when you're done, so as
to save the rest of them the bother.)

robin