[HarfBuzz] Cross-compiling HarfBuzz for ios

[Anita Hui]

Hi Steven,

We are a cross platform solution, and can run on a wide range of devices (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, XBox, PS, Roku, etc). We currently use ICU and as you mention we have been able to reduce the size. However, it does take some effort to port to various platforms and are looking for alternatives which are smaller and less complex. 

________________________________________
From: Steven R. Loomis <srl at icu-project.org>
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2014 12:28 PM
To: Anita Hui; harfbuzz at lists.freedesktop.org; behdad at behdad.org
Subject: Re: [HarfBuzz] Cross-compiling HarfBuzz for ios

On 07/18/2014 09:01 AM, Anita Hui wrote:
> Hi Steven and Behdad,
>
> Thank you both for your responses! I spoke with my team lead and ultimately we were hoping to determine whether we can replace ICU entirely (LE, LX) with HarfBuzz.

the ICU LE library is (as I understand it ) what is comparable, and thus
replaceable by, HarfBuzz.

the LX library does text segmentation, bidi, etc. - and this depends on
the ICU services.

> From reading your ticket I realize that Paragraph Layout uses other ICU services, but are there any ways to do what paragraph layout does with what’s available in HarfBuzz?
No, HarfBuzz is a lower level library.
>  Or are there any lightweight libraries that can do it?
Hm - may I ask what some of the issues are with ICU itself?
If it is size,  there's a lot you can do.  You can use the data
customizer to reduce the data size. You can static link with just the
functions you need.


On the other hand, seeing as you are on iOS, it might be possible to
implement layoutex using core text services. (ICU underlies iOS)

> Again, thanks for replying!
>
> Anita Hui
> Software Developer Co-op
> anita.hui at youilabs.com
>
> ________________________________________
> From: HarfBuzz <harfbuzz-bounces at lists.freedesktop.org> on behalf of Steven R. Loomis <srl at icu-project.org>
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2014 7:21 PM
> To: harfbuzz at lists.freedesktop.org
> Subject: Re: [HarfBuzz] Cross-compiling HarfBuzz for ios
>
> Here's what I would do:
> * build ICU from source (with --enable-layout)
> * after it built, *replace*  lib/libicule* ( the ICU layout engine) in
> ICU's build dir with Harfbuzz's
>   * also replace the whole source/layout directory with something
> containing the harfbuzz headers
> * Then, do a build in the source/layout*ex* directory
>
> That should give you a libiculx linked against HB.
>
> I filed an ICU ticket here: http://bugs.icu-project.org/trac/ticket/11023
>
> Behdad: can you fix the wrapper page to link to this bug with "if you
> use layoutex", and I will do the same on the ICU warning.

--

IBMer but all opinions are mine.
https://www.ohloh.net/accounts/srl295 // fingerprint @ https://ssl.icu-project.org/trac/wiki/Srl