macvim-dev / macvim-dev/macvim
opentype language tags for core text renderer
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Description
apparently the Core text renderer supports activating language tags in advanced opentype fonts, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Advanced_Typography
the iosevka font implements fancy ligatures on a per-programming-language basis using these language tags.
https://github.com/be5invis/Iosevka/issues/56
(see also the README of this repo for examples)
the atom editor supports this via the use of custom stylesheets afaiu.
i find this a saner solution than enabling a fixed set of ligatures globally for a gui font, since the set of ligatures that make sense depends on the programming language. for example, is <= an arrow or a comparison operator? does |> have a special meaning in the language? etc.
so, feature request: could MacVim allow setting language tags for the Core Text renderer in opentype gui fonts? ideally this would be a new setting that can be put into a filetype-specific autocommand.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by locating MacVim's Core Text renderer and the GUI font-setting entry points mentioned by the request. Trace how a filetype-specific autocommand could provide OpenType language tags, and confirm the expected behavior with the Iosevka examples and linked references. Done means a documented setting can apply language tags per file type in Core Text fonts.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- macos, vim
- Domain
- desktop
- Issue type
- Feature
- Difficulty
- 5/5
- Estimated time
- Over a week
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 25/100