ChapterZero

Last night I recieved notice from the sourceforge people that my proposed new project has been approved. So today I’ll spend sometime between class and work, during my lunch hour, trying to figure out how to upload to the project page, liquidfont.sourceforge.net. LiquidFont is to be a utility that compiles text files written in a certain script into TrueType font family files (TrueType, TrueType Open, and OpenType), something in the tradition of Donald Knuth’s MetaFONT. All I have set in stone for now is that Lfont will be platform-independent, Java-based, console-driven, and generates TTF type font files. What I have realized also, is that the hardest part of LiquidFont will be the engine that parses the input script, eliminating all ambiguity and reducing the font information to nothing but measurements. On top of this, many backends could be placed, if the engine was designed appropriately dependence free, for the generation of any type of font: PostScript, TrueType, MetaFONT generic, anything conceivable. But for now, my goal is simply TrueType.

On an unrelated note, l33t.ca has been down for like a week straight. I really like this service– its free, has PHP, MySQL, and FTP– but I’ve started looking for a more reliable host. If anyone can help me out, by identifying a free hosting service that provides the same features, I would be much oblidged.

Once again, I’m facing one of my many problems. Which books shouldn’t I check out? I think I’m doing well this time, however. I managed to cut it down to two.

Incidentally, I’m still here, using one of the computers. And I’m printing out a book Or part of one anyway; the POV user manual. Because I’m getting back into it. I figure it can’t hurt to refresh my memory on something I used to know back when I had time to use it. And I need to practice my aesthetic skills before they fade away under the pressure of all the computer/math stuff I’ve been learning.

I actually have time to blog today because my physics prof finished the chapter in one hour. So I slipped out of the class, and decided to take the remaining hour to myself. I figure, it’s boring enough listening to him when he’s introducing ‘new’ material. Why listen when he’s just going to be reviewing the old? Anyhow– see how out of shape I am with the blogging? I have no clue what to talk about, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had any ‘deep’ thoughts.

I need some time to \relax. But it doesn’t seem I’ll have any, any time soon… this weekend, I have to go help someone learn to use their computer. That’s something I’ve noticed: people think computers are some kind of puzzle– if you can learn how to drive, whic is much more dangerous, by messing around, then computers should be no different. Of course, I have somewhat of a biased viewpoint.

Speaking of computers, right now I’m learning XML-RPC and SOAP. More accurately, I learned XML-RPC (its very simple, took about 5 minutes literally), and am reading about its different implementations. And then I will learn SOAP. Why? I like the idea of web-based RPC and distributed programming. I’m even considering implementing some kind of web service, just for kicks, if I can think of something useful: a front-end to my quotes db? Probably not

And I’m back on the math, if I ever left it. I checked out a book on real analysis, just because I saw it in the new books section of the library, and glanced through it. In doing so, I saw some definitions that I thought were particular to my professor (he gave me some problems to work over summer to prep for a class he’s teaching in fall), so now I’m sorely tempted to go against his advice and read the book. But, I think I’ll resist that temptation by delving into the books I have on set theory and logic– which I’d like to know anyway.