Go fonts • Hacker News Board

Re: Go fonts

#11

Post by revelation » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 2:56 AM UTC

The screenshot vaguely reminds me of a scanned copy of code from the 80s.

Re: Go fonts

#12

Post by mmel » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:05 AM UTC

Why does a programming language need its own font?

Re: Go fonts

#13

Post by enneff » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:06 AM UTC

runeblaze wrote: post #6

"The experimental user interface toolkit being built at golang.org/x/exp/shiny includes several text elements, but there is a problem with testing them: What font should be used?" I am really amused by this opening. I guess it is part of the culture to "recreate" something unnecessary and perhaps better when there is resource to spare.

Font licensing is complicated and Chuck is a friend. It was very important to us that Go programmers be unencumbered when distributing programs that use this font.

Re: Go fonts

#14

Post by enneff » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:07 AM UTC

mmel wrote: post #12

Why does a programming language need its own font?

Why not?

But seriously, it's of great benefit to Go programmers to have a font that shares the same license as Go itself. Most fonts are not so unencumbered.

Re: Go fonts

#15

Post by gribbly » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:08 AM UTC

donatj wrote: post #2

Interestingly strange they wouldn't just choose an existing open source font that got along with their license. I guess even you've got Google's wallet behind you it opens a lot of doors.

I agree, but then again the end result is another open source font family available for everyone to use, so I'm not complaining.

Re: Go fonts

#16

Post by honkhonkpants » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:08 AM UTC

userbinator wrote: post #8

crsmithdev wrote: post #4

Yuck, the monospace font feels too dense, and dislike the serifs.

I think the rendering is horrible too, with plenty of colour fringing and unevenness. The monospace font reminds me of the generic "Asian product manual font" - although the individual shapes are slightly different, it has a similar feeling to MS Mincho: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-archive/2013Jul/att-...

Images of the way a font was rendered on some output device are always going to look weird and wrong on another one.

Re: Go fonts

#17

Post by jjn2009 » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:11 AM UTC

pretty soon you will not be able to compile go without it being written in the correct font. thus making go code the same no matter where it is written or displayed!

Re: Go fonts

#18

Post by valarauca1 » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:13 AM UTC

dxhdr wrote: post #10

It'd be nice to see font examples with syntax highlighting as well.

https://s22.postimg.org/x92shc4wx/Screenshot_at_2016_11_16_2...

Rust not Go but same idea

Re: Go fonts

#19

Post by int_handler » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:14 AM UTC

enneff wrote: post #13

runeblaze wrote: post #6

"The experimental user interface toolkit being built at golang.org/x/exp/shiny includes several text elements, but there is a problem with testing them: What font should be used?" I am really amused by this opening. I guess it is part of the culture to "recreate" something unnecessary and perhaps better when there is resource to spare.

Font licensing is complicated and Chuck is a friend. It was very important to us that Go programmers be unencumbered when distributing programs that use this font.

Why is it not possible to just use the system font for these UI elements?

Re: Go fonts

#20

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Nov 17, 2016, 3:16 AM UTC

int_handler wrote: post #19

enneff wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Font licensing is complicated and Chuck is a friend. It was very important to us that Go programmers be unencumbered when distributing programs that use this font.

Why is it not possible to just use the system font for these UI elements?

[deleted]