Typography
Hyphenation
In the Arbortext Styler UI, you can activate and deactivate hyphenation completely, or confirm that words can break but without displaying a hyphen.
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer's line breaking capability is powered by the same library as the FOSI engine. However, PTC Arbortext Layout Developer is a line-based processor rather than a paragraph-based one, so there may be differences between the two when it comes to line endings. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer will scan back to the beginning of the paragraph to achieve an aesthetic output, but will not consider the paragraph as a whole. Additionally, PTC Arbortext Layout Developer can allow letter and word spacing adjustments, which also affect line breaking (see later).
When PTC Arbortext Layout Developer is processing a line of text, it will always do what it can to fit the content into the space available. This means that table cell content should never overhang the cell boundaries.
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer has its own group of hyphenation settings:
• Hyphenation level
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer's hyphenation level ranges from 0 to 10, from least strict to off. Additional levels 11 and 12 mean that hyphenation is deactivated, but will handle words that are too long. Level 12 forms Arbortext Styler's off setting. A word will not hyphenate unless it is too long to fit in the current measure, when it will break at an appropriate point. Level 11 is a strict line-based hyphenation rule. It will not consider the rest of the paragraph, and so ignores other settings related to hyphenation.
Hyphenation level is controlled by the <?thyc> processing instruction (PTC Arbortext Layout Developer syntax) or the fStyle.hyphenationLevel property.
• Number of consecutive hyphens
Set a maximum number of hyphens that can appear down the edge of the page.
• Minimum word size to hyphenate
Ensure that small words do not get hyphenated.
• Minimum characters before and after a hyphen
Ensure that a minimum number of widow and orphan characters appear on a line.
• Disable hyphenation
Specify that hyphenation should be disabled under certain conditions:
◦ For words in capitals
◦ At the end of a paragraph
◦ At the end of a column
◦ At the end of a page
As with FOSI, exception dictionaries can be used. These allow you to specify custom hyphenation points in words. Two dictionaries can be applied with PTC Arbortext Layout Developer.
You can also define the hyphenation character to be used, on a paragraph or an inline basis. The normal hyphen character (-) can be replaced with any other character, or set to nothing. This is useful when formatting chemical names, URLs and so on.
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer provides the ability to specify word break characters. These are the characters that are permitted to break lines without introducing a hyphen. By default, this is set to the hyphen (-) and the forward slash (/), but it is simple to add and remove characters. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer can have up to 16 characters configured as permitted word break characters.
PTC ALD source code edits are required to access PTC Arbortext Layout Developer's hyphenation control. Refer to Stylesheet Developer’s Guide to APP Code for some samples of how to configure hyphenation.
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer also provides support for the Dieckmann hyphenator, which provides superior hyphenation rules for many different languages. You must purchase dictionaries to use this function. These are available from Dieckmann or DataCopy, a PTC partner. Engage the services of GSO or an PTC ALD partner to implement this hyphenator.
Spacing
Letter and word spacing is used to improve the aesthetics of justified text by varying the amount of space between letters and words. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer can apply a basic setting, but also set maximum values for 'stretch' and 'squash', which allows an amount of flex when making the text fit onto a line. Spacing works in conjunction with hyphenation settings to produce nice looking text.
To access PTC Arbortext Layout Developer's spacing settings, use PTC ALDsource code edits to the style. The following properties are exposed to the user through the FOM:
• Letter spacing
◦ Basic letter spacing — fStyle.letterSpace
◦ Letter spacing stretch — fStyle.letterSpaceExtra
◦ Letter spacing squash — fStyle.letterSpaceSquash
• Word spacing
◦ Basic word spacing — fStyle.wordSpace
◦ Word spacing stretch — fStyle.wordSpaceExtra
◦ Word spacing squash — fStyle.wordSpaceSquash
PTC ALD source code edits are required to access PTC Arbortext Layout Developer's methods of controlling space. Refer to Stylesheet Developer’s Guide to APP Code for some samples of how to configure character width, stretch, and squash properties.
Kerning
You may apply custom kerning tables with PTC Arbortext Layout Developer. You will need to configure this in an PTC ALD template that can then be associated with your .style stylesheet.
Ligatures
You may apply custom ligature tables with PTC Arbortext Layout Developer. You will need to configure this in an PTC ALD template that can then be associated with your .style stylesheet.
Character effects
Some fairly uncommon requirements for text character position and visual effects can be achieved in PTC Arbortext Layout Developer:
• Vertical position
Text is usually positioned on a baseline, an invisible line on which the majority of characters sit. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer can align text so that the tops, centers, or bottoms of the characters align. It can also provide an offset to align the characters at a specified position relative to the true baseline.
• Rotation
Characters can be rotated 90, 180 or 270 degrees on the line. This is sometimes used when vertically formatting text. Rotation does not effect the order in which the characters appear.
• Character width
Characters in any font can be output at a specified fixed width. The alignment of the characters in that width can also be controlled.
• Flip and mirror
Characters can be flipped (vertically mirrored) or mirrored horizontally. Flip and mirror do not effect the order in which characters appear.
• Pseudo-italic and pseudo-bold
Both pseudo-italic and pseudo-bold can accept a value to specify the amount of slant (italic) or offset (bold). For pseudo-italic, negative values can also be used. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer's pseudo-bold applies a copy of the character offset from the true character. Text outline (see below) may also be used to make a character appear thicker.
• Character outline
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer can change the outline thickness of a character. By default, the color of the character's outline is none, but this can also be set to any color supported by PTC Arbortext Layout Developer. Character outlines have been used to provide a pseudo-bold effect. With additional coding they can also provide a drop shadow effect by underprinting numerous copies of the same text in lighter colors and greater outline thickness.
All character effects can be accessed via PTC ALD source code edits. Refer to Stylesheet Developer’s Guide to APP Code for some samples of how to configure character effects.
Blocks
Blocks are a layout feature common to Arbortext Styler, XSL-FO, and CSS. They are available in PTC Arbortext Layout Developer as a new formatting object, alongside tables and paragraphs. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer blocks have additional functionality which will be of use to stylesheet designers.
• Block width
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer's blocks can carry a width property, which specifies how wide the block should be within its measure. The block width can be a percentage of the available space, or an absolute value.
• Boxing
Blocks can have a background color and rules on all sides.
• Columns
◦ Columns within columns
Content can be displayed in multiple columns within a parent column, for example a list in text.
◦ Column width control
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer uses blocks to specify page columns, rather than controlling frame columns mid-page. Unequal column widths can be configured in the Arbortext Styler UI. If further control is needed, add PTC ALD source code edits to a block or page set to allow even more precise control of column appearance.
◦ Column alignment control
The Arbortext Styler UI provides the option to align column sets within the space available. For example, if three columns of 20mm each are required, but the measure is 120mm and column gutters are 5mm, 50mm of space will be left. By default the three columns will be left-aligned, with the 50mm of white space appearing to their right. However, it is possible to center or right align the columns in that space.
◦ Column fill order
Block columns will be filled with content depending on the layout direction set for the object (right-to-left or left-to-right). Multi-column blocks in PTC Arbortext Layout Developer can be filled to a specified order if required, for example column 3, column 2, column 4, then column 1.
• Rotation
Individual blocks can be rotated in PTC Arbortext Layout Developer to 90, 180 or 270 degrees.
These effects can be achieved using PTC ALD source code edits. Refer to Stylesheet Developer’s Guide to APP Code for some examples of working with blocks.
Drop capitals and words
The first letter (or word) can be output significantly larger than the main content, often spanning a number of lines of the paragraph. The lines wrap around the dropped letter or word.
Drop capitals can be achieved using PTC ALD source code edits. Refer to Stylesheet Developer’s Guide to APP Code for an example of how to configure a drop capital.
The development of drop word formatting requires more complex work. Engage the services of GSO or an PTC ALD partner.
Paragraph reposition
When a paragraph starts after another, it is usual for it to start below the preceding paragraph at a distance specified by margins and leading. However, it is possible to start a paragraph at a different position. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer provides simple tools to position paragraphs:
• To last para start
Some side by side layout requirements can be achieved by repositioning the current paragraph to the start position of the preceding paragraph. This allows either paragraph to run as long as necessary.
• To last para end
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer allows a paragraph to be repositioned to the baseline position of the last line of the preceding paragraph.
• Vertically center in measure
Some titles, for example cover page titles, need to be vertically centered in the page area. PTC Arbortext Layout Developer provides a simple instruction to achieve this.
• Flush to column bottom
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer can position text flush to the bottom of a measure without using margins.
Tab stops
Tab stops allow content to jump to and align on specified horizontal positions based on the presence of tab characters. For example, text on a line might be left aligned at 10mm, centered at 100mm, and right aligned at 200mm.
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer allows the configuration of tabs to align text in the following ways:
• Justified
• Non-justified
• Centered
• Right aligned
• Decimal aligned
When setting up tabs it is possible to specify leader properties (character and spacing). You can also set up trigger characters other than the TAB character.
PTC ALD source code edits are required to access tab stops.
Justification
Refer to Spacing for information on how word and letter spacing work with justification.
In PTC Arbortext Layout Developer it is possible to specify a justification limit. This is the distance from the right measure at which text justification is turned off in a line. If a line falls very short of the measure, forcing it to justify would add too much space between letters or words. The justification limit tells PTC Arbortext Layout Developer how short the line can be before deactivating justification.
PTC ALD source code edits can achieve this effect.
Text decoration
The Arbortext Styler UI provides options for text underlining, strikethrough, and inline text background color. The underline feature can apply color and line style while the strikethrough feature can apply color. Both underline and strikethrough can be applied to words and spaces or words only, although underline is restricted to a single non-patterned line.
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer can apply lines for underline, strikethrough, and background color, but can also apply an overbar. All lines can carry an offset and a color. All lines can be based on any line pattern described in
PTC Arbortext Layout Developer, including start and end patterns to apply arrows to text. Refer to
Rules for further information on line patterns.
Use PTC ALD source code edits to achieve these effects. Refer to Stylesheet Developer’s Guide to APP Code for some examples of how to add text decoration properties.