FOray 0.1 release

[Victor Mote <vi...@outfitr.com>]

FOP Devs:

I am pleased to announce the release of FOray 0.1 alpha 1. This release is
only useful to FOP developers. Some useful information about the release can
be found in these places:
http://foray.sourceforge.net/module/font/index.html
http://foray.sourceforge.net/module/font/release.html
Since it is developers-only, I have not prepared any downloadable packages.
You will need to use CVS to get the code. This is available here:
http://sourceforge.net/cvs/?group_id=109663

Probably the most efficient way to proceed is for Chris to do the initial
evaluation work. I can support him off-line, and probably will need to add
some doc as a result of his work. Then any others who wish to look at it
will have an easier time.

To cleanly get Fonts isolated, I had to isolate PDF, and to isolate PDF, I
had to isolate Graphics. So there are actually three FOray modules at the
moment (plus Common).

Please remember that this release is a no-feature release, but is intended
to address architectural issues only. The main purposes of the release are
1) to try to find out whether anything has broken, and 2) to get comments on
the general design.

Implied within FOray itself is a desire on my part to start getting code
released again. I realize that there are several views of how best to get
that done, and that FOray might be viewed as a distraction by some. If that
is the prevailing view, and FOP has no desire to release this code under any
circumstances, then you can save Chris a lot of trouble by reaffirming the
status quo now. This will put the burden on FOray to start releasing
essentially a competing product, which I am not eager to do. (This may
happen eventually anyway if I have time to pursue the modular design that I
think is important, but it is just as likely that a FOP 1.0 release will
make such an effort unnecessary). As a "friend of FOP" I have opinions on
what you should do, but my role here is different, and I will try to remain
neutral, providing information when needed. I'm really just a guy trying to
get some work done -- if it helps you, good; if not, that is OK too.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Victor Mote