SDL2_ttf port is very old

[rtrussell]

I raised this at the Emscripten Ports project but was redirected here. The version of SDL2_ttf that you get from -s USE_SDL_TTF=2 (2.0.15) is over four years old, it was released in January 2019! Are there any plans to update this to a newer version (ideally 2.20.1)? There have been major developments in the support of HarfBuzz text shaping in the meantime, such as the introduction of the TTF_SetFontScriptName() and TTF_SetFontDirection() functions.

[sbc100]

We don't have any specific existing plans to update. If you need a recent version you could to try to propose and update as a PR? Otherwise I will mark flag this issue such that someone should pick it up at some point.

[sbc100]

Oh way, I think you are looking at an old repo. The port looks like it now directly points to upstream:

emscripten/tools/ports/sdl2_ttf.py

Line 8 in 008017b

TAG = '38fcb695276ed794f879d5d9c5ef4e5286a5200d' # Latest as of 24 November 2020

It was updated last here: #13484

[rtrussell]

I think you are looking at an old repo. The port looks like it now directly points to upstream:

I've installed the latest version of Emscripten (3.1.31):

emsdk install 3.1.31
emsdk activate 3.1.31

The version of SDL2_ttf I'm getting from -s USE_SDL_TTF=2 is 2.0.15. Is there something else I am supposed to do to get a later version?

[sbc100]

The commit we use is libsdl-org/SDL_ttf@38fcb69.

This is from Oct 29 2020. Upgrading to more recent version should be fine. If you have time perhaps you could upload a PR?

[rtrussell]

The commit we use is libsdl-org/SDL_ttf@38fcb69. This is from Oct 29 2020.

From this list of releases I conclude that it is indeed 2.0.15 (using commits that were never released is questionable, I would say, because they won't have undergone extensive testing). The next official release was 2.0.18 on Jan 11 2022.

Upgrading to more recent version should be fine. If you have time perhaps you could upload a PR?

Sorry, I have not the slightest idea how to do that. I assumed that the latest Emscripten would give me a reasonably recent version of SDL2_ttf, as it doesn't I'll have to live with that.

[sbc100]

We can certainly upgrade the version that we ship, and I'm sure we will, its just question of time and priorities.

I didn't mean pressure you to be the one to do the upgrade, I was just offering your the opportunity, since that is often a practical way get things done quickly.

[rtrussell]

didn't mean pressure you to be the one to do the upgrade, I was just offering your the opportunity, since that is often a practical way get things done quickly.

I presume another way would be to use the EMCC_LOCAL_PORTS environment variable, which is easier for me to understand.

[sbc100]

Perhaps, yes. Bear in mind that that option is mostly an internal/development aid IIUC, so YMMV. IIUC its designed for folks who are working on ports to try out new versions, but we don't actually test that it works are part of our CI (perhaps we should).

[rtrussell]

Bear in mind that that option is mostly an internal/development aid IIUC, so YMMV

I see. It's referred to here but without any details. I've just tried both of these, neither has any effect:

EMCC_LOCAL_PORTS="SDL_TTF=/SDL2_ttf-2.20.1/"
EMCC_LOCAL_PORTS="SDL2_TTF=/SDL2_ttf-2.20.1/"

The environment variable is being recognised because I get this warning, repeated five times:

ports:WARNING: using local ports: "SDL2_TTF=/SDL2_ttf-2.20.1/"

but the build doesn't seem to be affected at all.

[waywardmonkeys]

I've submitted PR #18804 that addresses this port specifically. But we should also probably update the FreeType and Harfbuzz ports as well.