[scribus] reading pub and idd files

[Alexandre Prokoudine]

On Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 10:40 AM, Czarek wrote:

> 2. I don`t think it is possible to write perfect importer for any big layout
> with proof of exact copy (for example: see how CorelDraw imports complicated
> files from Illustrator, see how complicated Corel files are imported to any
> other program with CDR import)

I'm afraid that you don't get it.

See, Corel eventually lost its ability to open its own files from
early versions. For that past 10 years or so it supports only v5+
files. All the artwork you did in the past is gone unless you dig for
installers on arcane websites.

Or think about Macromedia FreeHand. There's no such a product anymore.
Can you guarantee that installer will always be available to save old
files?

This is about supporting legacy. Why you are trying to dumb it down to
"importing is for idiots" is beyond my comprehension.

> 3. I don`t think any professionals need this. In real world only geeks
> expecting that they can send their files from any application to anyone and
> everyone has the same application and same fonts. And only geeks can expect
> that they should be able to open any file from any application they get.

>From comments on PUB importer in Scribus:

"Looking forward to it. I have one particular person who sends me
pub's when I've repeatedly asked for pdf's. I suppose pdf's are like
calculus for some people."

Which one of them is a geek? The answer is: neither. But you are
welcome to think you are smarter than everybody else. Not that the
real world would accept it, but hey! :)

> 3. Yes - having such feature like import from platinum DTP applications would
> be big benefit for Scribus users and would give a kick for Scribus to go out
> from DTP shadow. But... does platinum layout applications read each other?

Which causes all sorts complaints. So?

> Get it easy. It is only importer for lazy or stupid people.

How very polite of you.

People need support for legacy data for all kinds of reasons. Ever
tried prepping old magazines for publishing on the web? You wouldn't
need excellent file format support for that, just being able to save
the text and images would do the trick. But that would be lazy or
stupid, right? Tough people would "just" scan and OCR thousands of
pages.

Alexandre Prokoudine
http://libregraphicsworld.org