PDF is fucked up beyond all doubt. But there seems to be no better (even if unpopular) alternative.
How do you imagine a better format PDF alternative? On the one hand, we have text-based formats. They are not serialization of the exact rendering. On the other hand, we have ps, which is, probably, too complex to be manipulated as text when rendered. PDF and dejavu do kinda both, even if quite imperfectly.
So how do we construct a file format, which can render a symbol (not necessarily a unicode one) anywhere, pixel-perfect, but still has concept of words, paragraphs, preferably tables and such?
epub is the way to go I think. PDF is an overengineered abomination. It nicely serves the purpose of "there is only one and exactly one way to render this", but then again, just about so does an image.
I also think that, with more love, epub could get there too. It's not an easy problem, but if we can crack SHA-1 I'm sure we can crack this one too :)
It's not as versatile (no forms, for example), but layout- and prepress-wise it seems to be as good as PDF (with the benefit that it retains the structure).
How do you imagine a better format PDF alternative? On the one hand, we have text-based formats. They are not serialization of the exact rendering. On the other hand, we have ps, which is, probably, too complex to be manipulated as text when rendered. PDF and dejavu do kinda both, even if quite imperfectly.
So how do we construct a file format, which can render a symbol (not necessarily a unicode one) anywhere, pixel-perfect, but still has concept of words, paragraphs, preferably tables and such?