From: John H. Jenkins (jenkins@apple.com)
Date: Tue Oct 27 2009 - 12:59:27 CST
On Oct 27, 2009, at 11:01 AM, William_J_G Overington wrote:
> I am wondering quite how this would work and what is done about font support in an iPhone App.
>
It would not work at all outside the one app, because the graphics engine would have to be revised at Apple's end to support the new emoji. Technically, the app could modify the text engine internally or use its own font, but no other app would follow suit.
There are, in fact, applications that support private emoji sets, generally by expanding text like ":)". These apps are written to exchange text with the same app on another iPhone and won't necessarily work with a different application except by coincidence. I've yet to see one that uses the PUA.
The only reason that PUA emoji work on the iPhone right now is because Apple has gone to the trouble to support the existing set for compatibility with other phones in Japan. (It can work outside of Japan, too, but you need a hack to do it.)
Remember, the use of characters to encode emoji is pretty universally felt to be a Very Bad Thing™. The flame wars have been pretty much about whether or not it is a Necessary Evil™, and whether or not it will be taken as a Precedent for the Future™.
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John H. Jenkins
jenkins@apple.com
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