[webkit-help] webkit changes after 10.7.5 regarding fixed font default action in filemaker pro versus Safari and default commands to remedy the discrepancy

[Alex Shore]

Hi,

I run a custom database in Filemaker Pro (and Advanced) 11 and 13 that works fine under 10.7.5 and on Windows 7, but once I upgraded to 10.9.4 - the formatting of the webpages filemaker pro (FMP) was displaying was all distorted.  Apparently this is well known behavior since the webkit changed a default handling of fixed font family preferences after Lion.

So, in Safari, I can fix the behavior so that displaying the web page in Safari under 10.9.4 works just fine by running the following default commands:

defaults write com.apple.Safari com.apple.Safari.ContentPageGroupIdentifier.WebKit2FixedFontFamily Monaco

defaults write com.apple.Safari com.apple.Safari.ContentPageGroupIdentifier.WebKit2DefaultFixedFontSize 11

I've asked FMP Tech support about it, and that didn't get far; just a "we're not Safari - and where did you get the idea that the webviewer element should be used to view web pages"

So, if the same FMP database works fine on 10.7.5, but doesn't on 10.9.4 = but viewing the same URL through Safari on the same machine at the same time after setting the defaults as above renders the page correctly - I would hope that there is a defaults option that I can set universally for webkit so that when FMP calls it, it will use the same fixedfontfamily and fixedfondsize as I've told Safari to use.

I tried to explain to the FMP tech support contact that I needed the bundle and Identifier (corresponding to ContentPageGroupIdentifier) for FMP to write the correct setting - but that didn't get far.



So, short of trying to come up to speed on building a custom version of webkit to run on my machine under 10.9.4 just so I can keep moving forward with FMP and MacOS - is there either a defaults command that I can use to alter the behavior of FMP?

Or, if there a defaults command(s) that I can use that alters the behavior of webkit for all applications?

Your assistance is appreciated in advance.

My background is way - back (designed EGA and VGA chipsets at IBM back in early 80's) and then designed chips for HP - but due to math of low noise amplifiers being similar to modern portfolio theory risk calculation, I do portfolio managment - hence what the database in FMP is used for.  All that is to say I'm real comfortable with terminal and shells in unix - but not all that familiar with the webdesign tools and terminology.  Eventually, after burrowing through about 100 levels of code, it still is just poly over silicon - you may lose me in the terminology of the intermediate levels.

Thank you,
Alex