Adding workaround for Variable Fonts causing too wide letter spacing

README.md

@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ Refer to [https://st.suckless.org/](https://st.suckless.org/) for details on the
 
 ### Changelog:
 
+2021-04-21 - Added (temporary?) hack for Variable Fonts (VT) support
+
 2021-03-10 - Added sixel support
 
 2021-02-26 - Added the dynamic cursor color patch
@@ -172,6 +174,12 @@ Refer to [https://st.suckless.org/](https://st.suckless.org/) for details on the
    - [wide-glyphs](https://www.reddit.com/r/suckless/comments/jt90ai/update_support_for_proper_glyph_rendering_in_st/)
       - adds proper support for wide glyphs, as opposed to rendering smaller or cut glyphs
 
+   - [wide-glyph-spacing](https://github.com/googlefonts/Inconsolata/issues/42#issuecomment-737508890)
+      - there is a known issue that Google's Variable Fonts (VF) can end up with letter spacing
+        that is too wide in programs that use Xft, for example Inconsolata v3.000
+      - this is intended as a temporary workaround / patch / hack until (if) this is fixed in the
+        Xft library itself
+
    - [workingdir](https://st.suckless.org/patches/workingdir/)
       - allows user to specify the initial path st should use as the working directory
 

patches.def.h

@@ -272,6 +272,16 @@
  */
 #define WIDE_GLYPHS_PATCH 0
 
+/* There is a known issue that Google's Variable Fonts (VF) can end up with letter spacing
+ * that is too wide in programs that use Xft, for example Inconsolata v3.000.
+ *
+ * This is intended as a temporary patch / hack until (if) this is fixed in the Xft library
+ * itself.
+ *
+ * https://github.com/googlefonts/Inconsolata/issues/42#issuecomment-737508890
+ */
+#define WIDE_GLYPH_SPACING_PATCH 0
+
 /* This patch allows user to specify the initial path st should use as the working directory.
  * https://st.suckless.org/patches/workingdir/
  */

x.c

@@ -1025,7 +1025,11 @@ xloadfont(Font *f, FcPattern *pattern)
 	f->rbearing = f->match->max_advance_width;
 
 	f->height = f->ascent + f->descent;
+	#if WIDE_GLYPH_SPACING_PATCH
+	f->width = DIVCEIL(extents.xOff > 18 ? extents.xOff / 3 : extents.xOff, strlen(ascii_printable));
+	#else
 	f->width = DIVCEIL(extents.xOff, strlen(ascii_printable));
+	#endif //WIDE_GLYPH_SPACING_PATCH
 
 	return 0;
 }