[matplotlib-devel] SVG font labelling issue

I've got an issue with the font specification for the SVG backend. I'm
not 100% sure it's a bug so I'm posting it for comment. Looking at the
SVG backend code, it should be simple to fix (once the correct answer is
known!). 

I'm using Bitstream Vera Sans as my default font. This gets encoded in
the SVG file as

<text style="font-size: 10.000000; font-family: BitstreamVeraSans-Roman;
stroke-width: 0.5; stroke: #000000; fill: #000000;" x="445.650013"
y="63.225600" >
  My Text Item
</text>

The font-family "Bitstream Vera Sans" is combined with the font-style
"Roman". This doesn't conform to the SVG spec: see
http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG/fonts.html#SVGFonts

it should read something like "... font-family: BitstreamVeraSans; font-
style: roman ..."

When the file is rendered (using either rsvg or inkscape), the actual
font used appears to be "Sans" (similar, but not quite identical to
BitstreamVeraSans).

My second issue is the use of white space & <CR> around the text
characters. When Inkscape renders this, the white space is included and
the carriage return results in a nasty white box character at the end of
each text item. However, rsvg doesn't render this box so things look
OK. 

I can't find anything in the svg spec to indicate that whitespace should
be ignored so I think the <CR>/<LF> and spaces should be removed.
Comments?

Bryan