A font is specified by listing fourteen different characteristics, separated by dashes (-). This is called the X Logical Font Description (XLFD). In some cases, a property in the list can be replaced by a * wildcard, and a character within a property can be replaced by a ? wildcard. Table 17-4 lists font property string specifications.
The form of the property string specification is:
"-Foundry-FamilyName-WeightName- Slant-SetwidthName-AddStyleName-PixelSize- PointSize-ResolutionX-ResolutionY-Spacing- AverageWidth-CharSetRegistry-CharSetCoding"
Table 17-4 Font Property String Specification
Property String |
Definition |
---|---|
Foundry |
A string identifying the font designer |
FamilyName |
A string identifying the trademarked name of the font |
WeightName |
A string giving the relative weight of the font, such as bold |
Slant |
A code describing the direction of slant: R (Roman-no slant) I (Italic-slant right) O (Oblique-slant right) RI (Reverse Italic-slant left) RO (Reverse Oblique-slant left) |
SetwidthName |
A string describing the width, such as compressed or expanded |
AddStyleName |
A string providing any additional information needed to uniquely identify the font |
PixelSize |
An integer giving the size of an em-square in pixels |
PointSize |
An integer giving the size of an em-square in decipoints |
ResolutionX |
An integer giving the horizontal resolution in pixels |
ResolutionY |
An integer giving the vertical resolution in pixels |
Spacing |
A code specifying the spacing between units: M (Monospace--fixed pitch) P (Proportional space--variable pitch) C (Character cell) |
AverageWidth |
An integer giving the average width in 1/10th pixels |
CharSetRegistry |
A string identifying the registration authority that has registered the font encoding |
CharSetEncoding |
A string identifying the character set in the specified registry |
The following XLFD name describes a font named charter made by Bitstream that supports the ISO8859-1 standard encoding:
-bitstream-charter-medium-r-normal--8-80-75-75-p-45-iso8859-1
It is medium weight, with no special slanting, and normal width. The font is proportional, with an em-square box of 8 pixels or 8.0 points. The horizontal and vertical resolution are both 75 pixels. The average width of a character is 45 1/10ths pixels or 4.5 pixels.
Parts of this string can be replaced by wildcards. The system uses the first font it finds that matches the parts you have specified.
If all you want is an eight-pixel charter font, you could use:
*-charter-*-*-*-*-8-*
By selecting the Attributes button from the Style Manager Font dialog box, you can view the following font group attributes:
Font Group
Size
Alias
Alias XLFD
Alias Location
Font
Font XLFD