/ 
Font-FNT-0.02
River stage zero No dependents
/ Font::FNT

NAME

Font::FNT - Load, manipulate and save Windows raster fonts

SYNOPSIS

use Font::FNT();


my $fnt = Font::FNT->load('test.fnt');

$fnt->save_yaml('test.yml');


# scite test.yml


$fnt = Font::FNT->load_yaml('test.yml');

$fnt->save_pbm('test.pbm');


$fnt->save('test.fnt');

DESCRIPTION

This module provides basic load, manipulate and save functionality for Windows 3.00 raster fonts (.FNT files).

Methods

load( $filename )

Loads a .FNT file. This is a constructor method and returns an Font::FNT instance.

save_yaml( $filename )

Saves a Font::FNT instance into a notepadable format (YAML). You can use your prefered text editor to manipulate that serialized Font::FNT instance.

load_yaml( $filename )

Loads a YAML file (which should contain a serialized Font::FNT instance). This is a constructor method and returns an Font::FNT instance.

save_pbm( $filename )

Saves a Font::FNT instance as portable bitmap (pbm) file. Yo can use this for preview purposes.

save( $filename )

Saves a Font::FNT instance as .FNT file.

EXAMPLE

The test directory contains a serialized Font::FNT instance (1252_13x8_OEM.yml) that can be used to install a nice Console (Terminal) font - at least on a Windows NT 4.0 box. Other Windows versions may require other steps.

The font is similar to the bold BorlandTE font (BORTE.FON) or Raize font.

Let's create the .FNT file first:

use Font::FNT();
Font::FNT->load_yaml('t/1252_13x8_OEM.yml')->save('t/1252_13x8_OEM.fnt');

Normally, various .FNT files for different sizes and weights are packaged together as resources in a Windows DLL (.FON file). BTW: most .FON files are good old Windows 3.1 DLLs. For our purpose, the .FNT file is o.k.

Next, add something like

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"1252 13x8 OEM"="1252_13x8_OEM.fnt"

to your registry, copy the font by hand

copy t\1252_13x8_OEM.fnt %SystemRoot%\Fonts

and reboot your system.

If you don't need control about your registry entries, then you can simply drag'n drop t/1252_13x8_OEM.fnt into the Fonts Control Panel Applet.

Now, if you open the Console properties dialog or the Console Control Panel Applet, go to the font tab and select 'Raster Fonts', you should see a new entry in the 'Size' listbox:

8 x 13

Configuring the font in the Control Panel results in the following registry entries:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Console]
"FaceName"="Terminal"
"FontSize"=dword:000d0008

Finally, you should change the Console codepage:

mode con cp select=1252

or

chcp 1252

To change the codepage permanently, add the following to your registry:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nls\CodePage]
"OEMCP"="1252"

AUTHOR

Steffen Goeldner <sgoeldner@cpan.org>

COPYRIGHT

Copyright (c) 2004 Steffen Goeldner. All rights reserved.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

SEE ALSO

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article

Windows Developers Notes: Font-File Format
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;EN-US;65123
MyFont.exe - Creating a Custom Raster Font
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;EN-US;76535
Necessary Criteria for Fonts to Be Available in a Command Window
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;EN-US;247815
How to Change the OEM Code Page of Windows NT and Windows 95
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;EN-US;153449

Microsoft Global Development and Computing Portal - Code Pages

http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/cphome.mspx

Adobe Glyph Bitmap Distribution Format (BDF) Specification

http://partners.adobe.com/asn/developer/pdfs/tn/5005.BDF_Spec.pdf

This format is similar in spirit to the YAML serialization of a Font::FNT instance.

Perl modules

perl, YAML, Image::Pbm.