Embedding Fonts

I'm pretty sure that without some major surgery for all your controls you'd have to 'install' the font. OTOH is all you want is to present a single exe that doesn't need to be 'installed' you could just tack the font on the end of the exe. You'd just need a little function to read off the last x bytes (size of the font) and copy it into the font directory if the font is not already present there.

GL
Mike

Create a resource file:

MyFont RT_FONT lucon.ttf

Compile it and include it in your app:


{$R *.DFM}
 {$Resource z:\font.res}

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var resStream:TREsourcestream;
begin
   resStream:=TREsourcestream.Create(Hinstance,'MYFONT','RT_FONT');
   ResStream.SaveToFile('Z:\myfont.ttf');
   Button1.Font.Name:='z:\Myfont';
   button1.Font.size:=20;
   Showmessage(button1.font.name);
end;



and viola!

Good luck!!

DrDelphi,

Thanks for the reply!

I've created the resource file and been able to save the resourcestream to a file, but Are you sue you can specify a filename as the font?  The font.name property specifies a Window style font, in which case I'd have to stuff it into the Windows fonts directory (I'd prefer not to).

Is there any way to specify a font by FILENAME instead of "Windows name"?

P

here's someting I used

procedure TfrmDeb.FormCreate(Sender: TObject);
var
FontList: TStringList;
begin
FontList := Screen.Fonts;


if not FontList.Find('Harrington', Index) then
    begin
    Res2 := TResourceStream.Create(hInstance, 'HARRIN', 'RT_FONT');
 try   Res2.SavetoFile(ExtractFilePath(Application.EXEName)+'haring10.ttf');
  finally
  Res2.Free;
  end;
    AddFontResource(PChar(ExtractFilePath(Application.EXEName)+'haring10.ttf'));
    SendMessage(HWND_BROADCAST,WM_FONTCHANGE,0,0);
    FontAdded := True;
    end;
end;


procedure TfrmDeb.FormDestroy(Sender: TObject);
begin
if FontAdded then begin
  RemoveFontResource(PChar(ExtractFilePath(Application.EXEName)+'haring10.ttf'));
  SendMessage(HWND_BROADCAST,WM_FONTCHANGE,0,0);
  if FileExists(ExtractFilePath(Application.EXEName)+'haring10.ttf') then
  DeleteFile(ExtractFilePath(Application.EXEName)+'haring10.ttf');
  end;
end;

Oh, I guess I should mention, that code was never used because of the legal issues with Font CopyRights and distribution permisions.

> Is there any way to specify a font by FILENAME instead of "Windows name"?

in Dr_Delphis example he actually sets the Font.Name property to a filename
read it again :)

> in Dr_Delphis example he actually sets the Font.Name
> property to a filename read it again :)

Yeah, but I can't get the example to work!  I'll keep plugging.

PaulKorzycki,
  There is a very good reason why it won't work for you... it doesn't work at all. Seem that when I tested this out, Windows gave me the closest font it could find to the name that I asked for.

DrDelphi,

You were on the right track, I think but from what I've seen in other examples, you need the AddFontResource and SendMessage lines.

Even with these lines though, it doesn't work.  How does Delphi/Windows determine the font name?  I suppose it is probably embedded within the font file, right?  So if I embed 'Arial' for example, I have to refer to it as 'Arial' and not 'MyFont' even though the file I create from the resource stream is called MyFont.ttf?

I wish this were easier!

You're on the right track now... the font name is embedded in the font file itself. I have been able to open a TTF file in a hex editor and change it that way, but apart from that you're pretty much stuck with what the file thinks its name should be. Take a look at Slick812's example... between mine and his you should be able to work this out. I don't see any other options... of course I could be missing something....

Thanks for the help Slick,

I was hoping this would be a simpler process, but I'll have to deal with it somehow.  I realize that the copyright issue is a big one.  I got the impression that the windows font name was the filename because of DrDelphi's example, as well as another example I saw on the internet.

Thanks again,
P

we gave up any hope of putting font files in the resource, instead .wmf files are created in a vector graphics program with all the text drawn on them and then displayed in a rectangle with the windows text display control background color on it (or with a bitmap background for special presentations). This looks like the text, but it is read only. You may not gain much effect by having a "Special" font in a TEdit or TMemo.

Sorry for the delay slick, I forgot about this issue a while ago, as a result I'm giving you double the points.