Re: FAQ: fonts

[Taco Hoekwater <taco@elvenkind.com>]

Hi all,

On Mon, 25 Feb 2002 17:24:36 +0100 Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl> wrote:

> >- mtexfont.pdf and mfonts.pdf overlap eachother in areas where they shouldn't
> 
> right, i will change this as soon as texfont.pl is finished

Great! IMO, it would be Ok if there was just one large font manual, but
then it has to be split into cleanly separated parts.

> >- the FAQ is too terse and doesn't mention the nasty pitfalls (like the fact
> >   that you *cannot* redefine a typescript collection)
> 
> btw, you can overload one by a later accessed typescript

It would appear this is not true, or I am missing something. Frans' Times font does 
not work if I try to redefine the existing 'times' typescript, whereas it does work 
if I create a new 'xtimes' typescript. Here is what I have given Frans now:

%% start of type-fgtimes.tex
\starttypescript [serif] [xtimes]  [texnansi]
   \definefontsynonym [Times-Roman]         [tnr2]   [encoding=\defaultencoding]   
   \definefontsynonym [Times-Italic]        [tnri2]  [encoding=\defaultencoding]   
   \definefontsynonym [Times-Bold]          [tnrb2]  [encoding=\defaultencoding]   
   \definefontsynonym [Times-BoldItalic]    [tnrbi2] [encoding=\defaultencoding]   
   \definefontsynonym [Times-RomanSC]       [tnrexp2]
\stoptypescript

\starttypescript [serif] [xtimes]  [name]
   \definefontsynonym [Serif]           [Times-Roman]
   \definefontsynonym [SerifBold]       [Times-Bold]
   \definefontsynonym [SerifItalic]     [Times-Italic]
   \definefontsynonym [SerifBoldItalic] [Times-BoldItalic]
   \definefontsynonym [SerifCaps]       [Times-RomanSC]
\stoptypescript

\starttypescript [xtimes] [MyTimes]
  \definetypeface [MyTimes] [rm] [serif] [xtimes] [default] [encoding=texnansi]
\stoptypescript
%% end of type-fgtimes.tex

The last three lines are probably incorrect or inefficient.

> \definetypeface:
> and so create multiple (quite complete) bodyfont rm/ss/tt/.. definitions; 
> since each typeface (collection of rm,ss,tt defs) has its own namespace, 
> one can, in one document, for instance mix different collections, each with 
> different encodings and relative scaling etc.

This is what I originally thought it was supposed to do. 

But what is the precise meaning of the arguments? I understand some, but not all.
Esp. arg #2 and #3 are confusing.

  \definetypeface 
    [MyTimes]            % The typeface name
    [rm]                 % (rm/ss/tt/cg/hw?)
    [serif]              % (serif/sans/mono/math?)
    [xtimes]             % the typescript to use
    [default]            % size info, right?
    [encoding=texnansi]  % options. 

> \definefontfile/\definefontsynonym
> i have no problem with providing you \definefontfile (just a \let) but keep 
> in mind that the third arg (encoding, mapping, handling, etc) can come at 
> any level in the font (file)name expansion chain.

I know. It is just a 'user interface alias' to make the intention more clear.

> \starttypescript [map]
> >- Context internally has defined a very very special typescript called map.
> 
> no, this typescript is as the others, so:
> 
> \usetypescript[map][texnansi]
> will execute all typescripts marked as such, while
> \usetypescript[map][all]
> will load all typescripts that have a first [map] spec.  The \loadmapfile 
> will add the names mentioned to an internal list; keep in min dthat this 
> loading of map files is still suboptimal (i have to discuss this with thanh).

I can see that it is just like the others in the programmer's sense, but it isn't
the same from a user's point of view. I *know* typescripts are in fact just macro
collections that you can do set searches on/in. But a user wouldn't, for an
average user, a typescript in inherently connected to fonts.

> >\starttypescript (in general)
> >same time, I get the impression from the documentation that the order
> >is not important at all (mfonts.pdf page 8). This is clearly not true.
> 
> this is only true for the ones called for by \definettypeface, but as said, 
> one can use typescripts for more purposes

But: one shouldn't. No, really.

> >If I understand this correctly, then \usetypescript basically has the
> >same arguments as \starttypescript. It follows that if you use this command
> >in a typescript definition file, it only functions as a shortcut to get
> >to (parts of) another typescript. Hans, is this correct?
> 
> right

So, (coming back to my last three lines in the included file above), it would
make much more sense to do this remove the two 'typescript' lines around the 
\definetypeface line, and use the file like this:?

  % input
  \usetypescriptfile[type-fgtimes]
  \setupbodyfont[MyTimes]

[the good news is that I am slowly getting a grid on these things again. Gimme a few
more days and I can start charging Frans money :-)]

-- 
groeten,

Taco