finally written some more doco
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<H1>FontTools</H1>
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<H1>FontTools</H1>
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Introduction
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FontTools is a suite of tools and libraries for manipulating fonts. It is written
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in Python and has a Python-style, open-source licence -- see LICENSE.txt.
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<P>
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<P>
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It currently reads and writes TrueType font files, reads PostScript Type 1 fonts
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and more. It contains two command line programs to convert TrueType fonts to an
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XML based format (called TTX) and back.
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<H3>Scope</H3>
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FontTools' functionality is aimed towards font developers and font tool developers.
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It can of course be used to just access fonts (outlines, metrics, etc.) but it is
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not optimized for that. It will be further developed so it can be the core of any
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font editor. And that's exactly what it will be for our upcoming major rewrite of
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<A HREF="http://www.robofog.com/">RoboFog</A>, our (commercial) PythonPowered font
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editor for MacOS.
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<H3>Installation</H3>
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You need the following software to use FontTools:
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<UL>
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<LI>
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Python 1.5.1 or newer. The latest version 1.5.x is here:
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<A HREF="http://www.python.org/1.5/">http://www.python.org/1.5/</A>
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<P>Windows: grab the Windows installer, run the full install
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<BR>Un*x: follow the build instructions
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<BR>Linux: maybe you already *have* Python: check whether you have
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version 1.5.1 or newer.
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<BR>MacOS: grab the installer, run "Easy Install"
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<P>
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<LI>
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The Numeric Python extension (you don't need this under MacOS, since it's
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included in the MacPython installer).
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<BR>The compiled Win32 version:
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<A HREF="ftp://ftp-icf.llnl.gov/pub/python/LLNLDistribution11.zip">ftp://ftp-icf.llnl.gov/pub/python/LLNLDistribution11.zip</A>
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<BR>The source distribution is here:
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<A HREF="ftp://ftp-icf.llnl.gov/pub/python/LLNLDistribution11.tgz">ftp://ftp-icf.llnl.gov/pub/python/LLNLDistribution11.tgz</A>
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<BR>Included in this archive is a directory called "Numeric" (but do unzip
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the whole archive, it's needed for the install script!).
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<BR>On Linux or other Unices: follow the build instructions.
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<BR>On Windows & Unix:
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In the "Numeric" directory there is a script called "installthis.py".
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If you've installed Python successfully, you can just run it, it will
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install (copy!) the neccesary stuff to the Python directory all by itself.
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<P><B>Note</B> that the above links are not pointing to the latest version! Newer
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versions use a different install procedure, which recently still had some problems.
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If you know what you're doing, you can get the latest Numeric Python at
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<A HREF="http://numpy.sourceforge.net/">http://numpy.sourceforge.net/</A>.
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<P>
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<LI>
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xmlproc (a Python based XML parser) from:
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<A HREF="http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/%7Elarsga/download/python/xml/xmlproc.html">http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsga/download/python/xml/xmlproc.html</A>
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<BR>I don't know the official install procedure, but the archive should contain
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a directory called "xml", move that directory to the Python directory and
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you should be all set. To make sure: start python (python.exe on Win32)
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and type at the ">>>" prompt:
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<PRE>>>> import xml.parsers.xmlproc.xmlproc</PRE>
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followed by a return. If that doesn't cause an error, you're all set.
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<P><B>Note</B> that the default xmlproc distribution depends on Python 1.5.2 (by oversight,
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not intend) but there is an alternative distribution that does work under Python 1.5.1.
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<P>xmlproc is also part of the xml-sig distribution.
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</UL>
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Now run the "install.py" script from the FontTools archive.
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This will make sure Python knows where to find FontTools. It doesn't copy anything.
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(Note that the "install.py" script has only been lightly tested.)
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<P>Additional Mac instructions:
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De-binhex "TTX.rsrc.hqx" by dropping it onto StuffIt expander. (Or use your
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own preferred method)
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The "TTX.py" script included in this archive is the Mac-only main program:
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Drop it onto the "BuildApplet" app inside the Python folder; this will
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produce the TTX applet.
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<H3>User documentation</H3>
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<P>For MacOS there's a small application called TTX. If you drop a TrueType file
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onto it, it will convert it to XML. If you drop an XML file onto it, it will
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convert it back to TrueType. Please read the additional README file in the Mac
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subdirectory, since it behaves quite differently than the command line programs
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described below.
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<P>For Unix and DOS I've provided two command line programs:
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<UL>
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<LI>ttDump.py
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<LI>ttCompile.py
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</UL>
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They do pretty much what you'd expect. They take several arguments:
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an input file name and optionally an output file name. There are some extra
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options which are explained by the 'usage' text; use the -h option to display
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it.
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<P>If you don't provide an output file name, an output file name will be contructed
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from the input file name: foo.ttf becomes foo.ttx in ttDump.py and vice versa
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for ttCompile.py. <B>WARNING</B>: these tools will silently overwrite existing files!
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<P>Adam Twardoch contributed a Windows registry script (ttx_shellext_win32.py) which
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makes the two above tools available under the Right Mouse Button. I haven't tested
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these myself, but I'm very interested in hearing about the results!
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<H3>Note about glyph names and TrueType GlyphID's</H3>
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TrueType fonts use glyph indices (GlyphID's) to refer to glyphs in most places.
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While this is fine in binary form, it is really hard to work with for
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humans. Therefore we use names instead.
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<P>The names are derived from what is found in the 'post' table. It is
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possible that different glyphs use the same PS name. If this happens, we
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force the names to be unique by appending "#n" to the name (n being an
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integer number). The original PS names will still be maintained by the
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'post' table, so even though we use a different name internally, we are
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still able to write the 'post' table back in original form. If there is
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no proper 'post' table available, names will be derived from a Unicode
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cmap (if available) in conjuction with the Adobe Glyph List (see fontTools/agl.py).
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<P>Because the order in which glyphs are stored inside the TT font is
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important, ttLib maintains an ordered list of glyph names in the font.
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<H3>Feedback</H3>
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Please direct all feedback to <A HREF="mailto:just@letterror.com">just@letterror.com</A>.
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I hope to create a discussion mailing list at some point.
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<H3>Anonymous CVS-access</H3>
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The FontTools sources are also accessible through CVS:
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<PRE>
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:pserver:fonttools@rietveld.petr.nl:/usr/local/cvsanon
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password: fontypython
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module name: FontTools
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</PRE>
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<H3>Developer documentation</H3>
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Sorry, documentation beyond doc strings in the source code is still on my to-do list...
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Below follows a brief overview of what's there.
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<H3>GUI Tools</H3>
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<H3>GUI Tools</H3>
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TTX
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TTX -- A simple Mac app that converts TrueType (or OpenType) fonts to TTX format and back.
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<P>
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<P>
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<H3>Command line tools</H3>
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<H3>Command line tools</H3>
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<UL TYPE=DISC>
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<UL>
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<LI>tt2xml
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<LI>ttDump -- dumps a TrueType (or OpenType) font file to TTX format.
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<LI>xml2tt
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<LI>ttCompile -- compiles a TTX file back into a TTF (or OTF) file.
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</UL>
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</UL>
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<P>
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<P>
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<H3>The library</H3>
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<H3>The library</H3>
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Cross-platform
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Cross-platform
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<UL TYPE=DISC>
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<UL>
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<LI>fontTools.t1Lib
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<LI>fontTools.t1Lib -- Provides a Type 1 font reader. Writing is a planned feature.
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<LI>fontTools.ttLib
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<LI>fontTools.ttLib -- Extensive TrueType tools. Reads and writes. This is the flagship
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<LI>fontTools.afmLib
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of FontTools, it's by far the most mature component. Contains a completely modular
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<LI>fontTools.cffLib
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TTF table converter architecture. See ttLib/tables/table_API_readme.txt.
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<LI>fontTools.unicode
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<LI>fontTools.afmLib -- And AFM file reader/writer.
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<LI>fontTools.agl
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<LI>fontTools.cffLib -- Reads CFF fonts. Writing is a planned feature.
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<LI>fontTools.unicode -- A simple (but large) module that translates
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Unicode values to their descriptive names. Still Unicode 2.0.
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<LI>fontTools.agl -- Interface to the Adobe Glyph List: maps unicode values
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to glyph names and back.
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</UL>
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Mac-specific
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Mac-specific
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<UL TYPE=DISC>
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<UL>
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<LI>fontTools.fondLib
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<LI>fontTools.fondLib -- A reader/writer class for Mac FOND resources.
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<LI>fontTools.nfntLib
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<LI>fontTools.nfntLib -- Reads Mac NFNT bitmap font resources.
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</UL>
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</UL>
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<P>
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<H3>The Future</H3>
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In /Lib/fontTools/objects you'll find several objects-under-construction which will be
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(and partially are) a generic outline font implementation, offering transparent access
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to various font formats (currently only Type 1 and TTF/OTF). Plans:
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<UL>
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<LI>Develop this into a complete font compiler for at least Type 1, TrueType and
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OpenType.
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<LI>To make the above possible, develop a high level XML-based format to be used
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as source code for font development. This "language" will be called FDL -- Font
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Definition Language. For some (rather old) blurb about these ideas, see
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<A HREF="http://www.letterror.com/fdl/">http://www.letterror.com/fdl/</A>.
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</UL>
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<H3>Thank-you's</H3>
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(in alphabetical order)
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Erik van Blokland, Petr van Blokland, Jelle Bosma, Vincent Connare,
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Simon Daniels, Hannes Famira, Greg Hitchcock, Jack Jansen, Antoine Leca,
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Werner Lemberg, Peter Lofting, Dave Opstad, Laurence Penney,
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Guido van Rossum, Adam Twardoch.
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<H3>Copyrights</H3>
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FontTools/TTX -- 1999-2000 Just van Rossum; Letterror (just@letterror.com)
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<BR>Python -- Copyright 1991-1995 by Stichting Mathematisch Centrum, Amsterdam,
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The Netherlands.
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<BR>Numeric Python -- Copyright (c) 1996. The Regents of the
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University of California. All rights reserved.
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<BR>xmlproc -- Lars Marius Garshol
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</BODY>
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