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finally written some more doco

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