Thread: Fonts

There was another similar question not so long ago. I think the answer was "no there's no known font editing programs available". Of course, I'm pretty sure that the Borland fonts are just bit-map-data in some defined format with some small header, so it shouldn't be impossible to create an application that does the same thing.

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Mats

It's heavily dependent on how many features your graphics library has.

I have an old paint program that I wrote for DOS a long time ago. Its interface sucks and there's no help, but you can save in several formats (most [all?] of which I made up), including C source code.

I also have some code to write text, pixel-by-pixel, on a screen approximately 320x200. (Any larger, and the text looks like an ant wrote it.) I could send it to you if you wanted.

Both of these compile and run under DJGPP, but I'm sure you could modify them for your needs.

Okay, I've uploaded a few things.

• alpha.c: my (uppercase-only) DOS 5x3 font
• paint2.txt (really .tar.gz): my paint program with the incomprehensible interface
• dsfont.txt (really .tar.gz): newer SDL code to demonstrate simple block fonts
• denora-font.txt (really .tar.gz): some GNU GPL fonts

Just so you know: none of this is very well written. It's really old code. I recommend that you don't use it, but you can look at it to see how it works. (Good luck with my paint program ....)

My dsfont "library" (dwk's simple font...) includes two fonts. I copied them from the standard Windows 98 DOS command prompt, so I have no idea of the copyright issues behind this. No doubt they're substantial. I recommend you create your own font if you're going to do something like this.

You can see dsfont in action in Sail the Seas. http://dwks.theprogrammingsite.com/myprogs/sailseas.htm

Also consider looking at the SDL library sfont. I've heard it's pretty good. They have some nice fonts, at least.

denora-fonts contains some fonts I generated with the GIMP from GNU GPL fonts. You can probably use these if you like. I'm not sure about their copyright -- I've heard there are issues with fonts -- but I can't see this copyright restricting your use of it. Modifications, maybe.

paint2 is completely keyboard-driven. The commands that I remember go something like this:

• ESC: quit
• m: switch between mouse and keyboard mode
• arrow keys [in keyboard mode]: move cursor
• mouse [in mouse mode]: move cursor
• l: toggle line drawing
• ;: actually save a line
• c: clear screen

It has saving and opening and circles and boxes etc, but you'll have to examine the source for the keys you press to get them.

One thing: the DOS source code I have here is very, very old. I opened alpha.c out of curiosity and saw this:

Code:

for(i = 0; i < strlen(s); i ++) {

*shudders*

I'd forgotten that the font only supports uppercase, but there you have it. Lowercase looks really weird in a 5x3 font.

These days I use truetype fonts with the SDL (SDL_ttf). I highly recommend the SDL, you should try it. It's a bit disconcerting for a DOS programmer at first, but you get used to it. And it's a lot better once you do.