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Q77126: INFO: Raster and Stroke Fonts; GDI and Device Fonts

Article: Q77126
Product(s): Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,3.1,95; winnt:3.5,3.51
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWin310 kbOSWin95 kbDSupport kbOSWin300 kbSDKWin16
Last Modified: 11-MAY-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) versions 3.1, 3.0 
- Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), used with:
   - Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51 
   - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51 
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SUMMARY
=======

NOTE: The information contained in this article does not address TrueType fonts.
For information on TrueType fonts, please see chapter 18 of "Guide to
Programming" for the Windows SDK version 3.1.

In Windows version 3.0, there are two different ways that the graphical device
interface (GDI) can generate characters for a font. For a raster font, GDI
displays the font by copying bitmaps to the output device. For a stroke font,
GDI displays the font by drawing lines between a series of points that describe
each character. Each font is owned by either GDI or by a specific device. Type
and ownership information can be determined by enumerating the fonts. This
article discusses the two font types and two font ownership types.

MORE INFORMATION
================

A raster font stores its characters as a series of bitmaps; a stroke font stores
its characters as a set of vector operations that describe the characters. When
a character from a raster font is drawn, the bitmap is copied onto the device.
When a character from a stroke font is displayed, the lines are drawn connecting
the points that describe the character. Examples of raster fonts provided with
Windows are Courier and Helv; examples of stroke fonts are Script and Roman.

Raster fonts are only available in specific sizes. Some devices can scale
installed raster fonts to integer multiples of their size. Use the
GetDeviceCaps() function to determine whether the device has this capability.
The Windows GDI will scale its raster fonts as required regardless of the device
capability. Stroke fonts can be scaled to any size and can also be rotated.

GDI fonts are owned by the GDI; they are available to all devices. Device fonts
are fonts that are owned by a particular device; they are available only on that
device.

By enumerating the fonts, an application can determine which ones are raster or
stroke fonts, and which are GDI or device fonts. The callback function used with
EnumFonts() has the parameter nFontType. As stated on page 4-118 of the
"Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit Reference Volume 1," the bitwise AND
(&) operator can be used with the constants RASTER_FONTTYPE and
DEVICE_FONTTYPE to determine the font type. If the RASTER_FONTTYPE bit is set,
the font is a raster font; otherwise, it is a stroke font. If the
DEVICE_FONTTYPE bit is set, the font is owned by the device that corresponds to
the display context handle (HDC) used in the EnumFont() call; otherwise it is a
GDI font.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.10 3.50 4.00 win16sdk

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Keywords          : kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWin310 kbOSWin95 kbDSupport kbOSWin300 kbSDKWin16 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbSDKSearch kbWin32sSearch kbWin32API kbWinSDKSearch
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0,3.1,95; winnt:3.5,3.51
Issue type        : kbinfo

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