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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────╖
│ ║
│ RFntLib Version 1.0 ║
│ ║
│ ║
│ (c) 1994 Rolf van Gelder, EINDHOVEN - All rights reserved ║
│ ║
╘═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
1 INTRODUCTION --------------------------------------------------------
RFntLib is a CLIPPER LIBRARY with Screen Font functions.
Parts :
RFntLib.Lib - Clipper 5.x library with functions to install EGA and VGA
screen fonts. The library also contains a couple of
INTERNAL (built-in) screen fonts.
RFntS87.Lib - Clipper Summer '87 version of the library
RFntExo.Lib - ExoSpace compatible version of the library
(for all Clipper versions)
RFntEdit.EXE - Utility program to create / modify EXTERNAL
screen font files
RFntKeep.COM - Utility program to install (and keep) a screen font
for under MS-DOS
(This utility is only available for registered users)
*.RFV, *.RFE - Very many ready-to-use screen font files
RFntLib.NG - Norton Guide with all the functions in the library
RFntDemo.PRG - Clipper 5.x demo program to illustrate the use of
the functions in the library
The functions in RFntLib are very fast because they are entirely
written in Assembler.
To use RFntLib, a PC with an EGA or VGA adapter is required.
Why RFntLib ?
- You can use more readable fonts
- You can create a house style in your applications by using
your own fonts
- You can redefine all characters in the character set,
creating even your own symbols and icons
RFntLib is a Shareware product :
You have the opportunity to try the program at no charge to see if
it meets your needs.
If you continue to use the program after evaluation,
please complete the included registration form (RFntLib.REG, or
Dutch.REG for Dutch users) and send it with the applicable
registration fee to the author.
2 SCREEN FONT BASICS --------------------------------------------------
RFntLib supports two different types of screen fonts :
8 x 14 fonts for EGA displays
8 x 16 fonts for VGA displays
8 x 16 means : 8 dots horizontally; 16 dots vertically
EGA font files can be recognised by the .RFE extension.
VGA font files have the .RFV extension.
Default, every PC uses a ROM screen font. By using RFntLib
you can replace this font by a custom font.
This custom font can be a RFntLib INTERNAL font or a font
loaded from an EXTERNAL font file.
Technically a screen font consists of 256 characters.
For an EGA font each character is 14 bytes long;
for VGA 16 bytes.
Each byte represents a row (scanline) of 8 dots.
The size of the fonts (and also of the font files) :
EGA : 256 x 14 = 3584 bytes
VGA : 256 x 16 = 4096 bytes
3 RFntEdit - SCREEN FONT EDITOR ---------------------------------------
RFntEdit is a sophisticated screen font editor that comes with the
RFntLib package.
You can use it to create your own fonts or modify the included
ready-to-use fonts.
The Syntax is :
RFntEdit
In RFntEdit there are 3 screens :
- FONT SELECTION SCREEN
Features :
Choose a font file to edit; delete font files; copy font files;
convert EGA fonts to VGA and vice versa
- CHARACTER SELECTION SCREEN
Features :
Choose a character to edit; Save the (modified) font file;
Print a map to printer or disk;
(A map is an ASCII dump of all the characters in a font)
- CHARACTER EDITING SCREEN
You can edit the selected character using many supplied tools as
Mirror; Scroll; Copy from ROM Font; Copy from Character Map;
and many others
The usage of RFntEdit is simple and self-explanatory.
Some notes :
- If you are editing a EGA (3584-bytes) font on a PC working in
VGA mode, the lowest 2 scanlines of the characters are undefined
and may contain "garbage".
To prevent this you may switch to EGA-mode before running RFntEdit.
- If you want to copy characters from one font to another, you can
use the "Clipboard" functions.
Press <F3> in the Character Editing Screen to copy the current
character to the clipboard.
Close the current font and open the target font.
Edit the target character and press <F4> to paste the character
from the clipboard
- In the un-registered version of RFntEdit it is not possible
to save a modified font .... (sorry !)
- MAKE SURE THAT RFNTKEEP IS NOT LOADED WHILE USING RFNTEDIT.
RFNTKEEP OVERRULES THE FONTS SET BY RFNTEDIT !
4 RFntKeep - UTILITY TO LOAD A SCREEN FONT UNDER DOS ------------------
RFntKeep is an utility (for registered users) to load a screen font
for use under DOS. It's a small TSR program that only consumes about
4700 bytes.
All font files included with RFntLib (EGA and VGA) can be used with
RFntKeep. RFntKeep tries to keep the loaded font active, even if an
application loads a font or switches video mode.
Syntax : RFntKeep [<FontFileSpec>]
The format of <FontFileSpec> is : [d:][\path\]filename[.ext]
If you omit the font file name the DEFAULT ROM FONT is loaded.
RFntKeep will be loaded in memory only once.
If already loaded, RFntKeep will change the current font to the
new <FontFileSpec>.
It is not possible to unload a loaded copy of RFntKeep from memory.
Note :
MAKE SURE THAT RFNTKEEP IS NOT LOADED WHILE USING RFNTEDIT OR
RFNTDEMO. RFNTKEEP OVERRULES THE FONTS SET BY RFNTEDIT AND RFNTDEMO !
5 RFntLib - CLIPPER LIBRARY -------------------------------------------
RFntLib.Lib contains a number of functions to use different fonts in
Clipper applications. You can even switch fonts while running the
application.
One of the possibilities is to make user-selectable fonts (the user
can select his own favourite font ...).
RFntLib uses two types of screen fonts :
- INTERNAL, built-in, fonts (EGA & VGA)
- EXTERNAL, custom, fonts from disk (EGA & VGA)
The following functions are available :
* GENERAL *
R_IsEGAFl () - Determine if an EGA card is present
R_IsVGAFl () - Determine if an VGA card is present
R_DefFnt () - Install default ROM font (EGA or VGA)
R_FntName () - Retrieve the name of the current font
R_FntNr () - Retrieve the number of the current font
* INTERNAL FONTS *
R_EGAName () - Retrieve the name of an INTERNAL (built-in) EGA font
R_EGAFnt () - Install one of the INTERNAL (built-in) EGA fonts
R_VGAName () - Retrieve the name of an INTERNAL (built-in) VGA font
R_VGAFnt () - Install one of the INTERNAL (built-in) VGA fonts
R_MaxFnt () - Determine number of INTERNAL (built-in) fonts
* EXTERNAL FONTS *
R_FntFile () - Install an external EGA or VGA font from a disk file
R_FntStr () - Install an external EGA or VGA font from a string
A detailed description of the functions can be found in the
Norton Guide.
6 REGISTRATION --------------------------------------------------------
RFntLib is a Shareware product. It i