Re: [Groff] help required regarding groff/psroff

[Jeff Conrad]

Himanshu,

> ... i have a project in whcih i need to get the width
> tables from HP laserjet fonts....ie fonts which are stored inside the
> laserjet......

I know of no way to query the printer about the metrics for the built-in
fonts.  The following is from the HP web site in 2003:

    Q: How can I obtain the metrics of internal LaserJet fonts without
       using TFM files?
    A: If you are developing under Windows you can get the metrics of
       internal LaserJet fonts from the driver.

    1. Use CreateDC() to obtain a Device Context for the LaserJet driver you're 
using.

    2. Use SelectObject() to select the font you wish to get the metrics of.

    3. Use GetTextExtentPoint() to obtain metric information for a specific
       string, or GetTextMetrics() to obtain metric information for the font in
       general.

I've never tried this procedure, so I can't comment on how well it works.

I have little to add to Werner's comment, except perhaps to also read the
LIMITATIONS section of the lj4_font man page.  HP support for internal
fonts has been almost non-existent for quite some time, and support for the
internal TT fonts always was minimal.  Most Windoze applications have used
downloadable fonts rather than the built-ins.  The metrics supplied with
groff are the latest available.  As I recall, the metrics assumed TrueType
fonts.

My only recent experience has been with the LaserJet 5P (35 Intellifont
fonts) and the LaserJet 2100 (all 45 are TrueType).  I doubt that much has
changed, but I haven't actually used a newer printer.

I agree with Larry's suggestion.  I've only tried methods 1 and 3, but both
seem to work.

Jeff Conrad