(fontname.info)Name mapping file

---

Next: Long naming scheme Up: Long names

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

3.1 A fontname mapping file
===========================

At the moment, most implementations of TeX look up a TFM file (as part
of the `\font' command), by searching for a file with the name given by
the user (possibly in any of series of directories).  But if we also
looked TFM names up in _another_ file (or set of files), which
specifies the actual filename, the fontname given in the TeX source
file could be almost anything at all, of any length.

   In version 5.851d of Web2c, I implemented this mapping file.  Each
file `texfonts.map' in a search path is read for abbreviations. The file
has a straightforward format: each line specifies the filename and the
TeX name for one font, separated by whitespace.  Extra information on
the line is ignored; then more information could be specified for the
benefit of DVI-reading programs in the same file.  Comments start with
`%' and continue to the end of the line.

   Besides allowing long names, this sort of mapping file has other
benefits.  TeX source or DVI files can be more easily transported,
because the font names in a particular file can be made to work on every
system.  Also, when combined with a consistent naming scheme, macros
could be written to access any of a number of fonts.  Right now, each
font family has to have specialized macros written to deal with it.

   Incidentally, Professor Knuth has approved this as a legitimate
"system-dependent" extension; a TeX with such a feature can still be
called "TeX".