Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!jkc
From: jkc@Apple.COM (John Kevin Calhoun)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hypercard
Subject: Re: FONTs in stack: what's bad?
Message-ID: <46994@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 1 Dec 90 00:39:00 GMT
References: <1990Nov28.180031.677@sics.se>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 27


Here are a couple of the reasons for Apple's recommendation that fonts
belong only in the System file.

The Font Manager caches information about the font that's currently in
use, including a reference to the block of memory where the font currently
lives.  If the resource file that contains the font resource is closed,
the font is purged from memory.  But the Font Manager may still use the
cached information -- it doesn't expect the font to disappear and its
cached information to become suddenly invalid.  HyperCard works around
this problem by invalidating the Font Manager's cached information when
it closes resource files.         

The Font Manager expects all fonts of a font family to live in the same
resource file.  Therefore, if the user has installed the font "Hopatcong"
in the system file in sizes of 9,10,12,18, and 24 points and you install
the font "Hopatcong" in a stack in just the 9-point size, then when the
user opens your stack, the Font Manager won't be able to find Hopatcong
10, 12, 18, or 24 anymore!  The user will think this is bad.

That's about all I know about this issue.

Kevin Calhoun
HyperCard Team
Apple Computer, Inc.

Disclaimer:  I could be wrong.  And if I am, it's my fault.  Mine mine mine.