How to check if a specific font is installed or not

[kcvinu]

Hi all,

I would like to know how to check if a specific font is installed in user's system. If it is not installed, my program needs to install the font. (Don't worry about the copy right of the font. it's free) I have got some points from google which directs me into _WinAPI_AddFontResourceEx function. But help file says that this function is only for current session.  And i also got the _WinAPI_EnumFontFamilies function too. But before trying any of these, i would like to hear from the masters. 

Edited February 28, 2016 by kcvinu

[kcvinu]

Well, i digged this with a deep search

 

Not bad i think.

[mikell]

_WinAPI_EnumFontFamilies is perfect to check if a font exists... why didn't you try it ? 

_WinAPI_AddFontResourceEx installs the font only for the current session, but anyway the font gets installed when the script is launched 

[kcvinu]

Thanks @mikell . I just hesitated because the time it consumes for getting all fonts list. And what do you mean by "script is launched ?. Help file says that it won't work after a restart.

[InunoTaishou]

_WinAPI_AddFontResourceEx

Quote

Remarks

This function installs the font only for the current session. When the system restarts, the font will not be present.
To have the font installed even after restarting the system, the font must be listed in the registry.

It'll just be removed after a restart, I'm sure there's a way to install it and update the registry ;). Unless you don't wanna add it to the registry, in which case I doubt the time it takes to install the font is noticeable.

Also

#include <WinAPIGdi.au3>
#include <Array.au3>

Local $timer = TimerInit()
Local $font_families = _WinAPI_EnumFontFamilies()
Local $time = TimerDiff($timer) / 1000
_ArrayDisplay($font_families, $time)

1672 fonts installed, .2 second to finish the execution of the function.

[kcvinu]

Since my program is portable, i don't want to play with users registry. 

[mikell]

kcvinu,
I meant : I assume that you use FileInstall and that the script at each launch will check then install the font if necessary 

[AutoBert]

1 minute ago, kcvinu said:

Since my program is portable, i don't want to play with users registry. 

So on evry starting your programm:

• test if font exists (_WinAPI_EnumFontFamilies)
• if not install it for this session (_WinAPI_AddFontResourceEx)

[kcvinu]

No @AutoBert , i am planning to write the data to an ini file

[kcvinu]

@InunoTaishou Thank you man. That's not a big delay for my program. Now i am testing Fileinstall 

 

[mLipok]

Just check for c:\Windows\Fonts\

[jguinch]

Or in the registry : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts

 

[kcvinu]

@mLipok & @jguinch I am happy with  _WinAPI_EnumFontFamilies  function for finding if the font is installed or not. Now i need to install the font if  it is not in the system. Is there any method other than FileInstall ?

[InunoTaishou]

 

This will install it and save it to the registry so it won't be removed on startup.

Honestly though I've used _WinAPI_AddFontResourceEX in a program I made that I used frequently (close and restart) and there was never any problem or delay to install the three custom fonts I used.

Don't know if you're worried about the overhead or the processing speed but when you're just working with small files (my .ttf files were 12kb, 22kb, and 324kb) and checking checking (not accessing) a lot of files, almost all, modern, machines can do the processing without any any noticeable delay.

#include <WinAPIGdi.au3>
#include <Array.au3>

Local $timer_init = TimerInit()
Local $font_families = _WinAPI_EnumFontFamilies()
Local $time_enum_font_families = TimerDiff($timer_init) / 1000 & "s"
$timer_init = TimerInit()
Local $font_installed = _ArraySearch($font_families, "Futura", 0, 0, 0, 1)
Local $time_array_search = TimerDiff($timer_init) / 1000 & "s"
Local $time_font_install = 0
If ($font_installed = -1) Then
    $timer_init = TimerInit()
    _WinAPI_AddFontResourceEx("Futura Extra Bold.ttf", $FR_PRIVATE)
    $time_font_install = TimerDiff($timer_init) / 1000 & "s"
EndIf

MsgBox("", "Time", "Time to enum font families: " & $time_enum_font_families & @CRLF & _
                    "Time to search through (" & $font_families[0][0] & ") font families: " & $time_array_search & @CRLF & _
                    "Time to add font resource: " & $time_font_install)

Time to enum font families: 0.210863995560568s

Time to search through (1672) font families: 0.0302487330923837s

Time to add font resource: 0.00023872755105527s

It would probably be more efficient to just always install your font on startup, save yourself roughly 1/4 - 1/5 of a second.

Edited February 29, 2016 by InunoTaishou

[kcvinu]

@InunoTaishou Your last point is most important. I just want install the font at once.  And thank you for that link. It is helpful.