CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c#
matsolof
matsolof

Reputation: 265

How does the C# TextMetrics properties work?

I can't figure out how the C# TextMetrics properties work. The example below, that I found somewhere and modified a bit, does something, but the result seems to be 7 no matter what font I set in the textbox.

TextMetrics metrics;
VisualStyleRenderer renderer = new VisualStyleRenderer(VisualStyleElement.TextBox.TextEdit.Normal);
using (IDeviceContext context = textBox1.CreateGraphics() as IDeviceContext)
{
    metrics = renderer.GetTextMetrics(context);
}
int averageWidth = metrics.AverageCharWidth;
textBox1.Text = averageWidth.ToString(); // 7

MSDN doesn't provide any examples, and I haven't found anything comprehensible on any other web site. Could someone explain how this works?

PS: I want to use all the TextMetrics properties. Not just AverageCharWidth.

Update: I'm writing a font viewer, using private font collection. I want to get as much information about each font as I can. Then I can decide what's useful to include in the font viewer and what's not.

My font viewer reminds about Bitstream Font Navigator (http://noscope.com/2004/font-management-solution/), but I want to include more information about the fonts.

Update: I can use FontFamily methods to get some of that information, as Olivier Jacot-Descombes points out in his answer, but not all. I think I need to use TextMetrics to get information about, for example, PitchAndFamily, MaxCharWidth and AverageCharWidth. Or is there some other simple way to get this information?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1390

Answers (1)

Olivier Jacot-Descombes
Olivier Jacot-Descombes

Reputation: 112392

You can retrieve font metrics like this

var font = new System.Drawing.Font("Arial", 11f);
var style = System.Drawing.FontStyle.Regular;
var ff = font.FontFamily;
int ascent = ff.GetCellAscent(style);
int descent = ff.GetCellDescent(style);
int height = ff.GetEmHeight(style);
int lineSpacing = ff.GetLineSpacing(style);
float pointSize = font.SizeInPoints;

For more information see How to: Obtain Font Metrics on MSDN.

Upvotes: 2

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