C# : Using an embedded font on a textbox

Question

I'm embedding a font in my windows forms application as embedded resource, and want to use it in a TextBox.

The help of AddMemoryFont() says I have to set compatible text rendering to true in order to use GDI+, and so my font can then be used. But somehow it just won't display the right font.

In Program.cs I explicitly state:

Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(true);

So why is it not working? Anybody got a clue on how to set a custom font to a TextBox?

Answer 1

Thanks it's working. TO Embed Font in c# Windows Application

[DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
private static extern IntPtr AddFontMemResourceEx(IntPtr pbFont, uint cbFont, IntPtr pdv, [In] ref uint pcFonts);

    PrivateFontCollection pFC = new PrivateFontCollection();

        try
        {
            string[] resource = { "newFont-Bold.ttf", "newFont-Regular.ttf" }; // specify embedded resource name

            foreach (var item in resource)
            {
                // receive resource stream
                Stream fontStream = Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().GetManifestResourceStream(item);

                // create an unsafe memory block for the font data
                System.IntPtr data = Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem((int)fontStream.Length);

                // create a buffer to read in to
                byte[] fontdata = new byte[fontStream.Length];

                // read the font data from the resource
                fontStream.Read(fontdata, 0, (int)fontStream.Length);

                // copy the bytes to the unsafe memory block
                Marshal.Copy(fontdata, 0, data, (int)fontStream.Length);

                ///IMPORTANT line to register font in system
                uint cFonts = 0;
                AddFontMemResourceEx(data, (uint)fontdata.Length, IntPtr.Zero, ref cFonts);

                // pass the font to the font collection
                pFC.AddMemoryFont(data, (int)fontStream.Length);

                // close the resource stream
                fontStream.Close();
                // free up the unsafe memory
                Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(data);
            }
        }
        catch (Exception exp)
        {
            Log.Error(exp);
        }

        return pFC;

Answer 2

Okay, I figured it out thanks to the interwebs and Google.

For future reference, if anybody has this problem, the fix is : after getting your embedded font as a stream, and before calling AddMemoryFont, you have to call AddFontMemResourceEx ! (Not available in C# so you have to import it :

    [DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
    private static extern IntPtr AddFontMemResourceEx(IntPtr pbFont, uint cbFont, IntPtr pdv, [In] ref uint pcFonts);

and then :

            //create an unsafe memory block for the data
        System.IntPtr data = Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem((int)fontStream.Length);
        //create a buffer to read in to
        Byte[] fontData = new Byte[fontStream.Length];
        //fetch the font program from the resource
        fontStream.Read(fontData, 0, (int)fontStream.Length);
        //copy the bytes to the unsafe memory block
        Marshal.Copy(fontData, 0, data, (int)fontStream.Length);

        // We HAVE to do this to register the font to the system (Weird .NET bug !)
        uint cFonts = 0;
        AddFontMemResourceEx(data, (uint)fontData.Length, IntPtr.Zero, ref cFonts);

        //pass the font to the font collection
        mFontCollection.AddMemoryFont(data, (int)fontStream.Length);
        //close the resource stream
        fontStream.Close();
        //free the unsafe memory
        Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(data);

And presto, you'll be able to use the font. Without the AddFontMemResourceEx it wont work.