Command Line Arguments
======================

.. highlight:: shell

::

   $ fontforge [-options] [filenames]
   $ fontforge [-script] scriptfile [arguments]
   $ fontforge -c script-string [arguments]

The filenames may specify any number of files in one of the font formats that
FontForge recognizes (various postscript formats, truetype, opentype, mac
resource, bitmap, svg, etc.).

Some files (.ttc or mac resource) may contain more than one outline font. You
may pick which font you want by following the filename with the fontname in
parentheses, thus:

::

   $ fontforge "gulim.ttc(GulimChe)"

will select the font GulimChe out of the font file gulim.ttc.

FontForge recognizes the following options:

.. program:: fontforge

.. option:: -allglyphs

   Load all glyphs from the 'glyf' table of a ttc file, rather than the subset
   used in the selected font. (Note that if a ttc file contains multiple 'glyf'
   tables, only one will be loaded, but that one will be completely loaded).

.. option:: -c script-string

   If FontForge's first (or second, if the first is -lang) argument is "-c" then
   the argument that follows will be treated as a string containing scripting
   commands, and those commands will be executed. All remaining arguments will
   be passed to the script.

   ::

      $ fontforge -c 'Open($1); Generate($2)' foo.sfd foo.ttf

   Will read a font from "foo.sfd" and then generate a truetype font from it
   called "foo.ttf"

.. option:: -cmap type

   Where type may be

   Current | Copy | Private

   Gives the user some control over :ref:`colormap handling <xres.Colormap>` on
   8bit screens.

.. option:: -depth val

   Specifies that FontForge should search for a visual with the given depth

.. option:: -display name

   Specifies the name of the display on which FontForge will open its windows

.. option:: -dontopenxdevices

   Various people have complained that when FontForge attempts to open the
   devices of the wacom graphics tablet, the X server gives a BadDevice error. I
   can't duplicate this, the open works fine on my system, but this argument
   allows them to tell fontforge not to try to use the tablet.

.. option:: -help

   Bring up a :doc:`browser </ui/menus/helpmenu>` looking at this documentation.

.. option:: -lang={py|ff}
            -lang {py|ff}

   Specifies whether the script should be interpreted as a python script or a
   fontforge script.

.. option:: -version

   Prints out the source version and exits.

.. option:: -keyboard type

   .. warning:: Deprecated option, may not do anything

   Where type may be

   ibm | mac | sun | ppc | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3

   Allows you to specify the type of keyboard. Currently this is only relevant
   when generating menus. The modifier keys are in different locations on
   different keyboards (under different operating systems) and if FontForge
   knows what keyboard you are using it can make the hot-keys have better
   labels.

   * ibm | 0

        Uses the Control and Alt keys
   * mac | 1

        Uses the Control and Option keys (Mac OS/X, Mac keyboard)
   * ppc | 3

        Uses the Control and Command keys (Suse ppc linux, Mac keyboard)
   * sun | 2

        Uses the Control and Meta keys

.. option:: -last

   Opens the last sfd file closed. If used more than once will open the last
   several sfd files.

.. option:: -new

   Creates a new font.

.. option:: -nosplash

   FontForge will not display its splash screen on startup (for slow
   connections)

.. option:: -open

   Bring up an open font dialog

.. option:: -quit

   Exit fontforge (only useful if -unique is passed as well, in which case the
   master fontforge will be asked to exit)

.. option:: -recover type

   Where type may be:

   .. object:: none

      Do not attempt any automatic file recovery

   .. object:: clean

      Clean out the directory containing files to be recovered

   .. object:: auto

      recover any files which have been changed but which fontforge crashed on
      before saving.

.. option:: -script script-file

   If FontForge's first argument is "-script" then the argument that follows
   will be treated as a :doc:`script file </scripting/scripting>` and all the remaining
   arguments will be passed as arguments to that file. (The "-script" argument
   may be omitted, and if the first argument is an executable file which whose
   first line starts with "#!" and contains "fontforge". This means that
   fontforge may be used as an interpreter. Ie. you can create a fontforge
   script file and type its name to your shell and fontforge will be invoked to
   process that file as a script file (passing any arguments to it)).

.. option:: -skippyfile

   Do not execute python init scripts. These can be run later using the
   :py:meth:`fontforge.runInitScripts` Python method.

.. option:: -skippyplug

   Do not load (enabled) Python plugins. These can be loaded later via the
   :doc:`Configure Plugins dialog </techref/plugins>` or the
   :py:meth:`fontforge.loadPlugins` Python method.

.. option:: -sync

   Do synchronous screen drawing. Slows things down, makes some things easier to
   debug.

.. option:: -unique

   If there is already a fontforge running on this screen, then the current
   version will pass its arguments to the already existing one for it to open,
   and then the current version will exit. So it looks more like a Mac/Windows
   app.

.. option:: -usage

   Display a brief description of the options

.. option:: -vc type

   Where type may be:

   StaticGray GrayScale StaticColor PseudoColor TrueColor DirectColor

   (See the X manuals for a description of what these mean). FontForge will
   search through the visuals in an attempt to find one with the desired
   VisualClass (given here) and depth (given with the -depth option).


.. _cliargs.Environment:

Environment Variables
---------------------

FontForge examines the following environment variables:

.. envvar:: BROWSER

   Specifies the name of a browser program for examining documentation (must be
   able to read a local or remote html file and display it reasonably). On
   CygWin systems browsers that work in the windows world (as opposed to the
   cygwin sub-system) must be specified by a full path spec.

.. envvar:: AUTOTRACE

   Specifies the name and location of the autotrace program. (if not specified
   FontForge will try to find it in the user's path)

.. envvar:: POTRACE

   Specifies the name and location of the potrace program.

.. envvar:: MF

   Specifies the name and location of the metafont program. (if not specified
   FontForge will try to find it in the user's path)

.. envvar:: FONTFORGE_VERBOSE

   Turns on verbose mode in script execution (the script will be printed to
   stdout as it is executed).

.. envvar:: FONTFORGE_LOADPREFS

   Controls loading of preference items. If set to "Always" then preferences
   will be loaded even for scripts. If set to "Never" then preferences will not
   be loaded unless explicitly requested. If unset (or if set to any other
   value) then preferences will be loaded when ff starts up with a user
   interface, and will not be loaded if ff starts up executing a script.

.. envvar:: FONTFORGE_LANGUAGE

   Provides a default interpreter to use when executing a script. Must be either
   "py" or "ff"/"pe".

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

.. envvar:: LANG, LC_ALL, etc.

   To determine the current locale, etc.

.. envvar:: PATH

   Used when looking for Autotrace or mf programs

.. envvar:: TMPDIR

   Temporary directory. Used for temporary files for which I need a filename
   (ie. to pass to autotrace, etc.)

.. envvar:: HOME

   Used to figure out where to put the .FontForge directory which includes user
   preferences and the recovery files.

.. envvar:: USER

   Used to create comments in new fonts about who created the font, or who saved
   it.