Mega Code Archive

 
Categories / Delphi / Examples
 

Storing font information in the registry - with one key only

If you came in a situation to store font information in the registry, because you want to allow your users to customize your application, then you may have faced the fact that the TRegistry class does not provide WriteFont(), ReadFont() functions. The first thought would be to make a sub key for each item in your application and write the font information as a combination of Strings and Integers. WriteString(key, Font.FaceName); WriteInteger(key, Font.Size); Obviously not the most elegant code. Here's an elegant solution - store the font information as binary data! The Windows API provides a TLogFont structure that describes a font. It includes all properties that the Borland TFont class provides except the font's color. We'll use an extended logical description that contains the Windows (T)LogFont and the color. For information on TLogFont open help file Win32.hlp and search for LogFont. // saves/ reads a font to/ from the registry // // read like this: // fEditorFont := TFont.Create; // fEditorFont.name := 'Courier New'; // fEditorFont.Size := 10; // LoadFont(sKey, 'Editor', fEditorFont); // // and save like this: // SaveFont(sKey, 'Editor', fEditorFont); unit sFontStorage; interface uses Graphics, Windows, Registry; procedure LoadFont(const sKey, sItemID: string; var aFont: TFont); procedure SaveFont(const sKey, sItemID: string; aFont: TFont); implementation type TFontDescription = packed record Color: TColor; LogFont: TLogFont; end; procedure LoadFont(const sKey, sItemID: string; var aFont: TFont); var iSiz: Integer; FontDesc: TFontDescription; begin with TRegistry.Create do begin if OpenKey(sKey, False) then try iSiz := SizeOf(FontDesc); if ReadBinaryData(sItemID, FontDesc, iSiz)=SizeOf(FontDesc) then begin aFont.Handle := CreateFontIndirect(FontDesc.LogFont); end; aFont.Color := FontDesc.Color; finally CloseKey; end; // free the registry object Free; end; end; procedure SaveFont(const sKey, sItemID: string; aFont: TFont); var iSiz: Integer; FontDesc: TFontDescription; begin with TRegistry.Create do begin iSiz := SizeOf(FontDesc.LogFont); if GetObject(aFont.Handle, iSiz, @FontDesc.LogFont)>0 then begin f OpenKey(sKey, True) then try FontDesc.Color := aFont.Color; WriteBinaryData(sItemID, FontDesc, SizeOf(FontDesc)); finally CloseKey; end; end; // free the registry object Free; end; end; end.