Py-compreffor

Jul 20, 2023

CFF table subroutinizer for FontTools

compreffor is a CFF table subroutinizer for FontTools.


Introduction

If you are a FreeBSD enthusiast or use FreeBSD for your computing needs, you are likely familiar with ports. This system is a significant hallmark of FreeBSD, enabling users to install a plethora of applications and software on their system directly from source code. One such port in the X11-fonts category is py-compreffor.

Get ready to embark on this well-guided journey on how to use this software and dive deeper into its beneficial aspects, exclusively designed for you. We ensure to provide a simple, practical, and readable guide on how to use the py-compreffor software. So, whether you’re a FreeBSD newbie or an expert, this guide is sure to enhance your knowledge and skills.

What is py-compreffor?

Py-compreffor is a CFF Compact Font Format subroutinizer for font developers. This tool is an open-source utility that enables you to compact font files efficiently and quickly. Py-compreffor optimizes these files to increase their accessibility and utilization, targeting font developers and typographers mainly. It operates as a port under BSD-3-clause, which simplifies its addition to your FreeBSD system.

The py-compreffor software effectively eliminates redundant data from your font files, reducing their size and improving their load time. This is especially useful in the web development field where every byte and millisecond counts.

Installing py-compreffor

To install the software, you need to have FreeBSD installed on your system. If you haven’t already, you may install FreeBSD from https//freebsdsoftware.org/ with a detailed guide.

Upon readying your FreeBSD system, open your terminal and enter the following command

cd /usr/ports/x11-fonts/py-compreffor/ && make install clean

This command downloads, compiles, and installs py-compreffor onto your system. You might require super-user permissions for installation, so don’t forget to add sudo before your command if necessary.

Using py-compreffor

The entire operation of py-compreffor is through the command line. Its usage simplistically follows the pattern below

pyCompreffor [-h] [-v] [-n PROCESSES] [-j] [-p] [-i] infile [outfile]

Arguments explained

  • -h will display the help message and exit
  • -v prints the version number of the software and exits
  • -n PROCESSES sets the number of processes to use
  • -j convert the output file to a CID-keyed font if the input file is name-keyed
  • -p preserve the original ordering of glyphs
  • -i ignore ttfautohint control instructions, if present
  • infile the input font file to be optimized
  • outfile the optional output file. If not specified, the input file will be overwritten

Consider the following example command

pyCompreffor example.otf example_out.otf

This command will convert example.otf and save the output as example_out.otf.

Advantages of py-compreffor

Leveraging py-compreffor within your FreeBSD system comes with several prime benefits.

  1. Optimization The principal benefit of py-compreffor is the optimization of font files. It removes subsets that are unnecessary, thereby reducing the size of the font file. This directly affects your website’s loading speed and performance.

  2. Ease of Use Using py-compreffor requires minimal expertise. The command-style interface makes it efficient and user-friendly.

  3. Integration Notably, after you’ve installed py-compreffor, you can easily integrate it within font build pipelines using other common tools like Fonttools, in just a few simple steps.

Escalate the power of your FreeBSD system

While py-compreffor ensures powerful font file optimization, you can further enhance your FreeBSD system’s power with other equally potent ports like [nmap]https//freebsdsoftware.org/security/nmap.html for network exploration and security auditing.

In conclusion, py-compreffor is a compelling tool for any font developer, webmaster, or typographer looking to optimize font files or reduce their size. This guide strives to provide all relevant information about the port fit for all levels of FreeBSD users. Hop on the FreeBSD journey and try out the py-compreffor today for a seamless, superfast, and robust BSD experience.


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