Class

NSFontDescriptor

A dictionary of attributes that describe a font.

Declaration

class NSFontDescriptor : NSObject

Overview

A font descriptor can be used to create or modify an NSFont object. The system provides a font matching capability, so that you can partially describe a font by creating a font descriptor with, for example, just a family name. You can then find all the available fonts on the system with a matching family name using matchingFontDescriptors(withMandatoryKeys:).

There are several ways to create a new NSFontDescriptor object. You can use alloc and init(fontAttributes:), fontDescriptorWithFontAttributes:, init(name:matrix:), or init(name:size:). to create a font descriptor based on either your custom attributes dictionary or on a specific font’s name and size. Alternatively you can use one of the fontDescriptor… instance methods (such as withFace(_:)) to create a modified version of an existing descriptor. The latter methods are useful if you have an existing descriptor and simply want to change one aspect.

All attributes in the attributes dictionary are optional.

Topics

Creating a Font Descriptor

init(name: String, matrix: AffineTransform)

Returns a font descriptor with the NSFontNameAttribute and NSFontMatrixAttribute dictionary attributes set to the given values.

init(name: String, size: CGFloat)

Returns a font descriptor with the NSFontNameAttribute and NSFontSizeAttribute dictionary attributes set to the given values.

init(fontAttributes: [NSFontDescriptor.AttributeName : Any]?)

Initializes and returns a new font descriptor with the specified attributes.

func addingAttributes([NSFontDescriptor.AttributeName : Any]) -> NSFontDescriptor

Returns a new font descriptor that is the same as the receiver but with the specified attributes taking precedence over the existing ones.

func withFace(String) -> NSFontDescriptor

Returns a new font descriptor that is the same as the receiver but with the specified face.

func withFamily(String) -> NSFontDescriptor

Returns a new font descriptor whose attributes are the same as the receiver but from the specified family.

func withMatrix(AffineTransform) -> NSFontDescriptor

Returns a new font descriptor that is the same as the receiver but with the specified matrix.

func withSize(CGFloat) -> NSFontDescriptor

Returns a new font descriptor that is the same as the receiver but with the specified point size.

func withSymbolicTraits(NSFontDescriptor.SymbolicTraits) -> NSFontDescriptor

Returns a new font descriptor that is the same as the receiver but with the specified symbolic traits taking precedence over the existing ones.

Finding Fonts

func matchingFontDescriptors(withMandatoryKeys: Set<NSFontDescriptor.AttributeName>?) -> [NSFontDescriptor]

Returns all the fonts available on the system whose specified attributes match those of the receiver.

func matchingFontDescriptor(withMandatoryKeys: Set<NSFontDescriptor.AttributeName>?) -> NSFontDescriptor?

Returns a normalized font descriptor whose specified attributes match those of the receiver.

Getting the Font Attributes

var fontAttributes: [NSFontDescriptor.AttributeName : Any]

The receiver’s dictionary of attributes.

func object(forKey: NSFontDescriptor.AttributeName) -> Any?

Returns the font attribute specified by the given key.

struct NSFontDescriptor.AttributeName

These font attributes are defined by NSFontDescriptor.

var matrix: AffineTransform?

The current transform matrix of the receiver.

var pointSize: CGFloat

The point size of the receiver.

var postscriptName: String?

The PostScript name of the receiver.

Getting the Font Traits

var symbolicTraits: NSFontDescriptor.SymbolicTraits

A bit mask that describes the traits of the receiver.

struct NSFontDescriptor.SymbolicTraits

Stylistic aspects of a font.

typealias NSFontSymbolicTraits

A symbolic description of stylistic aspects of a font.

Requiring Font Assets

var requiresFontAssetRequest: Bool

Constants

struct NSFontDescriptor.FeatureKey

The following constants can be used as keys to retrieve information about a font descriptor from its feature dictionary.

struct NSFontDescriptor.TraitKey

The following constants can be used as keys to retrieve information about a font descriptor from its trait dictionary.

struct NSFontDescriptor.VariationKey

The following constants can be used as keys to retrieve information about a font descriptor from its variation axis dictionary.

typealias NSFontFamilyClass

Constants that classify certain stylistic qualities of the font.

NSFontFamilyClassMask

Constant you use to access NSFontFamilyClass values in the upper four bits of NSFontSymbolicTraits.

Typeface Information

Typeface information is specified by the lower 16 bits of NSFontSymbolicTraits using the following constants.

Type Aliases

struct NSFontDescriptor.SystemDesign

Instance Methods

func withDesign(NSFontDescriptor.SystemDesign) -> Self?

Relationships

Inherits From

NSObject