Multiple fonts in text run.

Question

The specification indicates that 4 different fonts can be used in a run based on the Unicode Block.

How do I get one of these runs using Word?  I have tried and word always seems to create multiple runs with a single font in each run.

Does word alway break runs up by font unincode block?

Answer 1

Hi mpenningroth, thank you for your question. A member of the protocol documentation team will respond to you soon.

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Josh Curry (jcurry) | Escalation Engineer | Open Specifications Support Team

Answer 2

Hi mpenningroth,

If you haven’t already reviewed this, please refer to ISO/IEC 29500-1:2011 Section 17.3.2.26 rFonts (Run Fonts), which may answer your question.

You may obtain the specification from the ISOStandards site, specifically, ISO/IEC29500-1:2011.

Excerpt from Section 17.3.2.26  rFonts (Run Fonts):

This element specifies the fonts which shall be used to display the text contents of this run. Within a single run, there can be up to four types of content present which shall each be allowed to use a unique font:

• ASCII (i.e., the first 128 Unicode code points)
• High ANSI
• Complex Script
• East Asian

The use of each of these fonts shall be determined by the Unicode character values of the run content, unless manually overridden via use of the cs element (§17.3.2.7).  If this element is not present, the default value is to leave the formatting applied at previous level in the style hierarchy. If this element is never applied in the style hierarchy, then the text shall be displayed in any default font which supports that set of characters.

Regards,
Mark Miller
Escalation Engineer
US-CSS DSC PROTOCOL TEAM

Answer 3

I understand that information, what I am trying to detrmine is if Microsoft Word will ever produce runs that actually use more than one font (in the same text run).

I tried to use Word to construct a run that had multiple fonts, but the wordml produced had individual runs, with each run using a single font.

I was able to manually modify the wordml to construct a multi-font run, but what I am trying to determine is if someone using Word to create a document can generate a run that contains more than 1 font, or will word always break the text into multiple runs with a single font.

Thanks,

  Mark

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Mark Penningroth

Answer 4

Hi Mark,

If the specification allows it then it is possible Word may generate a run that contains more than one font.  However, I am not aware of exact use-cases as an example for those scenarios.  Therefore, it is a suggestion to follow the specification in your implementation, specifically Section 17.3.2.26 rFonts (Run Fonts):

The use of each of these fonts shall be determined by the Unicode character values of the run content, unless manually overridden via use of the cs element (§17.3.2.7). If this element is not present, the default value is to leave the formatting applied at previous level in the style hierarchy. If this element is never applied in the style hierarchy, then the text shall be displayed in any default font which supports that set of characters.

There are numerous sections that define Font behavior/implementation, which include but are not limited to:

17.7.1 Style Inheritance

17.7.5.4 rPr (Run Properties)

17.8.2 Font Substitution

L.1.9 Fonts

I hope this resolves your question.

Regards,
Mark Miller
Escalation Engineer
US-CSS DSC PROTOCOL TEAM