NAME¶

pktype - verify and translate a packed font bitmap file to plain text

SYNOPSIS¶

pktype pk_file [ output_file ]

DESCRIPTION¶

This manual page is not meant to be exhaustive. The complete documentation for this version of TeX can be found in the info file or manual Web2C: A TeX implementation.

The pktype program translates a packed font file (pk) (output by, for example, gftopk(1) to a file that humans can read. It also serves as a pk file-validating program (i.e., if pktype can read it, it's correct) and as an example of a pk-reading program for other software that wants to read pk files.

The pk_file on the command line must be complete. Because the resolution is part of the extension, it would not make sense to append a default extension as is done with TeX or DVI-reading software. If no output_file is specified, the plain text translation is written to standard output.

The output file gives a compact encoding of the packed encoding, using conventions described in the source code. Run lengths of black pixels alternate with parenthesized run lengths of white pixels, and brackets are used to indicate when a row should be repeated.

ENVIRONMENT¶

pktype looks for pk_file using the environment variable PKFONTS. If that is not set, it uses the variable TEXPKS. If that is not set, it uses TEXFONTS. If that is not set, it uses the system default.

See tex(1) for the details of the searching.

SEE ALSO¶

dvitype(1), gftopk(1), gftype(1).
Donald E. Knuth et al., Metafontware.

AUTHORS¶

Tomas Rokicki wrote the program. Donald E. Knuth originally ported it to Unix. Pierre MacKay adapted it for compilation with Web2c.