Adding new font (TTF) in Android

Following are the steps that we have to follow in order to integrate and use a new language into android.

      1.      copy the font file (true type) into the below mentioned path

/android_src/mydroid/frameworks/base/data/fonts/DroidSansArabic.ttf.

2.      Edit the xml file under the following path :

/android_src/mydroid/frameworks/base/data/fonts/fonts.xml.

add the following entry towards the end of the file

<font ttf="DroidSansFallback" /><font ttf="DroidSansArabic" /></fonts>

3.      Edit the Andriod.mk file in the following path so that the new font file is copied into the resource folder during build.

/android_src/mydroid/frameworks/base/data/fonts/Android.mk

DroidSerif-BoldItalic.ttf \
DroidSansMono.ttf \DroidSansArabic.ttf

4.      Edit the following code file to add our font-file

/android_src/mydroid/external/skia/src/ports/SkFontHost_android.cpp

static const FontInitRec gSystemFonts[] =

{
{ "DroidSans.ttf", gSansNames },
{ "DroidSans-Bold.ttf", NULL },
{ "DroidSerif-Regular.ttf", gSerifNames },
{ "DroidSerif-Bold.ttf", NULL },
{ "DroidSerif-Italic.ttf", NULL },
{ "DroidSerif-BoldItalic.ttf", NULL },
{ "DroidSansMono.ttf", gMonoNames },

//this will cause Arabic font file to be added to final image.

{ "DroidSansArabic.ttf", NULL },

5.      Modify the following files to enable the android framework to choose appropriate resource folder in each application when user selects some Locale.

a.       /android_src/mydroid/external/icu4c/common/unicode/locid.h

/** Useful constant for this country/region. @stable ICU 2.0 */

static const Locale &U_EXPORT2 getCanadaFrench(void);

// Adding new font for arabic

/** Useful constant for this country/region. @stable ICU 2.0 */

static const Locale &U_EXPORT2 getEgyptArabic(void);

b. /android_src/mydroid/external/icu4c/common/locid.cpp (Two changes needed in this file)

const Locale & U_EXPORT2

Locale::getCanadaFrench(void)

{

return getLocale(eCANADA_FRENCH);

}

// Adding new font for arabic

const Locale & U_EXPORT2

Locale::getEgyptArabic(void)

{

return getLocale(eEGYPT_ARABIC);

}

and

in the Locale * Locale::getLocaleCache(void) method, add a new entry as shown below :

tLocaleCache[eCANADA_FRENCH] = Locale("fr", "CA");

tLocaleCache[eEGYPT_ARABIC] = Locale("ar", "EG");

6. /android_src/mydroid/external/icu4c/common/locid.cpp

struct FamilyRec {

    FamilyRec*  fNext;

    SkTypeface* fFaces[6];   <=== increment whenever we are adding a new font file.

7. In this locid.cpp file, we need to increment the for loop count also accordingly. Otherwise it will not read the newly added font file

 for (int i = 0; i < 6; i++) {  <== increment

8. In the locid.cpp file, Add the enum value for each language:

      enum ELocalePos {

…..

….

                   eHINDI, 

                   eARABIC, 

These are all for adding a new language. If we need to add a new country, we need to do similar things for Country Enums, Get methods etc.,

9.      uild the entire source code

a.       Make

b.      Make sdk