Re: [ELPA] Add new 'show-font' package?

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Protesilaos Stavrou <info@protesilaos.com>
> Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org
> Date: Fri, 06 Sep 2024 08:35:10 +0300
> 
> > From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>
> > Date: Thu,  5 Sep 2024 13:24:48 +0300
> >
> >> From: Philip Kaludercic <philipk@posteo.net>
> >> Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org
> >> Date: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 10:18:50 +0000
> >> 
> >> +  (unless (executable-find "fc-list")	;perhaps add a user option for the command name?
> >>      (error "Cannot find `fc-list' executable; will not find installed fonts"))
> >
> > Do we really need fc-list? can't we use the built-in x-family-fonts
> > instead?
> 
> I thought that function was only for X. It also is defined in a file
> which again has X in its name. If it works everywhere, then I am happy
> to use it.

x-family-fonts is defined in xfaces.c, which is not specific to X.
That function is supported by every font back-end that Emacs can use,
so it is platform-independent.

The only disadvantage in using it is that it will only know about font
families that are installed.  If you intend to support fonts that are
not installed, you will need something else.  But then fc-list doesn't
know about uninstalled fonts, either.  Also, fc-list is unlikely to be
installed on systems that do not run X Window System, anyway.