How To Create/Install (Register) a New Font Using XML Publisher

1. Introduction

Introduced in XML Publisher 5.6.0 is a new tab named Administration. This replaces the xdo.cfg configuration file and its goal is to simply the administration of XML Publisher as part of an Oracle E-Business Suite environment.

2. How to create a new font in XML Publisher?

Fonts can be uploaded directly via the Administration pages. They are then stored in the database instead of on the file system.

The Administration tab has 3 more sub tabs:

1. Configuration
2. Font Mappings and Font Files
3. Currencies

The creation of a font requires only a few steps to be performed:

1. Log in as XML Publisher Administrator
2. Navigate to Administration --> Font Files --> Create Font File
3. Available fields are Font Name and File
   --> for Font Name, choose any descriptive name
   --> file will browse your PC to locate the font file
4. Navigate to Font Mappings -->Create Font Mapping Set
5. Mapping name is the name you will give to a set of fonts.
6. Mapping code is the internal name you will give to this set
7. Type: 'PDF Form' for PDF templates. 'FO to PDF' for all other template types.
8. Create Font Mapping (this allows you to add fonts to a set)
9. Font Family is the exact same name you see in MS Word under Font. If you don't use the same name the font will not be picked up at runtime.
10. Style and weight must also match how you use the font in the RTF or PDF layout template. Normal and Normal are good defaults.
11. Language and Territory should remain blank (NULL) unless you have a strong business reason, as these fields can cause the font not to be picked up at runtime.
12. Navigate to Configuration General -> FO Processing -->Font Mapping Set. This can also be done at Data Definition and Template level, via the corresponding Edit Configuration button on those pages. The hierarchy is Site-> Data Def à Template.
13. Select your new mapping set.
14. Make sure the font is not referenced under File àProperties à Custom in the RTF template file.
15. Under General, set a Temporary Directory. The font will be stored under a /fonts directory at runtime, initially created the first time the font is used.
16. Upload a template that uses your special font and test using preview or by submitting a concurrent request.

For more information, kindly refer to the XML Publisher documentation accessibly via the References section of this document.

Note: It is still possible to define custom fonts via the xdo.cfg file though that does require for the font files to physically exist on the server.