Font Command Line Tools | Aspose.Font for .NET
CLI APPS for Aspose.Font
Introduction to CLI Tools
Command‑line interface (CLI) tools provide a powerful and flexible way to perform various tasks directly from the terminal. They are especially useful for developers, system administrators, and automation engineers who need to:
- Automate repetitive workflows – run batch jobs, schedule tasks, or embed font operations into CI/CD pipelines.
- Integrate with scripts – PowerShell, Bash, or any scripting language can invoke the tools with a single line.
- Maintain a lightweight footprint – no GUI overhead, ideal for server‑side or containerised environments.
Because they are scriptable, CLI tools enable “Infrastructure as Code” practices for font handling, making it easy to reproduce results across environments.
Aspose.Font CLI Applications
Aspose.Font for .NET ships with a dedicated CLI utility that covers the full lifecycle of font processing:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Format conversion | Convert between TrueType (TTF), OpenType (OTF), Web Open Font Format (WOFF/WOFF2), PostScript Type 1, and Font Subset (SFNT) files. |
| Font subsetting | Extract only the glyphs required for a specific language or document, drastically reducing file size. |
| Metadata editing | Read, modify, or remove font name tables, licensing information, and custom entries. |
| Batch processing | Accept wild‑card patterns (*.ttf) or a list file to process dozens of fonts in one command. |
| Cross‑platform support | Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux (including Docker containers). |
| Verbose logging | Detailed operation logs and error codes for easy troubleshooting in automated pipelines. |
The tool is built on top of Aspose.Font’s core engine, so all conversion quality, hinting preservation, and Unicode mapping remain identical to the library’s API.
Typical Usage Scenarios
- CI/CD font validation – Verify that uploaded assets conform to corporate font policies before deployment.
- Web‑font preparation – Convert source TTF/OTF files to WOFF2 and generate subsets for faster page loads.
- Bulk license compliance – Strip or replace licensing metadata from large collections of fonts.
- Localization pipelines – Automatically generate language‑specific subsets for mobile or embedded applications.
Available CLI Tool
- Aspose.Font Convert – The primary command for format conversion, subsetting, and metadata manipulation.
Command‑Line Syntax Overview
1Aspose.Font.Cli.exe convert \
2 -i <input‑font> \
3 -o <output‑font> \
4 -f <target‑format> \
5 [options]Key options
| Switch | Meaning |
|---|---|
-i | Path to the source font file (supports wildcards). |
-o | Destination folder or file name. |
-f | Target format (ttf, otf, woff, woff2, pfb). |
-s | Subset characters (e.g., -s "A‑Z0‑9"). |
-m | Modify font metadata (e.g., -m "FamilyName=MyFont"). |
-v | Enable verbose output for debugging. |
-l | Generate a log file containing operation details. |
Example – Convert a folder of TTF files to WOFF2 and subset them to ASCII characters:
1Aspose.Font.Cli.exe convert -i "fonts\*.ttf" -o "out\" -f woff2 -s "A-Za-z0-9" -vBenefits of Using Command Line Programs
- Efficiency – Automate repetitive tasks and reduce manual intervention.
- Flexibility – Simple commands perform complex operations such as subsetting and metadata editing.
- Integration – Seamlessly embed in scripts, build pipelines, Dockerfiles, or server‑side services.
- Scalability – Process thousands of fonts in a single batch without a GUI overhead.
For detailed command reference, usage examples, and platform‑specific installation instructions, please visit the dedicated sections linked above.