Next: Declaring math symbols Up: Math fonts Previous: Declaring math alphabets

## Declaring symbol fonts

\DeclareSymbolFont {<sym-font>} {<encoding>} {<family>} {<series>} {<shape>}

If this is the first declaration for <sym-font> then a new symbol font with this name is created (i.e. this identifier is assigned to a new TeX math group).

The arguments <encoding> <family> <series> <shape> are used to set, or reset. the default values for this symbol font in all math versions; if required, these must be further reset later for a particular math version by a \SetSymbolFont command.

Checks that <encoding> is a declared encoding scheme.

For example, the following sets up the first four standard math symbol fonts:

   \DeclareSymbolFont{operators}{OT1}{cmr}{m}{n}
\DeclareSymbolFont{letters}{OML}{cmm}{m}{it}
\DeclareSymbolFont{symbols}{OMS}{cmsy}{m}{n}
\DeclareSymbolFont{largesymbols}{OMX}{cmex}{m}{n}

\SetSymbolFont {<sym-font>} {<version>}
{<encoding>} {<family>} {<series>} {<shape>}

Changes the symbol font <sym-font> for math version <version> to <encoding> <family> <series> <shape>.

Checks that <sym-font> has been declared as a symbol font, <version> is a known math version and <encoding> is a declared encoding scheme.

For example, the following come from the set up of the bold' math version:

   \SetSymbolFont{operators}{bold}{OT1}{cmr}{bx}{n}
\SetSymbolFont{letters}{bold}{OML}{cmm}{b}{it}

\DeclareSymbolFontAlphabet {<math-alph>} {<sym-font>}

Allows the previously declared symbol font <sym-font> to be the math alphabet with command <math-alph> in all math versions.

Checks that the command <math-alph> is either already a math alphabet command or is undefined; and that <sym-font> is a symbol font.

Example:

   \DeclareSymbolFontAlphabet{\mathrm}{operators}
\DeclareSymbolFontAlphabet{\mathcal}{symbols}

This declaration should be used in preference to \DeclareMathAlphabet and \SetMathAlphabet` when a math alphabet is the same as a symbol font; this is because it makes better use of the limited number (only 16) of TeX's math groups.

Note that, whereas a TeX math group is allocated to each symbol font when it is first declared, a math alphabet uses a TeX math group only when its command is used within a math formula.

Rainer Schoepf
Thu Jan 8 11:52:24 MET 1998