JDK 1.1 introduced the fonts.properties file

In that file we have templates indicating the system fonts to be used
when a Java font is requested.

On Solaris the specifications look like

helvetica.bold.0=-linotype-helvetica-bold-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1
and also
sansserif.bold.0=-linotype-helvetica-bold-r-normal-sans-*-%d-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1

This is the equivalent of requesting Helvetica bold, and the %d is replaced
by your point size multiplied by 10.

For font sizes >= 12 this font looks fine.

however this particular font does not look at all bold when a point size
of 10 is specified. It is slightly wider spaced than the plain font, but not
at all bolder.

Thus it is poor choice, especially since this creates a regression from
JDK 1.0.2 and the built in JDK runtime default of

-adobe-helvetica-bold-r-*-*-10-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1

for the same request.

If you use either JDK 1.0.2, or remove the fonts.properties file from
JDK 1.1 you do indeed get a bold font

The fonts being used can be examined quite simply by running these
commands.

xfd -fn "-linotype-helvetica-bold-r-normal-sans-*-120-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1"
xfd -fn "-linotype-helvetica-bold-r-normal-sans-*-100-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1"
xfd -fn "-linotype-helvetica-bold-r-normal-sans-*-80-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1"
xfd -fn "-adobe-helvetica-bold-r-*-*-10-*-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1"
xfd -fn "-linotype-helvetica-bold-o-normal-sans-*-100-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1"


Note that I think all the bold variants of linotype are equally poor
for points sizes less tnan 12 . eg bold italic too.

// FontsFrame.java
import java.awt.*;

public class FontsFrame extends Frame {

  public static void main(String[] args) {
     FontsFrame ff = new FontsFrame();
     ff.resize(350,150);
     ff.show();
  }

  public void paint(Graphics g) {
     Font f;

     f = new Font("Helvetica", Font.PLAIN, 10);
     g.setFont(f);
     g.drawString("This is Helvetica 10 plain", 20, 40);

     f = new Font("Helvetica", Font.BOLD, 10);
     g.setFont(f);
     g.drawString("This is Helvetica 10 bold", 20, 60);

     f = new Font("Helvetica", Font.BOLD, 12);
     g.setFont(f);
     g.drawString("This is Helvetica 12 bold", 20, 80);

     f = new Font("Courier", Font.PLAIN, 10);
     g.setFont(f);
     g.drawString("This is Courier 10 plain", 180, 40);

     f = new Font("Courier", Font.BOLD, 10);
     g.setFont(f);
     g.drawString("This is Courier 10 bold", 180, 60);

     f = new Font("Courier", Font.BOLD, 12);
     g.setFont(f);
     g.drawString("This is Courier 12 bold", 180, 80);
 }
}


Name: rrT76497 Date: 05/06/98

Suseendran May 06,98. This bug is already in db.
Unable reproduce in Solaris 2.5, JDK1.2beta3


======================================================================