Converting a String to Font

Somebody has created a FontConverter class that allows you to convert the Font to and from a string (the Font class is serializable). It's pretty simple... you just serialize to and deserialize from an XML string. There is another example in this article: .NET XML Serialization - a settings class.

var fC = new FontConverter(); // <-= Cool Trick, now watch...

// From a string is:
PrintFont = fC.ConvertFromString(yourString) as Font;

// To a string is:
string yourString = fC.ConvertToString(PrintFont);


// NOW if you wanted to bring back the Script for said Font as well.
// there are a few more steps. First, you will have to Save the value.
PrintSettings.Default.GdiCharSet = _font.Dialog.Font.GdiCharSet;// byte Type.

// or
byte gdiValue = PrintFont.GdiCharSet; // something like that.

// OR, you can store it as an int with:
int gdiValue = PrintFont.GdiCharSet.GetHashCode();

// But whatever, the Script is not brought back in with the Font whether
// you save it as a text file string or Settings.setting, either way.
// byte or int. And _fontDialog.Font.GdiCharSet HAS NO SETTER. So you are
// pretty much screwed...(sic) ...unless you do it my way. LoL jk...

// So you have your PrintFont loaded back in using the above. But you want
// to also bring back the Script for the saved Font. Having saved that GdiCharSet
// value as well, you simply put them together. My method makes it as simple as:

PrintFont = GetFontWithScript();

// After this ^ call, all you need to do is assign it with:
_fontDialog.Font = PrintFont; // and you will be completely set.

// And here is how it puts the two together again.

private Font GetFontWithScript()
{
PrintFont = PrintSettings.Default.PrintFont;
var name = PrintFont.Name;
var size = PrintFont.Size;
var style = PrintFont.Style;
var unit = PrintFont.Unit;
var charSet = PrintSettings.Default.GdiCharSet;

return new Font(name,size,style,unit,charSet);
/*
* Font(String, Single, FontStyle, GraphicsUnit, Byte)
* Initializes a new Font using a specified size, style, unit and character set.
*
*/
}

// Also, to convert a color to a string and back is just as simple.
// Where...
System.Drawing.Color _yourColor; // Assign it from FontDialog or whatever...
// Then...
string colorString = _yourColor.ToArgb().ToString();

// Then, to convert a string to a Color just...
_yourColor = Color.FromArgb(Convert.ToInt32(colorString));

// or just work with the int or byte and forget the string. ;-)