# man > TFTOPL(1)

[TFTOPL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/TFTOPL/1/markdown)                              General Commands Manual                             [TFTOPL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/TFTOPL/1/markdown)



## NAME
       tftopl - convert TeX font metric (tfm) files to property lists

## SYNOPSIS
       **tftopl** [_OPTIONS_] _tfm_name_[**.tfm**] [_pl_name_[**.pl**]]

## DESCRIPTION
       This  manual page is not meant to be exhaustive.  The complete documentation for this version
       of TeX can be found in the info file or manual _Web2C:_ _A_ _TeX_ _implementation_.

       The **tftopl** program translates a (program-oriented) font metric  file  to  a  (human-oriented)
       property  list  file.  Thus, you can edit the contents of the TFM files, if the font designer
       has not done his or her job properly, or if you're encountering strange difficulties,  or  if
       you're just curious.  It also serves as a TFM-file validating program, i.e., if no error mes‐
       sages are given, the input file is correct.

       The _pl_name_ is extended with **.pl** if it lacks a suffix.  If _pl_name_  is  not  given,  standard
       output  is  used.  Likewise, _tfm_name_ is extended with **.tfm** if it lacks a suffix.  Also, path
       searching is done for the TFM file using the environment variable TEXFONTS.  If that  is  not
       set, **tftopl** uses the system default.

       See [**tex**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/tex/1/markdown) for the details of the searching.

## OPTIONS
### -charcode-format=
              The  argument  _format_ specifies how character codes are output in the PL file.  By de‐
              fault, only letters and digits are output using the **C** integer code (i.e.,  in  ASCII);
              the others are output in octal.  (Unless the font's coding scheme starts with **TeX** **math**
              **sy** or **TeX** **math** **ex**, in which case all character codes are output in octal.)  If  _format_
              is  **ascii**, all character codes that correspond to graphic characters, besides the left
              and right parentheses, are output in ASCII.  Finally, if _format_ is **octal**, all  charac‐
              ter codes are output in octal.

### -verbose
              Without  this option, **tftopl** operates silently.  With it, a banner and progress report
              are printed on _stdout_.

## SEE ALSO
       [**pltotf**(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pltotf/1/markdown),
       Donald E. Knuth, _TeXware_.
       Donald E. Knuth, _The_ _Metafontbook_ (Volume C of _Computers_  _and_  _Typesetting_),  Addison-Wesley,
       1986, ISBN 0-201-13445-4.

## AUTHORS
       Donald  E. Knuth wrote the program. It was published as part of the _TeXware_ technical report,
       available from the TeX Users Group.  Howard Trickey and Pavel Curtis originally ported it  to
       Unix.



Web2C 2022/dev                              16 June 2015                                   [TFTOPL(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/TFTOPL/1/markdown)