1. The method of managing a large plurality of electronic fonts in a text-processing system having a computer and data storage, each said font having a plurality of symbol-representing font symbol-representing data suitable for creating visual images of the represented symbols, respectively, said represented symbols all having a plurality of typeface attributes common to all represented symbols in a font the fonts being in families of fonts; in said text-processing said text-processing system executing the machine-executable steps of: in said data storage, addressably storing sets of said symbol-representing data as addressable electronic font objects and such that said symbol-representing data sets are individually addressable within any electronic font object by a symbol ID; in said data storage, storing a plurality of addressable code tables, each said code table having two sections, a first section storing a set of code points identifiable within an expected test stream to be received and each code table having an arbitrary set of such code points, and having a second section storing a subset of said symbol IDs of an electronic font and arranged such that each of said symbol IDs in said subset correspond to a one of said code points in the respective one of said code tables such that receipt of a code point in a text stream identifies a symbol ID in accordance with the code table being addressed for said text stream addressing such code table; defining and storing in said data storage, coded fonts including giving each coded font an address of a one of said code tables and an address of a one of said addressable electronic font objects such that each includes one address of a one of said code pages and an address of one of said electronic font objects, giving each coded font a name for making each of said coded fonts addressable as a separate entity for selecting it as a currently electronic font; selecting a one of said coded fonts as said current electronic font for processing said expected text stream for selecting one code table and one electronic font object; selecting a second electronic font only by identifying a one of said common typeface attributes and making said selection a second electronic font definition; in said data storage an index of a large plurality of said common typeface attributes and addresses of associated ones of said electronic font objects; receiving from said expected text stream said second electronic font definition and combining said one selected typeface attribute and said current electronic font, then searching said index to find an address of an electronic font object having said one common typeface in an electronic font within the family of fonts to which the current electronic font is a member; and building a coded font using the address of the same code table as said current electronic font and the address of the electronic font object identified via said index.
1. The method of managing a large plurality of electronic fonts in a text-processing system having a computer and data storage, each said font having a plurality of symbol-representing font symbol-representing data suitable for creating visual images of the represented symbols, respectively, said represented symbols all having a plurality of typeface attributes common to all represented symbols in a font the fonts being in families of fonts; in said text-processing said text-processing system executing the machine-executable steps of: in said data storage, addressably storing sets of said symbol-representing data as addressable electronic font objects and such that said symbol-representing data sets are individually addressable within any electronic font object by a symbol ID; in said data storage, storing a plurality of addressable code tables, each said code table having two sections, a first section storing a set of code points identifiable within an expected test stream to be received and each code table having an arbitrary set of such code points, and having a second section storing a subset of said symbol IDs of an electronic font and arranged such that each of said symbol IDs in said subset correspond to a one of said code points in the respective one of said code tables such that receipt of a code point in a text stream identifies a symbol ID in accordance with the code table being addressed for said text stream addressing such code table; defining and storing in said data storage, coded fonts including giving each coded font an address of a one of said code tables and an address of a one of said addressable electronic font objects such that each includes one address of a one of said code pages and an address of one of said electronic font objects, giving each coded font a name for making each of said coded fonts addressable as a separate entity for selecting it as a currently electronic font; selecting a one of said coded fonts as said current electronic font for processing said expected text stream for selecting one code table and one electronic font object; selecting a second electronic font only by identifying a one of said common typeface attributes and making said selection a second electronic font definition; in said data storage an index of a large plurality of said common typeface attributes and addresses of associated ones of said electronic font objects; receiving from said expected text stream said second electronic font definition and combining said one selected typeface attribute and said current electronic font, then searching said index to find an address of an electronic font object having said one common typeface in an electronic font within the family of fonts to which the current electronic font is a member; and building a coded font using the address of the same code table as said current electronic font and the address of the electronic font object identified via said index. 4. The method set forth in claim 1 further including the steps of: defining a plurality of electronic fonts including said first and second electronic fonts and creating a font table block for each defined electronic font wherein each said font table block can include data contents that vary from front table block to font table block including an explicit definition of an electronic font, a coded font, or one or more characteristics of an electronic font object; receiving a begin font command which refers to a one of said defined electronic fonts, referencing said font table block corresponding to said identified defined electronic font and examining the contents of said referenced font table block to determine whether explicit or implicit electronic font definition is required as indicated by the data content being a name of an electronic font or a typeface attribute, respectively; when an implicit electronic font definition is required, creating a new current electronic font through said combining step and if an explicit electronic font is defined, finding the coded font identified by the explicit electronic font and referring to the code page and electronic font object identified in the found coded font as a new current electronic font; and for each new current electronic font, establishing an external font information block which completes the definition of any electronic font that is currently being used with reference to a font table block from which said external font information block was derived and enter an identification of said external font information in said font table block such that subsequent references to said font table block will indicate that an electronic font has been defined in accordance with said defined electronic font.