An easy way of obtaing such values as `ex` in font without `x`?

Question

From an output on the following example:

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

\font\meta logo10 at30pt

\meta
M{\hskip1em}E{\hskip1ex}T

\end{document}

I can guess that the value of ex in font logo10 is equal to 0pt. Does it exist an easy, more natural way of obtaing such values? I know that I can read the METAFONT source of font, but it should be another way...

See http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/8260/what-are-the-various-units-ex-em-in-pt-bp-dd-pc-expressed-in-mm/ — Steven B. Segletes, Nov 20 '13 at 20:57

score 8 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

8

ex and em are fontdimen 5 and 6, see

What do different \fontdimen<num> mean

\documentclass{article}

\begin{document}

\font\meta logo10 at30pt

\showthe\fontdimen5\meta
\showthe\fontdimen6\meta

\meta
M{\hskip1em}E{\hskip1ex}T

\end{document}

Produces

> 0.0pt.
<recently read> \meta 

l.7 \showthe\fontdimen5\meta

? 
> 23.99991pt.
<recently read> \meta 

l.8 \showthe\fontdimen6\meta

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:35

Community

1

answered Nov 20 '13 at 20:59

David Carlisle

757,742

Oh, \showthe! I have tried \the without a success. – Przemysław Scherwentke Nov 20 '13 at 21:06
@PrzemysławScherwentke \the would work the same way, making text in the document rather than on the terminal. Perhaps you forgot the trailing \meta \fontdimen takes two arguments a number and a font. – David Carlisle Nov 20 '13 at 21:09
I forgot to change back onto a normal font, hence my rather naive question. – Przemysław Scherwentke Nov 20 '13 at 21:17
@PrzemysławScherwentke :-) :-) good catch:-) – David Carlisle Nov 20 '13 at 21:17
of course one might ask, why use ex for a horizontal space? (yes, i know it was in the original example.) – barbara beeton Nov 20 '13 at 21:30

An easy way of obtaing such values as `ex` in font without `x`?

1 Answers1