PyObjC CoreText Framework Bindings

Warnings

• breaking PyObjC has periodically dropped support for older Python versions. Version 12.0 dropped support for Python 3.9, and version 11.0 dropped support for Python 3.8. Ensure your Python version meets the minimum requirement (currently Python 3.10+ for v12.x).
  Fix: Upgrade to a supported Python version (e.g., Python 3.10 or newer for PyObjC 12.x) or use an older PyObjC version that supports your Python runtime.
• breaking The behavior of `__init__` methods in Python subclasses of Objective-C classes, particularly when a custom `__new__` method is present, changed in v10.3 and was partially reverted in v10.3.1. In v10.3, `__init__` could not be used when PyObjC provided the `__new__`. In v10.3.1, this was relaxed for user-defined `__new__` methods, but `__init__` still cannot be used with PyObjC's default `__new__`.
  Fix: Review custom class implementations inheriting from Objective-C objects, especially those overriding `__new__` and `__init__`. Prefer to perform initialization logic within `__new__` or Objective-C designated initializers when possible, or ensure `__init__` is correctly called in cases where it is supported.
• breaking PyObjC v11.1 changed its Automatic Reference Counting (ARC) behavior for methods in the 'init' family to align with `clang`'s documentation. This means that such methods now correctly 'steal' a reference to `self` and return a new reference, which might alter object lifecycle if your code relied on the previous PyObjC behavior.
  Fix: If you are working with Objective-C objects directly, especially custom initializers, carefully review reference counting and object lifecycle. You might need to adjust manual retain/release calls or object ownership in more complex scenarios, although Python's garbage collection usually handles this.
• gotcha PyObjC's support for free-threading (PEP 703) introduced in Python 3.13 is experimental as of v11.0. While efforts have been made to support it, it may not be fully stable or correct for all use cases. It was explicitly stated as 'not supported' in earlier 3.13-compatible PyObjC releases (v10.3).
  Fix: Avoid using PyObjC with Python 3.13's free-threading mode in production environments until this feature is declared stable and fully supported by PyObjC. Stick to the default GIL-enabled mode for now.

Install

• pip install pyobjc-framework-coretext Install CoreText bindings

Imports

• CTFontCreateWithFontDescriptor

  from CoreText import CTFontCreateWithFontDescriptor

• CTFontDescriptorCreateWithNameAndSize

  from CoreText import CTFontDescriptorCreateWithNameAndSize

Quickstart

This example demonstrates how to import and use basic CoreText functions to create and inspect a font object. It checks for the framework's availability and then uses `CTFontDescriptorCreateWithNameAndSize` and `CTFontCreateWithFontDescriptor` to instantiate a font, finally printing its display name.

from CoreText import CTFontDescriptorCreateWithNameAndSize, CTFontCreateWithFontDescriptor, CTFontGetDisplayName
from Foundation import NSBundle

# Check if CoreText is available (generally true on macOS)
if NSBundle.bundleWithPath_('/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreText.framework'):
    print('CoreText framework is available.')

    # Create a font descriptor for Helvetica at 16 points
    font_descriptor = CTFontDescriptorCreateWithNameAndSize('Helvetica', 16.0)
    if font_descriptor:
        # Create a CTFontRef object from the descriptor
        font = CTFontCreateWithFontDescriptor(font_descriptor, 0.0) # 0.0 for default font matrix
        if font:
            font_name = CTFontGetDisplayName(font)
            print(f'Successfully created font: {font_name}')
            print(f'Font object type: {type(font)}')
        else:
            print('Failed to create font from descriptor.')
    else:
        print('Failed to create font descriptor.')
else:
    print('CoreText framework not found on this system.')