You could create your own mapping table with Image to three or four numbers that would be textual but would be surrounded or bookended by a special character maybe Exclamation for example lets say that the table would have two columns
imageID [type text ] imageJPG [type varbit] 111 [leftHandImage] 112 [rightHandImage] 113 [heartShape] etc. for lookups in the table for license plate you would store a plate number (I don't have any idea of the makeup of a Calif plate number so I am just winging it here) that might be: 747[leftHandImage]119AB You would store 747!111!119AB which would be searchable. You can make up the mechanics of data entry from here. The display of the plate number would be clunky in a form, but probably fairly doable in a report. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Chitiea" <[email protected]> To: "RBASE-L Mailing List" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 4:53 PM Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: Embedding Symbol Fonts within a Text String #### Substitution? Please go on ... Bruce -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: Embedding Symbol Fonts within a Text String From: "Mike Byerley" <[email protected]> Date: Mon, June 25, 2012 12:19 pm To: [email protected] (RBASE-L Mailing List) I'm probably late to the dance, but if it hasn't been said already, can't you do 3 or 4 number substitution for each of the graphic characters you need to represent? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Chitiea" <[email protected]> To: "RBASE-L Mailing List" <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 1:40 PM Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: Embedding Symbol Fonts within a Text String Javier/Alastair: All welcome suggestion. At the moment, the application is nowhere near as generalized as it might ultimately become. I'm trying to build in as much flexibility from the get-go as I can. 0. A graphic would be a perfect way to manage the 'display' of the symbolized plate; actual processing would involve the underlying fields; 1. The ultimate application would discriminate between hand-symbol isotopes; 2. 'Vanity' plate masks may be of interest ultimately, but have no importance for number processing; 3. Never thought to ask the DMV. (Californians are very wary of that experience.) 4. All symbol characters are available; getting them into a compact distributable is a minor challenge. Thanks again, very much. Bruce -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: Embedding Symbol Fonts within a Text String From: "Javier Valencia" <[email protected]> Date: Mon, June 25, 2012 9:44 am To: [email protected] (RBASE-L Mailing List) Bruce, A quick check of California tags indicate that you can have a right or a left handprint. You might want to investigate to check if California can issue two different tags, one with the right handprint and one with the left handprint, or both handprint are considered one symbol. As far as storing the license plate and using it for searches, you will always have to check against the two columns since using only the first column can potentially result in up to 5 tags being found when you want only one. Also, do you need to make provisions to store the type of tag, such veteran, POW, etc.,? California seems to have a bunch of those. You can check if there is a font that has all the characters (CA DMV?) or even create your own font; however, you would have to distribute the font to anyone else that uses the application. Javier, Javier Valencia, PE O: 913-829-0888 H: 913-397-9605 C: 913-915-3137 From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bruce Chitiea Sent: Monday, June 25, 2012 10:13 AM To: RBASE-L Mailing List Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: Embedding Symbol Fonts within a Text String Thanks Larry. FWIW, My two-column workaround preserves the symbol's meaning from loss of the display font. The simple text-column 'mvplateno' stores an '@' character in place of the symbol: nnnn@nn n@nnnnn nnn@nnn ... followed by text-column 'mvplatesymbol' holding a symbol analog: <HND> for 'Hand' <HRT> for 'Heart' <STR> for 'Star' <PLS> for 'Plus' So the three strings above might be entered, stored and output as: COOL@LK <HND> I@RB95 <HRT> NON@SED <PLS> While this 'wastes' real estate for the majority of plates without symbols, the meaning is unambiguous to the viewer. It would just be really cool to embed the literal symbol in outputs (screen and printer) where display-space is gold. This would of necessity require symbol-font character storage within the database, so that symbols wouldn't get smoked by system wierdness. Cheers, Bruce -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [RBASE-L] - Re: Embedding Symbol Fonts within a Text String From: Lawrence Lustig <[email protected]> Date: Mon, June 25, 2012 7:22 am To: [email protected] (RBASE-L Mailing List) <<How does one switch fonts WITHIN a text string?>> You cannot switch fonts within a regular text string or control. If you cannot find a single font that has all the characters you need you will have to find another solution. You could do this using an RTF text string or memo control, but be aware that you will require much more space to store the text when RTF is involved (probably several hundred characters per license plate). If you can manage your output through HTML, you should be able to handle it that way also. -- Larry
