I think it only works with their fonts.

Some cursive font makers (for example Signature Software) map the alternate cursive forms to upper ASCII characters (eg all those accented characters) they then use a macro to switch these alternates into a passage of text. Apart from being a bit of a hack, the text is not searchable or cut and paste-able, and if you switch fonts becomes gibberish. Another reason why OpenType is a better bet.

Si

The Cursive handwriting font requires individual characters to have multiple beginning and ending strokes depending on the character pair combination used in a word. Around 1992 I designed and developed the typefaces for Zaner-Bloser Publishing who had the original drawing. Because the character set was limited I developed several font and a colleague designed a custom application to switch fonts on the fly. I assume this application is very similar.
Your right Si, OpenType would have made the project more interactive.

Yes, font-switching would provide more accessible results - cut and paste and search would likely work. I made this IE font embedding demo a few years back which used that technique.

details - http://www.microsoft.com/typography/web/embedding/demos/8/about8.htm
demo - http://www.microsoft.com/typography/web/embedding/demos/8/demo8.htm

Cheers, Si

a few years ago??? you made that about 1997!!

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I'm a Londoner, you can't scare me.

As any Beiruti will tell you: You don't have to be scared to be in danger.

hhp

> you made that about 1997!!

You're right, how time flies when you're having fun.

> You don’t have to be scared to be in danger.

You don't have to be in danger to be scared.

Cheers, Si

> You don’t have to be in danger to be scared.

Wow, that's good, Simon.

hhp