A Solution: VFlib


Unique features of VFlib:
Support for various font file formats
Unified API to obtain glyph from font files
Independent from window/operating systems
Separation of concepts of logical font and physical font 
Use a font database file to resolve logical font definition
Includes a character code conversion system

VFlib is a library: 
A set of functions to access fonts
Open a font
Get a bitmap (glyph) of character
An application is linked against VFlib to access fonts
Get bitmaps from VFlib, and display/print them.