Why does CTFramesetterCreateWithAttributedString crash when setting italic font?

Question

I'm fairly new to Core Text. I have two attributed strings, who have only one difference, in the second example, the first character is set to Verdana-Italic size 22.

The first one has no problem going through CTFramesetterCreateWithAttributedString((CFAttributedStringRef) attributedText); but the second noe crashes with an EXC_BAD_ACCESS.

Any idea why the second one crashes when all I do is add italic verdana to the first character?

pCO{
    CTForegroundColor = "<CGColor 0x8664bb0> [<CGColorSpace 0x816eef0> (kCGColorSpaceDeviceGray)] ( 0 1 )";
    NSFont = "CTFont <name: Verdana, size: 22.000000, matrix: 0x0>\nCTFontDescriptor <attributes: <CFBasicHash 0x835a240 [0x13fab48]>{type = mutable dict, count = 1,\nentries =>\n\t1 : <CFString 0x278c40 [0x13fab48]>{contents = \"NSFontNameAttribute\"} = <CFString 0x86566e0 [0x13fab48]>{contents = \"Verdana\"}\n}\n>";
    NSParagraphStyle = "CTParagraphStyle:\nwriting direction = -1, alignment = 2, line break mode = 4, default tab interval = 0\nfirst line head indent = 0, head indent = 0, tail indent = 0\nline height multiple = 0, maximum line height = 0, minimum line height = 0\nline spacing adjustment = 0, paragraph spacing = 0, paragraph spacing before = 0\ntabs:\n<CFArray 0x8659590 [0x13fab48]>{type = immutable, count = 12, values = (\n\t0 : CTTextTab: location = 28, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t1 : CTTextTab: location = 56, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t2 : CTTextTab: location = 84, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t3 : CTTextTab: location = 112, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t4 : CTTextTab: location = 140, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t5 : CTTextTab: location = 168, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t6 : CTTextTab: location = 196, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t7 : CTTextTab: location = 224, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t8 : CTTextTab: location = 252, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t9 : CTTextTab: location = 280, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t10 : CTTextTab: location = 308, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t11 : CTTextTab: location = 336, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n)}";
}2{
    NSSuperScript = "-1";
}

and

p{
    NSFont = "<UICFFont: 0x8484240> font-family: \"Verdana\"; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; font-size: 22px";
}CO{
    CTForegroundColor = "<CGColor 0x847e820> [<CGColorSpace 0x8426810> (kCGColorSpaceDeviceGray)] ( 0 1 )";
    NSFont = "CTFont <name: Verdana, size: 22.000000, matrix: 0x0>\nCTFontDescriptor <attributes: <CFBasicHash 0x832ecb0 [0x13fab48]>{type = mutable dict, count = 1,\nentries =>\n\t1 : <CFString 0x278c40 [0x13fab48]>{contents = \"NSFontNameAttribute\"} = <CFString 0x847ccb0 [0x13fab48]>{contents = \"Verdana\"}\n}\n>";
    NSParagraphStyle = "CTParagraphStyle:\nwriting direction = -1, alignment = 2, line break mode = 4, default tab interval = 0\nfirst line head indent = 0, head indent = 0, tail indent = 0\nline height multiple = 0, maximum line height = 0, minimum line height = 0\nline spacing adjustment = 0, paragraph spacing = 0, paragraph spacing before = 0\ntabs:\n<CFArray 0x847ee20 [0x13fab48]>{type = immutable, count = 12, values = (\n\t0 : CTTextTab: location = 28, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t1 : CTTextTab: location = 56, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t2 : CTTextTab: location = 84, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t3 : CTTextTab: location = 112, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t4 : CTTextTab: location = 140, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t5 : CTTextTab: location = 168, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t6 : CTTextTab: location = 196, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t7 : CTTextTab: location = 224, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t8 : CTTextTab: location = 252, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t9 : CTTextTab: location = 280, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t10 : CTTextTab: location = 308, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n\t11 : CTTextTab: location = 336, alignment = 0, options = (none)\n\n)}";
}2{
    NSSuperScript = "-1";
}

Cheers

Nik

Answer 1

After reading a few answers here carefully, I noticed that I used a UIFont instead of a CTFont. Convert your UIFont to CTFont like this:

CTFontRef CTFontCreateFromUIFont(UIFont *font)
{
    CTFontRef ctFont = CTFontCreateWithName((__bridge CFStringRef)font.fontName, 
                                            font.pointSize, 
                                            NULL);
    return ctFont;
}

then add it to your NSAttributedString like this

CTFontRef italicFont = CTFontCreateFromUIFont(italicUIFont);
[aStr addAttribute:(NSString*)kCTFontAttributeName value:(__bridge id)italicFont range:NSMakeRange(0,5)];

And voila, it doesn't crash anymore and displays like I wanted it to. :-)

Cheers

Nik