How can I replace a character (zero)?

Question

Is it possible to replace characters in pdflatex? I use the Minion Pro and Myriad Pro font and the zero looks like a small 'O'. I want to replace the zero by a zero with a dot or slash in the middle (Inserting slashed zero in non-OpenType supporting LaTeX). Is it possible to replace the character globally (I just want to write 0 instead of something like \zero)?

Is it possible in pdflatex or should I switch to lualatex (I have no experience in Lualatex but I have heard it has better font handling)?

Answer 1

If switching to LuaLaTeX is something you're considering doing anyway, then you'll find that using a "slashed zero" is very straightforward: it's a simple option provided by the command \setmainfont (and \setsansfont) of the fontspec package.

% !TEX TS-program = lualatex
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont[Numbers=SlashedZero]{Minion Pro}
\setsansfont[Numbers=SlashedZero]{Myriad Pro}
\begin{document}
Minion Pro: 1001 007

\sffamily 
Myriad Pro: 1001 007
\end{document}

This program can be run under XeLaTeX as well. Incidentally, do note that the slashed zeros in the example above are being produced in text mode. There is apparently no such thing as a unicode-compliant slashed zero in math mode.

Aside: The most recent version -- released within just the past few days -- of the luaotfload package (which is loaded by fontspec) contains at least one serious bug that makes it crash with a cryptic and fairly useless error message. If you have TeXLive2013 on your system -- sorry, I don't have MikTeX and thus don't know what MikTeX users should do -- and you've recently run the TeXLive Manager program to update your distribution's packages, you can revert to the previous version of luaotfload by executing the command

sudo tlmgr restore luaotfload 31286

at a command prompt. Hopefully, a bug fix for this important package will be pushed to the CTAN soon.

Answer 2

One option with pdflatex (and without Minion font, sorry I do not have this font installed) for small chunks of simple text (without any LaTeX command) could be the package xstring:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xstring}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\newcommand\zero{\rlap{0}/}
\begin{document}
\StrSubstitute{%

102030 is a big number

But 1020030004000 is bigger

}{0}{\zero}
\end{document}

Edit

As Mico commented, \rlap{0}/ is not a very beautiful slashed zero, but the tuning of the slash position is not easy inside a string substitution. An easy alternative could be $\emptyset$ but unfortunately is clearly bigger than the normal 0. But it is possible to select a character much more similar:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{xstring}
\font\zerofont = cmsy7 at 9.3pt
\newcommand\zero{{\zerofont \char 59}}
\begin{document}
\StrSubstitute{%

102030 is a big number

But 1020030004000 is bigger

}{0}{\zero}

Zeroes comparison:
$\emptyset${\zerofont \char 59}0$\rlap{0}/$
\end{document}