Array external linkage and MISRA 8.12-CodePudding

I have a program that needs to load fonts into a display according to language ID.

I would like to have a structure containing the attributes for writing the font data:

typedef struct Font_Data_Metrics_s
{
    uint8_t const * font_data_start;
    size_t          font_data_length;
    unsigned int    language_id;
} Font_Data_Metrics_t;

The font data are in separate files, one font per file.
Example:
Russian_Font_Data.c:

uint8_t const Russian_Font_Data[] =
{
  // the data
};
const size_t Size_Russian_Font_Data =
    sizeof(Russian_Font_Data) / sizeof(Russian_Font_Data[0]);

Ideally, I'd like to use (outside of Russian_Font_Data.c):

const static Font_Data_Metrics_t russian_metrics =
{
  Russian_Font_Data,       // This field is the annoying issue.
  Size_Fussion_Font_Data,
  6, // Russian language ID
};

Here's what I've tried:
(1) extern uint8_t const Russian_Font_Data[];
Error: When an array is declared with external linkage, its size shall be stated explicitly or defined implicitly by initialisation (MISRA C 2004 rule 8.12)

(2) extern uint8_t const * Russian_Font_Data;
Error: Declaration is incompatible with "uint8_t const * Russian_Font_Data"

(3) uint8_t const font_data_start[]; (inside the struct).
Illformed when inside the structure.

How can place the address of an array, with external linkage, into a struct?
(Preferably without ~~annoying~~ MISRA violations)

Edit 1: Background / Usage
I want a table of metrics for over 12 fonts. The table will be searched by language ID. The font data start and font data length will be passed to a function that writes the data to a hardware display device. Other code in the project will be setting the language ID based on the Operator's selection.

Presently, I have a table that is built during run-time by calling "data" functions. This is messy and I'll need "getter" functions for each font. My objective is to have a table with constant data, that can be placed and directly accessed from the data segment (in other words, ready for access before the program starts).

CodePudding user response：

Perhaps you can define the metrics and the font data in the same .c file:

In Russian_Font_Data.c:

#include "Font_Data_Metrics.h"

const static uint8_t Russian_Font_Data[] =
{
  // the data
};

const Font_Data_Metrics_t russian_metrics =
{
  .font_data_start = Russian_Font_Data,
  .font_data_length = sizeof Russian_Font_Data / sizeof Russian_Font_Data[0],
  .language_id = 6, // Russian language ID
};

In some header file:

#include "Font_Data_Metrics.h"

extern const Font_Data_Metrics_t russian_metrics;