CompuServe Messages

I'm curious about this stuff. Can you tell me if, out there somewhere, there is a) a list of NFNT numbers for, say Adobe's family of types, and b) a utility that will allow me to "go into" the font file (suitcase?) and "install" the appropriate font ID #s? (I ask this knowing that Adobe will sell me their entire catalog of screen fonts for $75 or thereabouts, but I don't have THAT many fonts, AND I'd be happy to grovel around in the bits and bytes myself. Education, you know, if nothing else.) Even though appropriate NFNT's might be "merely a convenience," it would be for me a terrific convenience. I design documents with a goodly number of fonts in them, so run into conflicts frequently. Thanks for your help.