Manual fonts installation (without Font Book)

I'd like to install fonts in OSX manually without using Font Book, basically because I plan on develop a little fonts manager myself.

Dropping the font files into /Library/Fonts or ~/Library/Fonts actually works, except that the open applications don't refresh their fonts list.

I've noticed that if I drop a file in one of those folders and then open Font Book the other applications do refresh their lists, so I imagine there is a command to trigger the refresh event.

Does anybody know if there is a command that forces the open applications to refresh their fonts list? Alternatively, an open source fonts manager to study would be equally good.

Thanks!