Let me reply to your questions 1 by 1:

1)Can bitmap textures be added to the font/SVG graphic. For example if I have a vector shape of an apple, can a bitmap texture be added to the face of the extruded apple graphic. Also can the extruded sides be textured?
2)If a texture can be added to fonts/vector graphics, can these textures be changed at runtime.
Sorry, vector shapes cant handle textures at this point. It would be a good thing to develop though!

3) Do all extruded fonts/ vector shapes respect z ordering?
Yes.

4)Is the extrude vector approach more resource effecient than creating text meshes.? In general, how much extruded text can a scene have before it slows down?
With vector shape elements, you can reproduce a complex curved figure with much less elements than regular faces, so yes, I think the vector approach is more efficient than creating text meshes. Regarding how much can be used before it slows down depends on many things; your cpu power, camera position, the complexity of the fonts (curved fonts use much more vertices than a hard, linear font), etc.

Hope this info helps, cheers!

1)Can bitmap textures be added to the font/SVG graphic. For example if I have a vector shape of an apple, can a bitmap texture be added to the face of the extruded apple graphic. Also can the extruded sides be textured?

2)If a texture can be added to fonts/vector graphics, can these textures be changed at runtime.

3) Do all extruded fonts/ vector shapes respect z ordering?

4)Is the extrude vector approach more resource effecient than creating text meshes.? In general, how much extruded text can a scene have before it slows down?

Thanks so much for this.

Roland