unicode arrows in FM 10

Hi Niels

Try this:

1. Search for "Upwards arrow" on this site:

http://www.fileformat.info/info/unicode/char/2191/index.htm

Typing Alt +2191 does not work, so proceed with the next steps.

2. In Windows Character Map, go to Unicode 2191.

3. Copy the character and paste it in FrameMaker.

This always works for me, even in DITA XML and HTML.

Cheers

Yves

When I run this experiment in Wordpad, I get a similar result; a "no glyph" box when Arial is applied to the U+21E7 character.

If I save that setup as RTF, and open it in MS Word, on the other hand, Word silently converts the missing glyph's font to "Cambria Math", and shows an outlined up arrow. This is all-to-typical "Bill Gates is smarter than you are" MS behavior. I haven't checked to see if one can drill down into a menu that would turn this feature off.

Are you using the system or the FM character map?

Anyway, I just tried this in FM9 on Win7/64.

The 21E7 code point is not populated in "Arial", although simple Arial does seem to have numerous Unicode glpyhs. I had expected it to be the same old Western 1252 set, but MS has apparently extended it somewhat.

21E7 is populated in "Arial Unicode MS", and pastes into FM with no problem, as an "UPWARDS WHITE ARROW". If I change the font to Arial, it reverts to a "?".

If I were going to use this in a document, I'd be tempted to implement it as a Variable, so that the font assignment is deliberate, sticky and ends after the glyph.

Character Format:

Name: Arial_Unicode_MS

Font Family Arial Unicode MS (everything else As-Is)

New Variable:

Name: char.U+2137.upwards_white_arrow

Def: <Arial_Unicode_MS>\u21e7

> ... so I'm using Arial as my standard font.

Try Arial Unicode MS.