Entering Unicode & Special Characters

[_Charisma_Riley_]

I would really, like like it if someone here could explain to me in real-people terms how to enter Unicode (hex or decimal), HTML entities, or other special characters into a FM document. I keep seeing in the Help file to go to View >Reference Page and open a Code Macro or the HTML table, etc... I really need help undertsanding this. Nowhere can I find a list of keyboard shortcuts to accomplish these characters, and I am getting very frustrated.

TIA!

~CR

[_Dennis_Brunnenmeyer_]

Please allow me to expand the question, because I have a similar problem. When attempting to enter characters using Microsoft Character Map, what does one supposed to actually do when confronted with codes like U+002D or Character Codes like 0x21? I know how to enter "Alt+xxxx" characters, but that's as far as my knowledge goes.

[Arnis Gubins]

If you're working in a specific language, then enable the language
settings through the Control Panel to get the Language Bar to display
in your system TaskBar. Then select the languages and use the Alt-Gr
method (press the right Alt key and the desired accented character for
the selected language) to enter the character.

Maps of the various keyboard layouts can be found at:
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/keyboards.mspx

Alternatives are to simply copy and paste from the Character mapper
tool or create your own custom keyboard using Microsoft's Keyboard
Layout Creator available at
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/tools/msklc.mspx

There's also a whitepaper from Microsoft on "Unicode and Keyboards on
Windows" available at
http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/handson/dev/inputinwin.mspx

[_Kenneth_Benson_]

> Nowhere can I find a list of keyboard shortcuts

Unicode is a big place. There aren't enough keys on your keyboard to
make shortcuts for the tens of thousands of character positions available.

But you can set up your keyboard so that you can type the familiar ALT +
decimal codes or ALT + hexadecimal code, using the Quick Unicode Input
Tool, free software at

http://www.cardbox.com/quick.htm

If you're like me, you need to be able to enter a little Greek, a little
Polish, a little Croatian, a little Chinese, and you need to be able to
do it in two or three programs, not just Word. This software solves the
problem without installing localized keyboards.

--
Kenneth Benson
Pegasus Type, Inc.
www.pegtype.com

[FieryPantone]

> Alternatives are to simply copy and paste from the Character mapper tool

I've had unhappy experiences with this, because of unanticipated Windows features that arrive with the character I actually wanted. Bouncing the character through a Unicode-aware text editor might help.

[_thomas_bro_]

Hold down the Alt key and hit the + (PLUS) key on the numeric keypad followed by the hex code for the unicode character you want. For letters use the normal keys on the keyboard.

For example, to get permille, enter
Alt + PLUS + 2030

keep smiling
thomas

[_tck_]

Hi,

I would like to place a lower case 'c' with an acute above it, the package I am using is Framemaker 7.0p576.

I have tried do this by selecting Alt+Plus+0107, but it only give me a lower case 'k'. I have also tried to copy and paste from the Times New Roman Character Map and still no joy.

Can anyone help please. Thanks.

[_Kenneth_Benson_]

Framemaker 7 does not support Unicode. Lower case c accent acute is not
part of the ANSI set, and probably doesn't even exist in the font you're
using. You would have to upgrade to Frame 8 (which does support Unicode)
and make sure you're using a font that actually contains a c accent acute.

Assuming you're not going to upgrade, you *can* access a regular c and a
regular accent acute (ALT 0180 from the numeric keypad, no Plus
involved) and then kern the accent back on top of the c.

--
Kenneth Benson
Pegasus Type, Inc.
www.pegtype.com