Does UltraEdit support Alt+Num codes to insert a Unicode character?

Mulsiphix · Apr 29, 2022#12022-04-29T13:18+00:00

UltraEdit v27.00.0.94

When I try to use an ALT code in UltraEdit (like Alt+26, "→") , a hollow box appears instead. I have set encoding to UTF-8 for new files. But it doesn't seem to matter. I changed UltraEdit settings to match the advice in this article (Unicode text and Unicode files in UltraEdit) for enabling UTF-8, but still no luck. What am I missing?

Mofi · Apr 29, 2022#22022-04-29T13:57+00:00

UltraEdit supports inserting Unicode characters into a UTF-8 or UTF-16 encoded Unicode file by entering its decimal code point value. Pressing Alt plus 2 plus 6 on numeric keypad results in inserting the control character Substitute. How this control character is displayed is a matter of the used font if the used font has defined a glyph for this control character at all which is usually neither displayed nor used in text files.

You reference the Unicode character Rightwards Arrow with the hexadecimal code point value 2192 which is the decimal value 8594. So you have to press Alt plus 8 plus 5 plus 9 plus 4 on the numeric keypad to get inserted this arrow symbol into a UTF-8 or UTF-16 encoded file.

Mulsiphix · Apr 29, 2022#32022-04-29T14:16+00:00

That is wonderful news. Thank you so much Mofi

mattgreer · Jun 20, 2022#42022-06-20T17:04+00:00

Apologizes if this was covered elsewhere; I know very little about encoding.

For years I've been using what I call "Alt codes" (I think that's the right term). When I hold down the key Alt and type a series of numbers on the keyboard number pad I'll get certain symbols. This avoids me having to go to the character map, find the desired character, select it, copy it, then paste it.

When I use UltraEdit (x64 version 28.20.0.92) and attempt to use certain Alt code, they don't show up. For example, I type the following and I should get the degree symbol: ° (It works here, what do you say now.): Alt+0176. Other Alt codes I use frequently are a bullet symbol, Alt+7, •, and arrows, Alt+26, →. They all are working here in the entry window for this forum; they also all work in Windows Notepad. However, they don't all work in UltraEdit for me. The degree symbol works, but neither the bullet nor the arrow will show up.

I've tried switching the encoding from ANSI to UTF-8 to UTF-16 for new files, created a new file, and tried the different Alt codes but the only one of the three that works is the degree symbol. However, I just noticed that, for the bullet, Alt+0149 produces the correct symbol in UltraEdit. Alt+7 vs Alt+0149: • vs • I don't know of an alternate Alt code to get the arrow, however.

I pasted from Notepad to UltraEdit and I got the warning about the format being UTF-8, so I converted and I can see the symbols there in UltraEdit, but when I attempt to create another character using Alt codes I get nothing despite the conversion to UTF-8.

I'm sure UltraEdit can do this, so what am I doing wrong, or what is my misunderstanding about how encoding works?

(website: https://www.branah.com/unicode-converter)

Thanks in advance,

-Matt

Mofi · Jun 21, 2022#52022-06-21T07:15+00:00

Matt, please read my post above first.

UltraEdit supports inserting control characters like substitute with decimal code point value 26 into a file while Windows Notepad and browsers translates this entry to the Unicode character Rightwards Arrow with decimal code point value 8594.

The Bullet character has the decimal Unicode code point value 8226 (hexadecimal 2022). So it is necessary to use a UTF-8 or UTF-16 encoded Unicode file and press Alt+8226 to insert a bullet character. Alt+7 insert the control character Bell. This control character really results in producing a sound output on program supporting sound output at all and interprets this control character according to its real meaning.

If you are using an ANSI encoded file with the code page Windows-1252 (default for North American and Western European countries for Windows GUI applications) as indicated in the status bar at bottom of UltraEdit, there must be pressed nevertheless Alt+8226 to insert the bullet character with decimal value 149 (hexadecimal 95) into the one byte per character encoded text file.

UltraEdit has the ASCII Table view which in real does not contain only the ASCII characters with decimal code point value 0 to 127, but also the sometimes called "extended" ASCII characters according to the default code page for one byte per character encoded text in Windows GUI applications according to the country configured for the used account. In UltraEdit for Windows v28.20.0.92 the ASCII Table view can be opened by clicking on eight ribbon tab Layout in second group Views on the check box item ASCII table or in toolbar/menu mode with contemporary menus in menu Layout on menu item ASCII table or in toolbar/menu mode with traditional menus in menu View in submenu Views/lists on menu item ASCII table. A hotkey or chord can be assigned to the command ASCII table in the Key mapping configuration dialog to quickly toggle the visibility of this view by key. A character displayed in this view can be inserted into active file at active caret position with a double click on the character. The bullet character is in this list on using Windows-1252.

Special hint: It is most efficient to use macros to insert often needed characters with a hotkey or chord assigned for fast execution by key with all the macros stored together in one macro file which is configured to be loaded by UltraEdit already on startup.

For example a macro with name Bullet contains the following code:

Code: Select all

IfExtIs "html"
"&bull;"
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfExtIs "htm"
"&bull;"
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfExtIs "xhtml"
"&bull;"
ExitMacro
EndIf
"•"

This macro inserts on execution the HTML entity • into the active file on having case-insensitive the file extension html or htm or xhtml and the bullet character into all other files. There is assigned the chord Alt+Shift+V B for this macro.

There is also a macro with name Right arrow contains the following code:

Code: Select all

IfExtIs "html"
"&rarr;"
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfExtIs "htm"
"&rarr;"
ExitMacro
EndIf
IfExtIs "xhtml"
"&rarr;"
ExitMacro
EndIf
"→"

This macro inserts on execution the HTML entity → into the active file on having case-insensitive the file extension html or htm or xhtml and the bullet character into all other files. There is assigned the chord Alt+Shift+V R for this macro.

The two macros are both stored in the macro file SpecialCharacters.mac which is configured to be automatically loaded by UltraEdit on startup. Then it is possible to press quickly Alt+Shift+V and next the key B or R to insert the bullet or rightwards arrow entity/character. The multi-key delay can be configured in the key mapping configuration dialog window.

There is also the Macro List view to execute a macro by clicking on the name of a macro in this list.

Another possibility on not needing to insert an HTML entity or the character depending on the file extension of active file is making use of the Tag List view and create a tag group like Special characters with one tag for each special character for the often needed special characters, i.e. your own favorite characters list. Press Ctrl+F8 (default hotkey for command Tags) to open the Tag List view and select the tag group HTML - Special Characters to get an impression of this feature.

Further, smart templates can be also defined to insert special characters like bullet or rightwards arrow which makes it possible to type in file the name of the smart template (character name) and UltraEdit suggests inserting the template (special character) on user pressing key TAB or RETURN or ENTER.