In the beginning was ASCII, and ASCII was limited--128 characters wasn't enough. So Microsoft extended it to 256--still not enough. True, you could now access \"foreign-language\" and other special characters by using \"code pages\" with different fonts in Microsoft Word. If you've clicked Insert > Symbol and then changed the font on the drop-down list in the Symbol dialog, you've seen how this works: the same character \"position\" (or number) often displays a different character in different fonts.<\/p>\n
But what if you want to use special characters--*any* special characters--in the *same* font as your regular text? That's what Unicode is all about. As the Unicode Web site explains, \"Unicode provides a unique number for every character, no matter what the platform, no matter what the program, no matter what the language.\" How many characters? Potentially more than a million. So whether you're working with Greek or Gothic, Klingon or Korean, Unicode is for you.<\/p>\n
Unicode also includes special typographical characters, such as hair spaces, thin spaces, and zero-width spaces, which we made by hand in last week's newsletter. But now you don't have to make them; using Unicode, you can get the real thing.<\/p>\n
Of course, there is a catch. Using Unicode requires three things:<\/p>\n
1. An operating system that supports it.<\/p>\n
2. A program (application) that supports it.<\/p>\n
3. A Unicode font that includes the characters you need (not all of them will, although in theory they should).<\/p>\n
There's a list of such items here:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.unicode.org\/unicode\/onlinedat\/products.html<\/p>\n
But I'll make it easy for you:<\/p>\n
1. Common operating systems include Microsoft Windows 2000, NT, and XP, and Macintosh OS 9.2, X, 10.1, and X Server.<\/p>\n
2. Versions of Microsoft Word include 97, 2000, and 2002 for Windows, and 98, 2001, and X for Macintosh. However, the Mac versions (and operating systems) may require a \"Language Kit,\" which you can learn more about here:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.hclrss.demon.co.uk\/unicode\/utilities_fonts.html#apple<\/p>\n
3. Unicode fonts are rapidly becoming available. There's a great list here, and many of the fonts are free:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.hclrss.demon.co.uk\/unicode\/fonts.html#general<\/p>\n
Once you've installed a Unicode font, you can insert its special characters with the good old Insert > Symbol menu (be sure to select the Unicode font in the dropdown Font list).<\/p>\n
You can also insert a character with the keyboard (in Word 2000 and higher) if you know its Unicode number. To do so, be sure a Unicode font is selected (Format > Font); then type the number into your document and press ALT + X. For example, let's say we need a zero-width space in Word 2000. The Unicode number for such a space is 200B. So all we have to do is type 200B into our document and press ALT + X. Presto! <\/p>\n
You can learn more about using Unicode characters in Word here:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.hclrss.demon.co.uk\/unicode\/utilities_editors.html#word97<\/p>\n
For additional information on Word 2000 and 2002, scroll down past the Word 97 information (which is also relevant for the later versions).<\/p>\n
If you need to look up the number of a Unicode character, you can do so here:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.hclrss.demon.co.uk\/unicode\/search.html <\/p>\n
If you just want to insert typographic spaces, here are the Unicode numbers you need:<\/p>\n
Nonbreaking space: 00A0<\/p>\n
En space: 2002 <\/p>\n
Em space: 2003 <\/p>\n
Three-per-em space: 2004 <\/p>\n
Four-per-em space: 2005 <\/p>\n
Six-per-em space: 2006 <\/p>\n
Figure space: 2007 <\/p>\n
Punctuation space: 2008 <\/p>\n
Thin space: 2009 <\/p>\n
Hair space: 200A <\/p>\n
Zero-width space: 200B<\/p>\n
And you'll find additional information on spaces here:<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/typography\/developers\/fdsspec\/spaces.htm<\/p>\n
With Unicode, the world (or at least its scripts) is your oyster.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
_________________________________________<\/p>\n
RESOURCES<\/p>\n
For a dazzling array of Unicode information, see Alan Wood's Unicode Resources site: <\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.hclrss.demon.co.uk\/unicode\/index.html<\/p>\n
Check out the official Unicode site here: <\/p>\n
The official site: http:\/\/www.unicode.org<\/p>\n
For online samples of interesting characters, see this page: <\/p>\n
http:\/\/home.att.net\/~jameskass\/scriptlinks.htm<\/p>\n
For a free Word add-in program to help you insert Unicode characters, go here: <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
http:\/\/hem.fyristorg.com\/dahloe\/uniqoder\/<\/p>\n
For information on artificial scripts, go here: <\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.evertype.com\/standards\/csur\/index.html<\/p>\n
If you're a Tolkien fan, you might be interested in the Tengwar encoding proposal: <\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.evertype.com\/standards\/csur\/tengwar.html and in Tolkien fonts (but not necessarily Unicode): <\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.geocities.com\/TimesSquare\/4948\/<\/p>\n
http:\/\/babel.uoregon.edu\/yamada\/fonts\/tolkien.html<\/p>\n
and in the Resources for Tolkien Linguistics site: <\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.elvish.org\/resources.html<\/p>\n
And if you're actually interested in Klingon, here's the scoop: <\/p>\n