CHAR(1) CHAR(1)
NAME
char, ½char, rschar - browse the Unicode Standard
SYNOPSIS
char [ font ]
½char [ -s file ] [ font ]
rschar [ -bgj ] [ -s file ] [ font ]
DESCRIPTION
Char displays two square arrays of characters on the screen.
The left square shows the first character of each 256-
character page of the Unicode Standard. The right square
shows the contents of one page. Using button 1 or 2 to
select a character in the left square changes the right
square to display the corresponding page and displays the
offset and name of the page in the upper left corner of the
screen. Selecting a character in the right square displays
its hexadecimal value and name. In addition, any characters
selected with button 2 are added to the end of 8½'s snarf
buffer. Button 3 pops up a menu containing an exit button,
whose selection must be confirmed by pressing button 3 again
and a clear snarf button that empties the snarf buffer.
The optional argument indicates which font to use (default
$font).
½char is intended for a smaller window and displays only a
single 256-character panel. Clicking button 1 on a charac-
ter displays its code and, if possible, description; button
2 works similarly, but also writes the character to file,
default /dev/snarf (8½'s snarf buffer), which it displays
near the bottom of the window. Clicking button 3 selects
the page corresponding to the cursor position in the panel.
Typed characters are added to the file, except: backspace
deletes the last character; control-U clears the buffer;
control-D exits.
Rschar is the radical/stroke chart from Volume 2 of the Uni-
code Standard. Flags can be used to restrict the display to
one or more Asian character sets:
-b Big Five (traditional Chinese).
-g GB 2312-80 (simplified Chinese).
-j JIS X 0208-1990 (Japanese).
By default, all characters are shown. Button 3 controls a
menu to change flag selections. Radicals are shown in a
panel on the left side of the window. Clicking on a radical
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CHAR(1) CHAR(1)
with button 1 or 2 brings up, on the right, a panel of char-
acters ordered by stroke count. If the window is too small
to contain them all, one may scroll through successive pan-
els by clicking on arrows that appear at the top. Clicking
on a character with button 1 displays its code; clicking
with button 2 adds the character to the snarf buffer. Typed
characters behave as in ½char.
FILES
/lib/unicode contains the names of the unicode characters.
Many characters have no name.
SOURCE
/sys/src/cmd/char.c
/sys/src/cmd/½char.c
/sys/src/cmd/rschar
SEE ALSO
8½(1), 8½(4)
BUGS
Char needs a largish window to work properly and doesn't
complain if it doesn't get it.
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