CHAR(1) General Commands Manual CHAR(1)
NAME
char, 1/2char, rschar - browse the Unicode Standard
SYNOPSIS
char [ font ]
1/2char [ -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 81/2'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).
1/2char is intended for a smaller window and displays only a single 256-character panel. Clicking button 1 on a character displays its
code and, if possible, description; button 2 works similarly, but also writes the character to file, default /dev/snarf (81/2's snarf buf-
fer), 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 Unicode 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 with button 1 or 2 brings up, on the right, a panel of characters ordered by stroke count. If the
window is too small to contain them all, one may scroll through successive panels 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 1/2char.
FILES
/lib/unicode contains the names of the unicode characters. Many characters have no name.
SOURCE
/sys/src/cmd/char.c
/sys/src/cmd/1/2char.c
/sys/src/cmd/rschar
SEE ALSO
81/2(1), 81/2(4)
BUGS
Char needs a largish window to work properly and doesn't complain if it doesn't get it.
CHAR(1)