robrwo hates software: Gnome's Character Map

• From: Robert Rothenberg
  Date: 20:01 on 14 Dec 2006
  Subject: Gnome's Character Map
  
  
  I'm using a mere UK or US keyboard to type in exotic Roman characters used
  for non-English languages.
  
  Fine, there's Gnome's Character Map, which makes the process of finding an
  accented character difficult by never remembering the last Script or Font
  one used (or allowing one to set a preferred font).  So I have to scroll
  down the list a couple of pages of a few dozen character sets that I will
  rarely if ever use (such as Armenian or Khmer) until I get to the Latin
  script.  Every f***ing time I run the program.
  
  It's probably a safe assumption for most users that if the system is
  configured for a certain language (such as English) that it should prefer
  the character set for that language.
  
  How hard is it to remember the last script used, or add an option to put the
  most used choices on top?
  
  I could use the search function and look for "L with Stroke" (if I remember
  what the particular accent is called) but after typing all of that in, I may
  as well search for it manually.
  
  I tried Gnome Character Palette, but it just doesn't work.
  
  I don't know if Gnome or Xfce supports typing in the unicode number like
  Windows does, but that's no help if I don't remember the code.
  
  Grr.
  
  Rob
  
  
  

• From: Juerd
  Date: 20:36 on 14 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: Gnome's Character Map
  
  Robert Rothenberg skribis 2006-12-14 20:01 (+0000):
  > I'm using a mere UK or US keyboard to type in exotic Roman characters used
  > for non-English languages.
  > Fine, there's Gnome's Character Map
  
  You could try the Multy_key functionality from Xkb. I have no idea in
  what hateful way you can graphically configure this in Gnome, but for me
  the following command suffices:
  
      xmodmap -e 'keycode 117 = Multi_key'
  
  This maps the windows "menu" key to the Multi_key, after which I can
  easily compose characters like Å‚, by guessing the things that the
  character looks like. In this case, I hit:
  
      multi / l
  
  «æþàéöûñ€¢£¥łđð»
  
  

• From: jrodman
  Date: 01:12 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: Gnome's Character Map
  
  On Thu, Dec 14, 2006 at 09:36:53PM +0100, Juerd wrote:
  > Robert Rothenberg skribis 2006-12-14 20:01 (+0000):
  > > I'm using a mere UK or US keyboard to type in exotic Roman characters used
  > > for non-English languages.
  > > Fine, there's Gnome's Character Map
  > 
  > You could try the Multy_key functionality from Xkb. I have no idea in
  > what hateful way you can graphically configure this in Gnome, but for me
  > the following command suffices:
  > 
  >     xmodmap -e 'keycode 117 = Multi_key'
  > 
  > This maps the windows "menu" key to the Multi_key, after which I can
  > easily compose characters like ??, by guessing the things that the
  > character looks like. In this case, I hit:
  
  I'm with Juerd on this, with a good set of combining rules, you don't
  even have to remember how to type stuff, most guesses are correct.  
  
  Examples: how would you type the Norweigan o with stroke?  o + / 
            how would you type a german u umlaut? u + "  
  	                                       (u + : also works)
  
  I've basically never used a symbol picker since I turned this on in
  2000ish.
  
  -josh
  
  

• From: Robert Rothenberg
  Date: 10:07 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: [Not OT]: the actual source of hate (was Re: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  
  I wasn't as clear about the source of hate. It was Character Map's inability
  to remember the script I last used, and it's inability to guess what scripts
  I'm likely to use.
  
  I wrote:
  
  > ... So I have to scroll down the list a couple of pages of a few dozen
  > character sets that I will rarely if ever use (such as Armenian or Khmer)
  > until I get to the Latin script.  Every f***ing time I run the program.
  > 
  > It's probably a safe assumption for most users that if the system is 
  > configured for a certain language (such as English) that it should prefer
  >  the character set for that language.
  > 
  > How hard is it to remember the last script used, or add an option to put
  > the most used choices on top?
  
  
  
  

• From: peter (Peter da Silva)
  Date: 20:45 on 14 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: Gnome's Character Map
  
  I really think the X Consortium screwed up by dumping the old-style X11
  COMPOSE character support with X11R6 and putting all the responsibility
  in the application's lap. I used to be able to reliably enter accented
  Latin-1 characters, at least, *regardless* of the application I was using.
  
  Yes, I know it was a kludge, but the fix should have involved making the
  server responsible for the keyboard (which is, after all, part of the server),
  and providing a way for a *separate* application to provide an input method,
  if necessary, and a simple hook to talk to that application from a client
  that finds itself talking to an older server.
  
  The development of X11 should have been away from the '80s era "we
  can't put any policy in the server because we don't know what we're
  doing" to "we can afford to make the server smarter and take basic
  user interface off the application's back". It worked for window managers,
  it'd work for menus and other basic user-interface components as well.
  
  But, no, the damn thing gets more horrid and hateful with every passing
  year.
  
  Hey, now I'm not working for $VBC any more I won't get called on the carpet
  when I write "X11 is fundamentally broken and can't be fixed". There, I've
  said it. I've been holding that in for eight years now, and boy is it good
  to get that out.
  
  
  

• From: A. Pagaltzis
  Date: 23:32 on 14 Dec 2006
  Subject: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  * Robert Rothenberg <robrwo@xxxxx.xxx> [2006-12-14 21:05]:
  > I don't know if Gnome or Xfce supports typing in the unicode
  > number like Windows does, but that's no help if I don't
  > remember the code.
  
  Any gtk+-based apps will accept characters typed as hexadecimal
  Unicode code points while holding Ctrl+Shift. Even works in
  a Firefox linked against gtk+.
  
  Regards,
  
  

• From: Aaron Crane
  Date: 00:33 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  A. Pagaltzis writes:
  > Any gtk+-based apps will accept characters typed as hexadecimal
  > Unicode code points while holding Ctrl+Shift. Even works in a Firefox
  > linked against gtk+.
  
  Until you upgrade to a newer version; it recently changed to "hold
  Control+Shift+U while you type the Unicode codepoint".
  
  The new style is actually more sensible, mind -- it steals fewer
  keystrokes from applications.
  
  
  

• From: Earle Martin
  Date: 13:57 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
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• From: Martin Ebourne
  Date: 14:19 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  Earle Martin <hates-software@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
  > On 15/12/06, Aaron Crane <hateful@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx> wrote:
  >> Until you upgrade to a newer version; it recently changed to "hold
  >> Control+Shift+U while you type the Unicode codepoint".
  > Control-shift-U is also an extremely fucking awkward "shortcut" if
  > there ever was one.
  
  It's like playing Twister with yourself. What kind of moron comes up  
  with a key "shorcut" like that?
  
  I like gnome, like their usability aims, and think that most of the  
  time they get it right, but this doesn't even come close to those goals.
  
  Cheers,
  
  Martin.
  
  

• From: H.Merijn Brand
  Date: 14:20 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 13:57:41 +0000, "Earle Martin"
  <hates-software@xxxxxxxx.xxx> wrote:
  
  > On 15/12/06, Aaron Crane <hateful@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx> wrote:
  > > A. Pagaltzis writes:
  > > > Any gtk+-based apps will accept characters typed as hexadecimal
  > > > Unicode code points while holding Ctrl+Shift. Even works in a Firefox
  > > > linked against gtk+.
  > >
  > > Until you upgrade to a newer version; it recently changed to "hold
  > > Control+Shift+U while you type the Unicode codepoint".
  
  I cannot hold down that key combo and also type a codepoint! The keys are w=
  ay
  to far apart to type that with one hand and leave the other hand to type the
  codepoint which I cannot remember anyway.
  
  WTF invented this combo?
  
  > =C8=B2 <- hey, it works! Now I just have to memorize lots of inscrutable
  > multi-digit numbers. Hooray for progress!
  >=20
  > Control-shift-U is also an extremely fucking awkward "shortcut" if
  > there ever was one.
  
  You could also modify you `Compose' file to include letter combo's you can
  remember. Now just hope your application uses the Compose, and is not
  (statically) built around some dark old Qt or gtk+ lib that doesn't read it
  
  --=20
  H.Merijn Brand         Amsterdam Perl Mongers (http://amsterdam.pm.org/)
  using & porting perl 5.6.2, 5.8.x, 5.9.x   on HP-UX 10.20, 11.00, 11.11,
  & 11.23, SuSE 10.0 & 10.1, AIX 4.3 & 5.2, and Cygwin. http://qa.perl.org
  http://mirrors.develooper.com/hpux/            http://www.test-smoke.org
                          http://www.goldmark.org/jeff/stupid-disclaimers/
  
  

• From: Aaron Crane
  Date: 14:30 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  H.Merijn Brand writes:
  > On 15/12/06, Aaron Crane <hateful@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx> wrote:
  > > hold Control+Shift+U while you type the Unicode codepoint
  > 
  > I cannot hold down that key combo and also type a codepoint!
  
  Sorry, I misspoke.  It's either of these:
  
    - Hold Control+Shift, then hit U, then type a codepoint, then release
      Control+Shift
    - Hit Control+Shift+U, then type a codepoint, then hit enter
  
  
  

• From: H.Merijn Brand
  Date: 14:57 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:30:06 +0000, Aaron Crane <hateful@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx>
  wrote:
  
  > H.Merijn Brand writes:
  > > On 15/12/06, Aaron Crane <hateful@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx> wrote:
  > > > hold Control+Shift+U while you type the Unicode codepoint
  > >=20
  > > I cannot hold down that key combo and also type a codepoint!
  >=20
  > Sorry, I misspoke.  It's either of these:
  >=20
  >   - Hold Control+Shift, then hit U, then type a codepoint, then release
  >     Control+Shift
  
  =E2=88=A2   Works
  
  >   - Hit Control+Shift+U, then type a codepoint, then hit enter
  
  Works too, but I'd need tree hands to do that comfortable
  
  Thanks anyway. I didn't know this yet.
  --=20
  H.Merijn Brand         Amsterdam Perl Mongers (http://amsterdam.pm.org/)
  using & porting perl 5.6.2, 5.8.x, 5.9.x   on HP-UX 10.20, 11.00, 11.11,
  & 11.23, SuSE 10.0 & 10.1, AIX 4.3 & 5.2, and Cygwin. http://qa.perl.org
  http://mirrors.develooper.com/hpux/            http://www.test-smoke.org
                          http://www.goldmark.org/jeff/stupid-disclaimers/
  
  

• From: Aaron Crane
  Date: 15:07 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  H.Merijn Brand writes:
  > On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:30:06 +0000, Aaron Crane <hateful@xxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx>
  > wrote:
  > >   - Hit Control+Shift+U, then type a codepoint, then hit enter
  > 
  > Works too, but I'd need tree hands to do that comfortable
  
  You're allowed to release all of Control, Shift, and U before typing the
  codepoint.  That seems to significantly reduce the number of hands
  needed.
  
  Apparently you can use Space instead of Return after the codepoint, too.
  
  
  

• From: Rafael Garcia-Suarez
  Date: 14:31 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  On 15/12/06, H.Merijn Brand <h.m.brand@xxxxxx.xx> wrote:
  > > > Until you upgrade to a newer version; it recently changed to "hold
  > > > Control+Shift+U while you type the Unicode codepoint".
  >
  > I cannot hold down that key combo and also type a codepoint! The keys are way
  > to far apart to type that with one hand and leave the other hand to type the
  > codepoint which I cannot remember anyway.
  
  You don't need to. At least here, you can type ctrl-shift-u, release
  all keys, and enter comfortably the hexadecimal digits you need.
  
  

• From: H.Merijn Brand
  Date: 14:55 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars (was: Gnome's Character Map)
  
  On Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:31:46 +0100, "Rafael Garcia-Suarez"
  <rgarciasuarez@xxxxx.xxx> wrote:
  
  > On 15/12/06, H.Merijn Brand <h.m.brand@xxxxxx.xx> wrote:
  > > > > Until you upgrade to a newer version; it recently changed to "hold
  > > > > Control+Shift+U while you type the Unicode codepoint".
  > >
  > > I cannot hold down that key combo and also type a codepoint! The keys a=
  re way
  > > to far apart to type that with one hand and leave the other hand to typ=
  e the
  > > codepoint which I cannot remember anyway.
  >=20
  > You don't need to. At least here, you can type ctrl-shift-u, release
  > all keys, and enter comfortably the hexadecimal digits you need.
  
  Not in my environment. I did try.
  =E2=88=A2 2222
  
  
  --=20
  H.Merijn Brand         Amsterdam Perl Mongers (http://amsterdam.pm.org/)
  using & porting perl 5.6.2, 5.8.x, 5.9.x   on HP-UX 10.20, 11.00, 11.11,
  & 11.23, SuSE 10.0 & 10.1, AIX 4.3 & 5.2, and Cygwin. http://qa.perl.org
  http://mirrors.develooper.com/hpux/            http://www.test-smoke.org
                          http://www.goldmark.org/jeff/stupid-disclaimers/
  
  

• From: Robert Rothenberg
  Date: 15:32 on 15 Dec 2006
  Subject: Re: OT [no hate]: entering Unicode chars
  
  On 15/12/06 13:57 Earle Martin wrote:
  
  > =C8=B2 <- hey, it works! Now I just have to memorize lots of inscrutabl=
  e
  > multi-digit numbers. Hooray for progress!
  
  Hence the need to use some kind of (hateful) Character Code utility.
  
  
  
  

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