Insert special character

John Jason Jordan · 2019-12-11 23:02:54

Xubuntu 18.04, up to date.

The usual way I insert a special character (which I need to do a lot) is with the Unicode hex number, accessed with Ctrl-Shift-u. This works perfectly, except that if you enable this functionality you lose the repeat character function that you get by holding the key down.

Note: I also have the Alt-Gr key assigned to the left-win key. I use this to type é, ü, ã, and other roman letters with diacritics used in many European languages. But by 'special character' I mean things like , t͡ʃ, and many more that the Alt-Gr key cannot do.

I would really like the repeat character function as well, but I can't give up Ctrl-Shift-u. Is there a way to get this as well? Did I just miss a setting somewhere?

Skaperen · 2019-12-12 00:57:07

me too, though i am holding the repeat key operational. i use repeat much more often than unicode. which terminal program are you using?

John Jason Jordan · 2019-12-12 01:17:08

Skaperen wrote:

me too, though i am holding the repeat key operational. i use repeat much more often than unicode. which terminal program are you using?

I mostly use Gnome terminal, but I also have Xfce terminal, which I use now and then. Gnome is the default. For a plain text editor I much prefer Gedit, which is also the default. For Libreoffice I use the version from LO, rather than the one supplied by Ubuntu. And for mail I use Claws-Mail. In all of these applications (and many more) I can enter Unicode with Ctrl-Shift-u.

The problem isn't which application I am using; it is a limitation of the Xfce desktop. I don't know if other DEs have the same limitation (Gnome, Maté, Cinnamon, etc.). If so, then the problem is probably deeper than just the DE. I posted here first, assuming that it was a limitation of Xfce, but if it happens in all DEs then I should take my kvetch elsewhere.

Skaperen · 2019-12-12 23:28:21

i know of very few places to actually type into Xfce itself. most places to type are in applications.

when an application has a window open, it usually gets key presses as key codes with up or down as an event code. something in that process, which i assume to be library code, translates that to ASCII in traditional X windows setups and to Unicode UTF-8 in today's setups. i don't know if Xfce has any effect on the key code handling, but i cannot say for sure.

i do use keyboard short cuts. at first i thought this was an exclusive Xfce feature because it was an Xfce setup. it now appears that the actual key handling is done by a non-Xfce process and all the DEs have a setup tool or use someone else's. it might be good to look into this program to see of it, or any of its siblings, are messing with key codes.

unfortunately ctrl+shift+u does not work for me (i wish it did, that would be a nice feature). i don't think that can be done because key codes do not have assignments for the Unicode space. such a feature has to be after key code to Unicode/UTF-8 translation and before the app uses the Unicode/UTF-8 codes. since that translation appears to entirely happen within an application process, the only way i see for an external resource to affect this is for a library to do so.

Skaperen · 2019-12-12 23:36:17

BTW, i use xfce4-terminal all the time. i have not used anything else since i upgraded to Xubuntu 18.04 back on 2019-07-01. if another terminal program can support all xfce4-terminal does plus ctrl+shift+u (or the like with some other key press) then i would be interested in checking it out.

John Jason Jordan · 2019-12-13 07:11:40

Skaperen wrote:

BTW, i use xfce4-terminal all the time. i have not used anything else since i upgraded to Xubuntu 18.04 back on 2019-07-01. if another terminal program can support all xfce4-terminal does plus ctrl+shift+u (or the like with some other key press) then i would be interested in checking it out.

As far as I know, if you have key-repeat enabled, then no application will be able to give you Ctrl-Shift-u, and vice-versa.

As for Gnome terminal, it definitely does Ctrl-Shift-u (just tried it to be sure). But, of course, I have Ctrl-Shift-u enabled. And I can say that it works pretty much everywhere. In fact, I can't think of an app where it doesn't work. Just like key-repeat, it works everywhere.

I'd like to know if having to choose between key-repeat or Ctrl-Shift-u is due to Xfce, or if it applies to all DEs. If the latter, then it is pointless for me to complain here, as the problem is somewhere upstream in Linux. And if it is upstream, then where upstream would be useful to know.

So far I haven't found anyone with a different DE willing to try to enable both to see if it is possible. And net searches have also come up empty.

Last edited by John Jason Jordan (2019-12-13 07:21:35)

John Jason Jordan · 2019-12-13 07:48:05

Omigod, I just did it. The net came up with these commands:

# set key repeat rate. delay 280 milisecond, 40 per sec
xset r rate 280 40
# set key repeat rate to default. 25 per sec, 660 milisecond delay
xset r rate

Note that I have Ctrl-Shift-u enabled in Settings. I started with the default command 'xset r rate,' and it executed without error. Then I held down a key and it repeated! Fearing the the command had unset Ctrl-Shift-u I then tried it, and it still worked! I have both enabled!

Further experimentation is required to see if the order in which these settings are enabled matters.

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#1 2019-12-11 23:02:54

Insert special character

#2 2019-12-12 00:57:07

Re: Insert special character

#3 2019-12-12 01:17:08

Re: Insert special character

#4 2019-12-12 23:28:21

Re: Insert special character

#5 2019-12-12 23:36:17

Re: Insert special character

#6 2019-12-13 07:11:40

Re: Insert special character

#7 2019-12-13 07:48:05

Re: Insert special character

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