Inserting special characters

  • Thread starter LowlyPion
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In summary, the conversation discusses the need for an easier way to insert special characters into message boxes without using Latex, which is not suitable for single characters. Redbelly has a list of copy and paste characters in his blog, but not all of them are viewable to everyone. Instead, it is suggested to use the characters listed in another blog. The conversation also suggests the idea of having a border with characters that can be easily selected and dragged for insertion into messages. This idea has been previously suggested as well.
  • #1
LowlyPion
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Is there any way to put the standard special characters in the message boxes?

Like a button bar that appears along the bottom of the message box - that with 1 click inserts a selected character at the cursor?

Latex is simply not suitable, not to mention clumsy, for inserting single characters in paragraphs. And yes I've seen some people carrying them around in the signature - but that is less than satisfactory to be cluttering up every message just for the occasional need.

If there is some feature I'm not yet aware of, I'm all eyes.
 
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  • #2
LowlyPion said:
Latex is simply not suitable, not to mention clumsy, for inserting single characters in paragraphs. And yes I've seen some people carrying them around in the signature - but that is less than satisfactory to be cluttering up every message just for the occasional need.

Agreed, it is not encouraged to use Latex for single characters (we have over 600k images!). Redbelly has a list of some copy and paste characters in his blog
https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=346 [Broken]

I think brainstorm ideas for easy use like smilies.
 
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  • #3
Greg Bernhardt said:
Agreed, it is not encouraged to use Latex for single characters (we have over 600k images!). Redbelly has a list of some copy and paste characters in his blog
https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=346 [Broken]

I think brainstorm ideas for easy use like smilies.

The smilies pull down is OK for infrequent emoting, but the pull down is not all that fast and in the homework the list of characters in that format may be a little long. That's why I think a register with a couple of rows of buttons more like a virtual keyboard that could be opened up and remain available might be more useful in writing series of equations in longer posts. Heck, just putting the characters in the border area nearby would allow selecting and dragging without any special widget interface and that would already be worlds easier.

As to the Latex pull down, it is useful for beginners, but I rarely use it because the partitions of symbols are not completely intuitive, at least to me. Plus the load time to load each partition is not all that fast.

It seems that a good portion of the need for special symbols could be relieved by a simpler interface for single characters.

Now I'm sure that there are plenty of other things that likely need resources behind the scenes. So I'm just throwing out the suggestion because ... well it would just make it easier for me, and who knows maybe others too.
 
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  • #4
Greg Bernhardt said:
Redbelly has a list of some copy and paste characters in his blog
https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=346 [Broken]

FYI, some of those characters are not viewable to everybody. To be safe, use the characters here:
https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=347 [Broken]
 
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  • #5
ß ∂ ∆ µ π ∏ ∑ Ω … √ ∫ ≤ ≥ ≠ ± #

Hi LowlyPion! :smile:
LowlyPion said:
Is there any way to put the standard special characters in the message boxes?

Like a button bar that appears along the bottom of the message box - that with 1 click inserts a selected character at the cursor?

Latex is simply not suitable, not to mention clumsy, for inserting single characters in paragraphs.
LowlyPion said:
Heck, just putting the characters in the border area nearby would allow selecting and dragging without any special widget interface and that would already be worlds easier.

Wow, that's strong language! :blushing:

Yes, I agree … a beautiful border for copying-and-pasting. :biggrin:
And yes I've seen some people carrying them around in the signature - but that is less than satisfactory to be cluttering up every message just for the occasional need.

"some people"? :rolleyes:

I nearly always de-activate my signature by un-ticking the box! :wink:


This has been suggested before … see this thread, and, from last year:
Hootenanny said:
Firstly, apologies for reviving a dead thread. Secondly, how difficult would it be to add a menu for inserting HTML entities into posts, similar to the LaTeX menu recently added? When typing a response, it isn't always necessary to use the presentation power of LaTeX for the odd Greek symbol or equation, however it's a bit of a pain to look up the decimal codes for various HTML entities. A quick drop down menu (maybe of just the Greek symbols) would make life much easier for writing short equations or for those no familiar with LaTeX, perhaps it would also reduce the unnecessary load on the server.

Just a thought.
 

1. How do I insert special characters in a document?

To insert special characters in a document, you can use keyboard shortcuts or the "Insert Symbol" function in your document editing software. You can also copy and paste special characters from a character map or symbol library.

2. What is the purpose of using special characters in a document?

Special characters are used to add emphasis, clarity, or context to written text. They can also be used for mathematical or scientific notation, symbols, or foreign language characters.

3. Can I create my own special characters?

Yes, you can create your own special characters by using character mapping software or by using Unicode to assign a unique code to a character. However, these custom characters may not be compatible with all software and may not display correctly on all devices.

4. How do I ensure that special characters are displayed correctly on all devices?

To ensure that special characters are displayed correctly on all devices, it is important to use Unicode, a universal character encoding standard. This ensures that all devices are able to recognize and display the characters correctly.

5. Are there any limitations to using special characters in a document?

There may be limitations to using special characters in a document, depending on the software or device being used. Some fonts may not support certain characters, and special characters may not be compatible with all software or devices. It is important to test the document on different devices to ensure that all characters are displayed correctly.

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