# Unicode Support
-There are three Unicode keymap definition method available in QMK:
+Unicode characters can be input straight from your keyboard! There are some limitations, however.
-## UNICODE_ENABLE
+QMK has three different methods for enabling Unicode input and defining keycodes:
-Supports Unicode input up to 0xFFFF. The keycode function is `UC(n)` in keymap file, where *n* is a 4 digit hexadecimal.
+## Basic Unicode
-## UNICODEMAP_ENABLE
+This method supports Unicode code points up to `0x7FFF`. This covers characters for most modern languages, as well as symbols, but it doesn't cover emoji.
-Supports Unicode up to 0xFFFFFFFF. You need to maintain a separate mapping table `const uint32_t PROGMEM unicode_map[] = {...}` in your keymap file. The keycode function is `X(n)` where *n* is the array index of the mapping table.
+Add the following to your `rules.mk`:
-And you may want to have an enum to make reference easier. So you'd want to add something like this to your keymap:
+```make
+UNICODE_ENABLE = yes
+```
+
+Then add `UC(c)` keycodes to your keymap, where _c_ is the code point (preferably in hexadecimal, up to 4 digits long). For example: `UC(0x45B)`, `UC(0x30C4)`.
+
+## Unicode Map
+
+This method supports all possible code points (up to `0x10FFFF`); however, you need to maintain a separate mapping table in your keymap file, which may contain at most 16384 entries.
+
+Add the following to your `rules.mk`:
+
+```make
+UNICODEMAP_ENABLE = yes
+```
+
+Then add `X(i)` keycodes to your keymap, where _i_ is an array index into the mapping table:
```c
-enum unicode_name {
- BANG, // ‽
- IRONY, // ⸮
- SNEK // snke 🐍
+enum unicode_names {
+ BANG,
+ IRONY,
+ SNEK
};
const uint32_t PROGMEM unicode_map[] = {
- [BANG] = 0x0203D, // ‽
- [IRONY] = 0x02E2E, // ⸮
- [SNEK] = 0x1F40D // snke 🐍
-}:
+ [BANG] = 0x203D, // ‽
+ [IRONY] = 0x2E2E, // ⸮
+ [SNEK] = 0x1F40D, // 🐍
+};
```
-Make sure that the order for both matches.
+Then you can use `X(BANG)`, `X(SNEK)` etc. in your keymap.
+
+### Lower and Upper Case
+
+Characters often come in lower and upper case pairs, such as å and Å. To make inputting these characters easier, you can use `XP(i, j)` in your keymap, where _i_ and _j_ are the mapping table indices of the lower and upper case character, respectively. If you're holding down Shift or have Caps Lock turned on when you press the key, the second (upper case) character will be inserted; otherwise, the first (lower case) version will appear.
+
+This is most useful when creating a keymap for an international layout with special characters. Instead of having to put the lower and upper case versions of a character on separate keys, you can have them both on the same key by using `XP()`. This helps blend Unicode keys in with regular alphas.
+
+Due to keycode size constraints, _i_ and _j_ can each only refer to one of the first 128 characters in your `unicode_map`. In other words, 0 ≤ _i_ ≤ 127 and 0 ≤ _j_ ≤ 127. This is enough for most use cases, but if you'd like to customize the index calculation, you can override the [`unicodemap_index()`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/blob/71f640d47ee12c862c798e1f56392853c7b1c1a8/quantum/process_keycode/process_unicodemap.c#L40) function. This also allows you to, say, check Ctrl instead of Shift/Caps.
+
+## UCIS
-## UCIS_ENABLE
+This method also supports all possible code points. As with the Unicode Map method, you need to maintain a mapping table in your keymap file. However, there are no built-in keycodes for this feature — you have to create a custom keycode or function that invokes this functionality.
-Supports Unicode up to 0xFFFFFFFF. As with `UNICODE_MAP`, you may want to main a mapping table in your keymap file. However, there is no keycodes for this feature, you will have to add a keycode or function to call `qk_ucis_start()`. Once you've run that, you can just type the text for your unicode, and then hit space or enter to complete it, or ESC to cancel it. And if it matches an entry in your table, it will automatically "backspace" the trigger word (from your table) and then will input the unicode sequence.
+Add the following to your `rules.mk`:
-For instance, you would need to have a table like this in your keymap:
+```make
+UCIS_ENABLE = yes
+```
+
+Then define a table like this in your keymap file:
```c
-const qk_ucis_symbol_t ucis_symbol_table[] = UCIS_TABLE
-(
- UCIS_SYM("poop", 0x1f4a9),
- UCIS_SYM("rofl", 0x1f923),
- UCIS_SYM("kiss", 0x1f619)
+const qk_ucis_symbol_t ucis_symbol_table[] = UCIS_TABLE(
+ UCIS_SYM("poop", 0x1F4A9), // 💩
+ UCIS_SYM("rofl", 0x1F923), // 🤣
+ UCIS_SYM("kiss", 0x1F619) // 😙
);
```
-You run the function, and then type "rofl" and hit enter, it should backspace remove "rofl" and input the `0x1f923` unicode.
+To use it, call `qk_ucis_start()`. Then, type the mnemonic for the character (such as "rofl"), and hit Space or Enter. QMK should erase the "rofl" text and insert the laughing emoji.
### Customization
-There are several functions that you can add to your keymap to customize the functionality of this feature.
+There are several functions that you can define in your keymap to customize the functionality of this feature.
+
+* `void qk_ucis_start_user(void)` – This runs when you call the "start" function, and can be used to provide feedback. By default, it types out a keyboard emoji.
+* `void qk_ucis_success(uint8_t symbol_index)` – This runs when the input has matched something and has completed. By default, it doesn't do anything.
+* `void qk_ucis_symbol_fallback (void)` – This runs when the input doesn't match anything. By default, it falls back to trying that input as a Unicode code.
+
+You can find the default implementations of these functions in [`process_ucis.c`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/blob/master/quantum/process_keycode/process_ucis.c).
+
+## Input Modes
+
+Unicode input in QMK works by inputting a sequence of characters to the OS, sort of like a macro. Unfortunately, the way this is done differs for each platform. Specifically, each platform requires a different combination of keys to trigger Unicode input. Therefore, a corresponding input mode has to be set in QMK.
+
+The following input modes are available:
+
+* **`UC_OSX`**: macOS built-in Unicode hex input. Supports code points up to `0xFFFF` (`0x10FFFF` with Unicode Map).
+
+ To enable, go to _System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources_, add _Unicode Hex Input_ to the list (it's under _Other_), then activate it from the input dropdown in the Menu Bar.
+ By default, this mode uses the left Option key (`KC_LALT`) for Unicode input, but this can be changed by defining [`UNICODE_KEY_OSX`](#input-key-configuration) with another keycode.
+
+ !> Using the _Unicode Hex Input_ input source may disable some Option based shortcuts, such as Option + Left Arrow and Option + Right Arrow.
+
+* **`UC_LNX`**: Linux built-in IBus Unicode input. Supports code points up to `0x10FFFF` (all possible code points).
+
+ Enabled by default and works almost anywhere on IBus-enabled distros. Without IBus, this mode works under GTK apps, but rarely anywhere else.
+ By default, this mode uses Ctrl+Shift+U (`LCTL(LSFT(KC_U))`) to start Unicode input, but this can be changed by defining [`UNICODE_KEY_LNX`](#input-key-configuration) with another keycode. This might be required for IBus versions ≥1.5.15, where Ctrl+Shift+U behavior is consolidated into Ctrl+Shift+E.
+
+* **`UC_WIN`**: _(not recommended)_ Windows built-in hex numpad Unicode input. Supports code points up to `0xFFFF`.
+
+ To enable, create a registry key under `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method\EnableHexNumpad` of type `REG_SZ` called `EnableHexNumpad` and set its value to `1`. This can be done from the Command Prompt by running `reg add "HKCU\Control Panel\Input Method" -v EnableHexNumpad -t REG_SZ -d 1` with administrator privileges. Reboot afterwards.
+ This mode is not recommended because of reliability and compatibility issues; use the `UC_WINC` mode instead.
-* `void qk_ucis_start_user(void)` - This runs when you run the "start" function, and can be used to provide feedback. By default, it types out a keyboard emoji.
-* `void qk_ucis_success(uint8_t symbol_index)` - This runs when the unicode input has matched something, and has completed. Default doesn't do anything.
-* `void qk_ucis_symbol_fallback (void)` - This runs if the input text doesn't match anything. The default function falls back to trying that input as a unicode code.
+* **`UC_BSD`**: _(non implemented)_ Unicode input under BSD. Not implemented at this time. If you're a BSD user and want to help add support for it, please [open an issue on GitHub](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/issues).
-The default code for these are:
+* **`UC_WINC`**: Windows Unicode input using [WinCompose](https://github.com/samhocevar/wincompose). As of v0.9.0, supports code points up to `0x10FFFF` (all possible code points).
+
+ To enable, install the [latest release](https://github.com/samhocevar/wincompose/releases/latest). Once installed, WinCompose will automatically run on startup. Works reliably under all version of Windows supported by the app.
+ By default, this mode uses right Alt (`KC_RALT`) as the Compose key, but this can be changed in the WinCompose settings and by defining [`UNICODE_KEY_WINC`](#input-key-configuration) with another keycode.
+
+### Switching Input Modes
+
+There are two ways to set the input mode for Unicode: by keycode or by function. Keep in mind that both methods write to persistent storage (EEPROM), and are loaded each time the keyboard starts. So once you've set it the first time, you don't need to set it again unless you want to change it, or you've reset the EEPROM settings.
+
+You can switch the input mode at any time by using one of the following keycodes. The easiest way is to add the ones you use to your keymap.
+
+|Keycode |Alias |Input Mode |Description |
+|----------------------|---------|------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
+|`UNICODE_MODE_FORWARD`|`UC_MOD` |Next in list|[Cycle](#input-mode-cycling) through selected modes |
+|`UNICODE_MODE_REVERSE`|`UC_RMOD`|Prev in list|[Cycle](#input-mode-cycling) through selected modes in reverse|
+|`UNICODE_MODE_OSX` |`UC_M_OS`|`UC_OSX` |Switch to macOS input |
+|`UNICODE_MODE_LNX` |`UC_M_LN`|`UC_LNX` |Switch to Linux input |
+|`UNICODE_MODE_WIN` |`UC_M_WI`|`UC_WIN` |Switch to Windows input |
+|`UNICODE_MODE_BSD` |`UC_M_BS`|`UC_BSD` |Switch to BSD input (not implemented) |
+|`UNICODE_MODE_WINC` |`UC_M_WC`|`UC_WINC` |Switch to Windows input using WinCompose |
+
+You can also switch the input mode by calling `set_unicode_input_mode(x)` in your code, where _x_ is one of the above input mode constants (e.g. `UC_LNX`). Since the function only needs to be called once, it's recommended that you do it in `eeconfig_init_user()` (or a similar function). For example:
```c
-void qk_ucis_start_user(void) { // outputs keyboard emoji
- unicode_input_start();
- register_hex(0x2328);
- unicode_input_finish();
+void eeconfig_init_user(void) {
+ set_unicode_input_mode(UC_LNX);
}
+```
-void qk_ucis_success(uint8_t symbol_index) {
-}
+### Audio Feedback
-void qk_ucis_symbol_fallback (void) { // falls back to manual unicode entry
- for (uint8_t i = 0; i < qk_ucis_state.count - 1; i++) {
- uint8_t code = qk_ucis_state.codes[i];
- register_code(code);
- unregister_code(code);
- wait_ms(UNICODE_TYPE_DELAY);
- }
-}
+If you have the [Audio feature](feature_audio.md) enabled on the board, you can set melodies to be played when you press the above keys. That way you can have some audio feedback when switching input modes.
+
+For instance, you can add these definitions to your `config.h` file:
+
+```c
+#define UNICODE_SONG_OSX COIN_SOUND
+#define UNICODE_SONG_LNX UNICODE_LINUX
+#define UNICODE_SONG_BSD MARIO_GAMEOVER
+#define UNICODE_SONG_WIN UNICODE_WINDOWS
+#define UNICODE_SONG_WINC UNICODE_WINDOWS
```
-## Unicode Input methods
+### Additional Customization
+
+Because Unicode is a large and versatile feature, there are a number of options you can customize to make it work better on your system.
+
+#### Start and Finish Input Functions
-Unicode input in QMK works by inputting a sequence of characters to the OS,
-sort of like macro. Unfortunately, each OS has different ideas on how Unicode is input.
+The functions for starting and finishing Unicode input on your platform can be overridden locally. Possible uses include customizing input mode behavior if you don't use the default keys, or adding extra visual/audio feedback to Unicode input.
-This is the current list of Unicode input method in QMK:
+* `void unicode_input_start(void)` – This sends the initial sequence that tells your platform to enter Unicode input mode. For example, it presses Ctrl+Shift+U on Linux and holds the Option key on macOS.
+* `void unicode_input_finish(void)` – This is called to exit Unicode input mode, for example by pressing Space or releasing the Option key.
-* _UC_OSX_: MacOS Unicode Hex Input support. Works only up to 0xFFFF. Disabled by default. To enable: go to System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Input Sources, and enable Unicode Hex.
-* _UC_OSX_RALT_: Same as UC_OSX, but sends the Right Alt key for unicode input
-* _UC_LNX_: Unicode input method under Linux. Works up to 0xFFFFF. Should work almost anywhere on ibus enabled distros. Without ibus, this works under GTK apps, but rarely anywhere else.
-* _UC_WIN_: (not recommended) Windows built-in Unicode input. To enable: create registry key under `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method\EnableHexNumpad` of type `REG_SZ` called `EnableHexNumpad`, set its value to 1, and reboot. This method is not recommended because of reliability and compatibility issue, use WinCompose method below instead.
-* _UC_WINC_: Windows Unicode input using WinCompose. Requires [WinCompose](https://github.com/samhocevar/wincompose). Works reliably under many (all?) variations of Windows.
+You can find the default implementations of these functions in [`process_unicode_common.c`](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/blob/master/quantum/process_keycode/process_unicode_common.c).
+
+#### Input Key Configuration
+
+You can customize the keys used to trigger Unicode input for macOS, Linux and WinCompose by adding corresponding defines to your `config.h`. The default values match the platforms' default settings, so you shouldn't need to change this unless Unicode input isn't working, or you want to use a different key (e.g. in order to free up left or right Alt).
+
+|Define |Type |Default |Example |
+|------------------|----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------|
+|`UNICODE_KEY_OSX` |`uint8_t` |`KC_LALT` |`#define UNICODE_KEY_OSX KC_RALT` |
+|`UNICODE_KEY_LNX` |`uint16_t`|`LCTL(LSFT(KC_U))`|`#define UNICODE_KEY_LNX LCTL(LSFT(KC_E))`|
+|`UNICODE_KEY_WINC`|`uint8_t` |`KC_RALT` |`#define UNICODE_KEY_WINC KC_RGUI` |
+
+#### Input Mode Cycling
+
+You can choose which input modes are available for cycling through. By default, this is disabled. If you want to enable it, limiting it to just the modes you use makes sense. Note that the values in the list are comma-delimited.
+
+```c
+#define UNICODE_SELECTED_MODES UC_OSX, UC_LNX, UC_WIN, UC_WINC
+```
+
+You can cycle through the selected modes by using the `UC_MOD`/`UC_RMOD` keycodes, or by calling `cycle_unicode_input_mode(offset)` in your code (`offset` is how many modes to move forward by, so +1 corresponds to `UC_MOD`).
+
+By default, when the keyboard boots, it will initialize the input mode to the last one you used. You can disable this and make it start with the first mode in the list every time by adding the following to your `config.h`:
+
+```c
+#define UNICODE_CYCLE_PERSIST false
+```
-At some point, you need to call `set_unicode_input_mode(x)` to set the correct unicode method. This sets the method that is used to send the unicode, and stores it in EEPROM, so you only need to call this once.
+!> Using `UNICODE_SELECTED_MODES` means you don't have to initially set the input mode in `matrix_init_user()` (or a similar function); the Unicode system will do that for you on startup. This has the added benefit of avoiding unnecessary writes to EEPROM.
## `send_unicode_hex_string`
### US International
-If you enable the US International layout on the system, it will use punctuation to accent the characters.
+If you enable the US International layout on the system, it will use punctuation to accent the characters.
For instance, typing "`a" will result in à.
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