Windows symbol fonts and Unicode
Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2013 10:46 pm
I have been using Font Creator to create and maintain Windows symbol fonts for some time.
If I view the glyphs with Unicode code points on the caption bars, then it appears that the characters (hex) 20-FF get translated to code points U+F020 to U+F0FF.
Now these are within the private use area of the BMP, and so this seems a not unreasonable place to put miscellaneous symbols. But is there any genera rule that Windows symbol fonts should translate into this chunk of the private use area, or is it a choice made by Font Creator because it is as convenient as any other?
[The reason I ask is that I'm considering abandoning Windows symbol fonts, with their limit of rather less than 255 characters, in favour of Unicode fonts where I plan to make heavy use of the private use area for miscellaneous symbols. And I feel I ought to understand what is going on here!]
David Webber
Mozart Music Software
If I view the glyphs with Unicode code points on the caption bars, then it appears that the characters (hex) 20-FF get translated to code points U+F020 to U+F0FF.
Now these are within the private use area of the BMP, and so this seems a not unreasonable place to put miscellaneous symbols. But is there any genera rule that Windows symbol fonts should translate into this chunk of the private use area, or is it a choice made by Font Creator because it is as convenient as any other?
[The reason I ask is that I'm considering abandoning Windows symbol fonts, with their limit of rather less than 255 characters, in favour of Unicode fonts where I plan to make heavy use of the private use area for miscellaneous symbols. And I feel I ought to understand what is going on here!]
David Webber
Mozart Music Software