Looking for a free download of foreign language symbols

Magenta

Hi all I have been using the allchars zwolnet system download for many years for accents, symbols etc for foreign languages.

When i downloaded it again on my new PC it paralysed it:( and I had to unistall the programme.

Does anyone know of another free download or even one to buy if not?

Thanks all.

-TangleFoot-

Hmm...

AllChars works on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4, 2000, XP and Vista (partly) and there is an old 16-bit version for 3.x.

Offline:

• Character Map (Windows)
• Character Viewer (Mac OS X)

Online:

• CopyPasteCharacter.com (requires Flash)

Also see: United Kingdom extended (keyboard layout) and Keyboard Viewer.

wealdroam

What about the builtin Windows facility?

Windows → All Programs → Accessories → System Tools → Character Map

Lum

What OS are you on? If you're still on XP you may need to go into regional settings and install support for RTL and CJK if you're needing those, then be careful about what font you use. SimSun seems to be the most complete on XP.

If you're on Vista, 7 or 8 then it should get installed by default.

Also look at the various IME's published by Microsoft for actually entering these languages.

Magenta

wealdroam wrote: »

What about the builtin Windows facility?

Windows → All Programs → Accessories → System Tools → Character Map

Thanks for all replies.
With the allchars programme you just need to hold down the sHIFT and ALT key and then type in a number and this gives you the foreign accents and symbols as you type.

As I type long documents in foreign languages the systems recommended are not suitable unfortunately:(

By the way I am running Windows 7 on a Vista premium.

Thanks again all.

-TangleFoot-

Magenta wrote: »

By the way I am running Windows 7 on a Vista premium.

You sure about that?

Changing your keyboard layout:

• Vista
• 7

Lum

Magenta wrote: »

Thanks for all replies.
With the allchars programme you just need to hold down the sHIFT and ALT key and then type in a number and this gives you the foreign accents and symbols as you type.

If you look up the symbol you need in charmap, then look in the bottom right corner it will say something like Keystroke: Alt+0224

You can use that keystroke in any document editor to get the accented character. It's a built-in feature of Windows.

-TangleFoot-

Lum wrote: »

It's a built-in feature of Windows.

Unfortunately, this doesn't always work.

Lum

Perhaps, but this bit of freeware is just giving the OP the exact same ALT codes to type as charmap does.

-TangleFoot-

That's not all it did if I'm reading this table correctly...

...aha!

How does AllChars work?

When AllChars for Windows is started, the program ‘hooks’ itself into the Windows system and watches all keys pressed.

By pressing the Control-key and releasing it again without having pressed another key in the meantime, AllChars is activated. It will now try to translate the next two keys pressed into one special character.

Lum

ahh, ok that is pretty neat I guess, though that differs from what the OP said they did.

Their site also says that the program only sort-of works on Vista, and makes no mention at all of Windows 7 or 8.

The OP says they have a new PC so is probably running on Windows 7 or 8?