Source : ct|04.05.09

< Tutorials Computer, Multimedia, Chinese

Find the code unicode of an ideogram

The code unicode of an ideogram, appearing in an electronic document (text document, web page, e-mail), can be rather easily found. It is enough of:
1) Select and copy this ideogram in the clipboard;
2) Paste this ideogram in the memo pad, then to save the corresponding text file with the unicode format;
3) Open the text file with a hexadecimal editor and to look directly at the code unicode of the ideogram.

This method requires to use a hexadecimal editor. Some are available on internet in freeware version. For example, in the date of writing of these lines, the hexadecimal editor " Frhed " (Free hex editor) is available on the address http://frhed.sourceforge.net/.

We are going to proceed in the following step :
1) Download and install Frhed;
2) Select an ideogram in a web page;
3) Save a file text, containing the ideogram;
4) Read the code unicode of the ideogram, with Frhed.

Download and install Frhed

The download and the installation of Frhed are very simple and fast. Type "frhed" in the Google search engine.

Click the link Frhed - Free hex editor at the frhed.sourceforge.net address.

On this site, download the stable last version of Frhed.

The file is not very big and can thus download rather quickly.

To install Frhed, click this file and follow the installation procedure. The programis installed by default in the directory "C:\Program Files\Frhed".

Once installed, Frhed can be called since the Windows menu "Démarrer"

Select an ideogram in a web page

Connect you on a Chinese Web site. The www.beijing.cn site for example. Select an ideogram and copy it in the clipboard.

Save a file text, containing the ideogram

Open the memo pad and paste the ideogram in the text window. It is possible that this one appears under the shape of a small square.

If it is the case, select "Format/Police" and choose a Chinese characters font.

The Chinese character appears then correctly in the memo pad. Fit it to the size which is convenient for you.
It is to note that the chosen character size is taken into account by the memo pad, but will not be registered in the text document.

Select "File/Save As"

Give anyone name to your file (essai.txt for example) and do not forget to specify the unicode format, otherwise the ideogram will not correctly be recorded.

Read the code unicode of the ideogram, with Frhed

Open the file essai.txt with Frhed.

The first two displayed bytes (fffe) mean that the file is saved with the unicode format. Following both bytes (32 75) represent in the inverse order the code Unicode of the ideogram. In our example we can deduct that the code unicode of the ideogram is 75 32. If you want that the code unicode is displayed in the direct order, you just have to save the file text with the unicode big endian format.

The first two displayed bytes are inversed. feff means that the text file is recorded with the unicode big endian format.

Looking at the windows characters table (Accessoires/Outils Systèmes/Table des caractères) you can verify that the ideogram unicode 7532 is well the one captured on the web page..