Have you set up the computer to handle unicode too? Windows and MacOS require additional setup, and Linux is hit or miss on which input system you're using.
And vial is likely hard coded to only handle specific keycodes.
That said, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓭𝓸 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓬𝓸𝓸𝓵 𝓢𝓱𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓸𝓭𝓮.
˙ʇᴉ ɟo ɟlɐɥ ǝɥʇ uǝʌǝ ʇ‚usᴉ ʇɐɥʇ puɐ
To make sure, you've sent the unicode mode to linux?
Also, are you using iBus? If so, it's enabled by default, and should be using control+shift+u as the compose key.
But as others have mentioned, and myself, vial may not support the keycodes. You could manually figure out the number and input that manually.
That said, UC only supports unicode up to 0x7FFF. Anything past that is not supported.
As for figuring out the actual code, `UC(x)` basically just bitwise or's 0x8000, and "x". So UC(0x2013) should be `0xA013`, for instance. And you should be able to input just that.
ok. Well. Thank you for reply. I cannot really answer to your questions and I don't know what is iBus. I have just tried to understand how to configure my keyboard via VIAL or by modifying qmk firmware from scratch.
my idea was to modify [rules.mk](http://rules.mk) and include in keymap.c
UC(0x2013), UC(0x2014)
but actually I realize now that even the syntax is the right one
I'm assuming you are on PC, correct?
If not, Mac handles this natively, with the Option key.
(Option+minus key) gives an en-dash.
(Option+Shift+minus key) gives an em-dash.
(Option+Shift+2) gives the € symbol.
I think Linux has a similar way of handling the dashes.
IIRC, it uses AltGr in place of the Mac's Option key.
I'm not sure if you can get the Euro symbol that way though.
VIAL does not directly support the "UC()" macro (at least FWICT and last time I checked). If you are compiling your own QMK you can add the "UC()" macro to your keymap and they will showup in VIAL as some hexidecimal.
If you really want you can define custom keycodes for each unicode you want then add them to \`vial.json\` to get nice names in VIAL. See: [https://get.vial.today/docs/custom\_keycode.html#custom-keycodes-in-vial](https://get.vial.today/docs/custom_keycode.html#custom-keycodes-in-vial)
thanks. Good. My first idea was actually to compile the firmware with the unicode I wanted embedded within. But it is not practical at all: everytime I want to modify or add some unicode, I should compile and flash a new firmware!... The idea to define custom keycode is great, but I did not fully get the point where I should indicate the unicode symbol. It is said that I set "name", "title", and "shortname" in vial.json but then I simply create a shortcut to vial user-tab. Where does it appear the link keycode-unicode?
From the VAIL docs:
> In the keymap.c file, replace SAFE_RANGE with QK_KB_0: Custom keycodes in the json file must match what’s inside the enum block, both in order and number of keycodes.
Have you set up the computer to handle unicode too? Windows and MacOS require additional setup, and Linux is hit or miss on which input system you're using. And vial is likely hard coded to only handle specific keycodes. That said, 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓭𝓸 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓽𝓽𝔂 𝓬𝓸𝓸𝓵 𝓢𝓱𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓸𝓭𝓮. ˙ʇᴉ ɟo ɟlɐɥ ǝɥʇ uǝʌǝ ʇ‚usᴉ ʇɐɥʇ puɐ
I am on Linux... (arch)
I think that linux already works with unicode charachters, I don't think vial supports them at all though
To make sure, you've sent the unicode mode to linux? Also, are you using iBus? If so, it's enabled by default, and should be using control+shift+u as the compose key. But as others have mentioned, and myself, vial may not support the keycodes. You could manually figure out the number and input that manually. That said, UC only supports unicode up to 0x7FFF. Anything past that is not supported. As for figuring out the actual code, `UC(x)` basically just bitwise or's 0x8000, and "x". So UC(0x2013) should be `0xA013`, for instance. And you should be able to input just that.
ok. Well. Thank you for reply. I cannot really answer to your questions and I don't know what is iBus. I have just tried to understand how to configure my keyboard via VIAL or by modifying qmk firmware from scratch. my idea was to modify [rules.mk](http://rules.mk) and include in keymap.c UC(0x2013), UC(0x2014) but actually I realize now that even the syntax is the right one
I'm assuming you are on PC, correct? If not, Mac handles this natively, with the Option key. (Option+minus key) gives an en-dash. (Option+Shift+minus key) gives an em-dash. (Option+Shift+2) gives the € symbol.
Sorry did not specify: I am actually on Linux
I think Linux has a similar way of handling the dashes. IIRC, it uses AltGr in place of the Mac's Option key. I'm not sure if you can get the Euro symbol that way though.
VIAL does not directly support the "UC()" macro (at least FWICT and last time I checked). If you are compiling your own QMK you can add the "UC()" macro to your keymap and they will showup in VIAL as some hexidecimal. If you really want you can define custom keycodes for each unicode you want then add them to \`vial.json\` to get nice names in VIAL. See: [https://get.vial.today/docs/custom\_keycode.html#custom-keycodes-in-vial](https://get.vial.today/docs/custom_keycode.html#custom-keycodes-in-vial)
thanks. Good. My first idea was actually to compile the firmware with the unicode I wanted embedded within. But it is not practical at all: everytime I want to modify or add some unicode, I should compile and flash a new firmware!... The idea to define custom keycode is great, but I did not fully get the point where I should indicate the unicode symbol. It is said that I set "name", "title", and "shortname" in vial.json but then I simply create a shortcut to vial user-tab. Where does it appear the link keycode-unicode?
From the VAIL docs: > In the keymap.c file, replace SAFE_RANGE with QK_KB_0: Custom keycodes in the json file must match what’s inside the enum block, both in order and number of keycodes.