Doc/lib/libunicodedata.tex

   1 \section{\module{unicodedata} ---
   2          Unicode Database}
   3
   4 \declaremodule{standard}{unicodedata}
   5 \modulesynopsis{Access the Unicode Database.}
   6 \moduleauthor{Marc-Andre Lemburg}{mal@lemburg.com}
   7 \sectionauthor{Marc-Andre Lemburg}{mal@lemburg.com}
   8
   9
  10 \index{Unicode}
  11 \index{character}
  12 \indexii{Unicode}{database}
  13
  14 This module provides access to the Unicode Character Database which
  15 defines character properties for all Unicode characters. The data in
  16 this database is based on the \file{UnicodeData.txt} file version
  17 3.0.0 which is publically available from \url{ftp://ftp.unicode.org/}.
  18
  19 The module uses the same names and symbols as defined by the
  20 UnicodeData File Format 3.0.0 (see
  21 \url{http://www.unicode.org/Public/UNIDATA/UnicodeData.html}).  It
  22 defines the following functions:
  23
  24 \begin{funcdesc}{lookup}{name}
  25   Look up character by name.  If a character with the
  26   given name is found, return the corresponding Unicode
  27   character.  If not found, \exception{KeyError} is raised.
  28 \end{funcdesc}
  29
  30 \begin{funcdesc}{name}{unichr\optional{, default}}
  31   Returns the name assigned to the Unicode character
  32   \var{unichr} as a string. If no name is defined,
  33   \var{default} is returned, or, if not given,
  34   \exception{ValueError} is raised.
  35 \end{funcdesc}
  36
  37 \begin{funcdesc}{decimal}{unichr\optional{, default}}
  38   Returns the decimal value assigned to the Unicode character
  39   \var{unichr} as integer. If no such value is defined,
  40   \var{default} is returned, or, if not given,
  41   \exception{ValueError} is raised.
  42 \end{funcdesc}
  43
  44 \begin{funcdesc}{digit}{unichr\optional{, default}}
  45   Returns the digit value assigned to the Unicode character
  46   \var{unichr} as integer. If no such value is defined,
  47   \var{default} is returned, or, if not given,
  48   \exception{ValueError} is raised.
  49 \end{funcdesc}
  50
  51 \begin{funcdesc}{numeric}{unichr\optional{, default}}
  52   Returns the numeric value assigned to the Unicode character
  53   \var{unichr} as float. If no such value is defined, \var{default} is
  54   returned, or, if not given, \exception{ValueError} is raised.
  55 \end{funcdesc}
  56
  57 \begin{funcdesc}{category}{unichr}
  58   Returns the general category assigned to the Unicode character
  59   \var{unichr} as string.
  60 \end{funcdesc}
  61
  62 \begin{funcdesc}{bidirectional}{unichr}
  63   Returns the bidirectional category assigned to the Unicode character
  64   \var{unichr} as string. If no such value is defined, an empty string
  65   is returned.
  66 \end{funcdesc}
  67
  68 \begin{funcdesc}{combining}{unichr}
  69   Returns the canonical combining class assigned to the Unicode
  70   character \var{unichr} as integer. Returns \code{0} if no combining
  71   class is defined.
  72 \end{funcdesc}
  73
  74 \begin{funcdesc}{mirrored}{unichr}
  75   Returns the mirrored property of assigned to the Unicode character
  76   \var{unichr} as integer. Returns \code{1} if the character has been
  77   identified as a ``mirrored'' character in bidirectional text,
  78   \code{0} otherwise.
  79 \end{funcdesc}
  80
  81 \begin{funcdesc}{decomposition}{unichr}
  82   Returns the character decomposition mapping assigned to the Unicode
  83   character \var{unichr} as string. An empty string is returned in case
  84   no such mapping is defined.
  85 \end{funcdesc}