charmap(p)              Linux User Manual              charmap(p)



NAME
       charmap - character symbols to define character encodings

DESCRIPTION
       A character set description (charmap) defines a character-
       set of available characters and their encodings. All  sup-
       ported  character  sets should have the portable character
       set as a proper subset.

SYNTAX
       The charmap file starts with a header, that may consist of
       the following keywords:

       <codeset>
              is followed by the name of the codeset.

       <mb_cur_max>
              is followed by the max number of bytes for a multi-
              byte-character.  Multibyte characters are currently
              not supported. The default value is 1.

       <mb_cur_min>
              is  followed by the min number of bytes for a char-
              acter. This  value  must  be  less  or  equal  than
              mb_cur_max.   If  not  specified,  it  defaults  to
              mb_cur_max.

       <escape_char>
              is followed by a character that should be  used  as
              the  escape-character  for  the rest of the file to
              mark characters that should  be  interpreted  in  a
              special way. It defaults to the backslash ( \ ).

       <comment_char>
              is followed by a character that will be used as the
              comment-character for the  rest  of  the  file.  It
              defaults to the number sign ( # ).


       The  charmap-definition  itself  starts  with  the keyword
       CHARMAP in column 1.

       The following lines may have  one  of  the  two  following
       forms to define the character-encodings:

       <symbolic-name> <encoding> <comments>
              This  form  defines  exactly  one character and its
              encoding.


       <symbolic-name>...<symbolic-name> <encoding> <comments>
              This form defines a couple of characters.  This  is
              only  useful  for  mutlibyte-characters,  which are
              currently not implemented.


       The last line in a charmap-definition  file  must  contain
       END CHARMAP.

SYMBOLIC NAMES
       A  symbolic  name for a character contains only characters
       of  the  portable  character  set.   The  name  itself  is
       enclosed  between angle brackets.  Characters following an
       <escape_char> are interpreted as itself; for example,  the
       sequence   '<\\\>>'  represents  the  symbolic  name  '\>'
       enclosed in angle brackets.

CHARACTER ENCODING
       The encoding may be in each of the following three forms:

       <escape_char>d<number>
              with a decimal number

       <escape_char>x<number>
              with a hexadecimal number

       <escape_char><number>
              with an octal  number.



FILES
       /usr/share/i18n/charmaps/*

AUTHOR
       Jochen Hein (jochen.hein@delphi.central.de)

CONFORMING TO
       POSIX.2

SEE ALSO
       locale(e),  localedef(f),   setlocale(e),   localeconv(v),
       locale(e)




National Language Support   1994-11-28                 charmap(p)