ASCII codes Thread poster: lisa79
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lisa79
Local time: 19:14
English to German
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Dear All,
I am having difficulties inserting ASCII codes into both Word and the Trados TagEditor files I am currently working on. I use a Samsung Centrino notebook and have a numeric keypad plugged in, but whatever I do (eg holding Alt down, typing the code etc.), it just doesn't work.
This is the list of ASCII codes I have:
Letter Use Alt +
Ä 0196
ä 0228
Ö 0214
ö 0246
Ü 0220
ü 0252
ß 0223
... See more Dear All,
I am having difficulties inserting ASCII codes into both Word and the Trados TagEditor files I am currently working on. I use a Samsung Centrino notebook and have a numeric keypad plugged in, but whatever I do (eg holding Alt down, typing the code etc.), it just doesn't work.
This is the list of ASCII codes I have:
Letter Use Alt +
Ä 0196
ä 0228
Ö 0214
ö 0246
Ü 0220
ü 0252
ß 0223
Most grateful for any advice!
Cheers,
Lisa ▲ Collapse
| | | | Robert Mouris 
Hungary
Local time: 20:14
Member (2007)
French to German
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| Function key | May 27, 2007 |
Hi Elisabeth,
Maybe you must activate the Fn key so that the system can recognise the number keys as being those of the numeric pad and not of the second row of keys on the keyboard.
However, this is sheer guessing, as I have never plugged a keypad into my notebook.
Robert
| | | | Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:14
German to English
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Robert Mouris wrote:
Maybe you must activate the Fn key so that the system can recognise the number keys as being those of the numeric pad and not of the second row of keys on the keyboard.
However, this is sheer guessing, as I have never plugged a keypad into my notebook.
Robert
Neither have I. Another idea is that you must ensure that the equivalent of "Num Lock" that is found in a desktop keypad (top left of the keypad) is in the active state. This may be shown by an LED on the keypad or perhaps the instructions for the keypad (if you have them) .
When NumLock is on, each numerical digit on the keypad should have the same effect as the same digit on the main keyboard. When it is off, "7" becomes "Home", 9 and 3 become PgUp and PgDn; these are probably marked on the keys.
A further idea: try the other way of inputting the number, e.g.
for small o-Umlaut, it is Alt 148, for u-Umlaut it is Alt 129, double-s is Alt 225 (i.e. not starting with a zero)
I hope that helps (but I admit, I'm not sure!).
Oliver
| | | | Jim Tucker (X)
United States
Hungarian to English
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[Edited at 2007-05-27 23:46]
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| you may need another solution | May 28, 2007 |
I think the reason this isn't working is that the external keypad is not generating the same scan-codes as the number keys accessed by the Fn-key on the integrated keyboard.
For an explanation of scancodes, which contains a bit of insight to the problem, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scan_code
Unless your external keypad has software which allows you to modify the scanc... See more I think the reason this isn't working is that the external keypad is not generating the same scan-codes as the number keys accessed by the Fn-key on the integrated keyboard.
For an explanation of scancodes, which contains a bit of insight to the problem, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scan_code
Unless your external keypad has software which allows you to modify the scancodes, you're probably going to be better off creating your own keyboard map that includes the characters you need, or installing a second input locale which includes them, and learning it if you don't already.
To create your own keyboard layout, download Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator from http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/tools/msklc.mspx
I did this when I first came to Slovakia, because I didn't have Slovak keycaps on my American-born laptop, and because memorizing the system was quite difficult (why should ň be where my \ key is, instead of something logical like Alt-Gr-n?).
Good luck! ▲ Collapse
| | | | lisa79
Local time: 19:14
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER | Thanks so far... | May 28, 2007 |
Hi there,
Thanks for everybody's suggestions so far. I still haven't solved my problem. The reason why I actually want to use those ASCII codes is that I think I have to use them because I am working on STF files, and when I convert them back to MIF format, I can see that Umlaute etc. are displayed as funny hieroglyphics. I know that in such cases it is therefore advisable to use ASCII codes (although I can imagine it must be a pain having to enter them by hand all the time...).
... See more Hi there,
Thanks for everybody's suggestions so far. I still haven't solved my problem. The reason why I actually want to use those ASCII codes is that I think I have to use them because I am working on STF files, and when I convert them back to MIF format, I can see that Umlaute etc. are displayed as funny hieroglyphics. I know that in such cases it is therefore advisable to use ASCII codes (although I can imagine it must be a pain having to enter them by hand all the time...).
Cheers,
Lisa ▲ Collapse
| | | | Oliver Walter
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:14
German to English
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| Problem with the encoding standard? | May 28, 2007 |
Elisabeth Hippe-Heisler wrote:
Thanks for everybody's suggestions so far. I still haven't solved my problem. The reason why I actually want to use those ASCII codes is that I think I have to use them because I am working on STF files, and when I convert them back to MIF format, I can see that Umlaute etc. are displayed as funny hieroglyphics. I know that in such cases it is therefore advisable to use ASCII codes (although I can imagine it must be a pain having to enter them by hand all the time...).
Lisa
This web page (at a USA university) gives several ways of entering accented characters into documents.
http://sip.la.psu.edu/virtualclass/charpc33.html
Further idea: The different programs that you are using (e.g. Word, TagEditor) may have different and incorrect ideas of what encoding is used to represent the characters; there is not a single unique coding for characters with numeric representations above 127. ASCII defines characters up to 127 and this does not include any accented characters. Higher values are defined by various encoding standards. You can see evidence of this by looking in your browser: View>Encoding (Internet Explorer) or View>Character encoding (FireFox), and you'll see names like Windows 1252, ISO-8859-1, Unicode. Unicode is an attempt at a single universal definition but it is far from universally used.
Look at the MS Word Help topic " Troubleshoot encoded text files" and then click on "The encoded file I opened contains text that isn't readable." (This is for Word 2000; yours may be the same).
Oliver
| | | | Olaf (X)
Local time: 20:14
English to German
| Why not simply change the keyboard layout to German? | May 28, 2007 |
Why do you bother using the ALT+NUM codes at all, when you can simply switch the keyboard layout to German?
To change the layout select Start > Control Panel. Then double-click the Regional and Language Options icon.
Select the Languages tab and click the Details button. This will open the Text Service and Input Languages dialog box. Click Add to add the German keyboard layout, select German (Germany) and click OK. Once you have done this, you can easily switch between the E... See more Why do you bother using the ALT+NUM codes at all, when you can simply switch the keyboard layout to German?
To change the layout select Start > Control Panel. Then double-click the Regional and Language Options icon.
Select the Languages tab and click the Details button. This will open the Text Service and Input Languages dialog box. Click Add to add the German keyboard layout, select German (Germany) and click OK. Once you have done this, you can easily switch between the English and German keyboard layouts by simultaneously pressing the left ALT and SHIFT buttons.
In case you don't know where the umlauts are on a German keyboard, you can download the free MS Office Virtual Keyboard software from office.microsoft.com/downloads/2000/viskeyboard.aspx.
Olaf ▲ Collapse
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lisa79
Local time: 19:14
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER
Thanks again to everyone.
I am starting to wonder whether the funny hieroglyphics after conversion back to MIF files are actually supposed to look like this, e.g.
Abkürzung is displayed as Abk\x9f rzung,
Maßangabe is displayed as Ma\xa7 angabe
So \x9f or \xa7 might actually look perfectly normal, ie Umlaut and ß (sz), later in the final MIF version? (I am unable to check this, as I don't have FrameMaker, but just look at the MIF files using a tex... See more Thanks again to everyone.
I am starting to wonder whether the funny hieroglyphics after conversion back to MIF files are actually supposed to look like this, e.g.
Abkürzung is displayed as Abk\x9f rzung,
Maßangabe is displayed as Ma\xa7 angabe
So \x9f or \xa7 might actually look perfectly normal, ie Umlaut and ß (sz), later in the final MIF version? (I am unable to check this, as I don't have FrameMaker, but just look at the MIF files using a text editor program.)
Not sure about this at all because as far as I know, FrameMaker files typically are in ASCII format, so does that not mean that German Umlaute etc. have to be entered as ASCII codes?
Cheers,
Lisa ▲ Collapse
| | | | Vito Smolej
Germany
Local time: 20:14
Member (2004)
English to Slovenian
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SITE LOCALIZER | Sigh.... So ist ja das Leben | May 28, 2007 |
Abkürzung is displayed as Abk\x9f rzung,
Maßangabe is displayed as Ma\xa7 angabe
Thats the accepted/standard way out of the problem of having to use 8 bits (and not unicode) and at the same time display "STRANGE" - i.e. non-ANSI - characters. It think it started with RTF and then got copied all over - maybe it is a standard, but one of those I would rather not know anything about -.
You will find these characters in the translation memory for sure. They could just as well stem from Trados - it has the same problem as any other software, if the translation memory is set up as 8bit and then we come and drop suddenly Umläute into it.
Export it as a text file and look for backslashes - there'll be some for sure...
[Edited at 2007-05-28 17:38]
| | | | | ... In Framemaker | May 28, 2007 |
Elisabeth Hippe-Heisler wrote:
So \x9f or \xa7 might actually look perfectly normal, ie Umlaut and ß (sz), later in the final MIF version? (I am unable to check this, as I don't have FrameMaker, but just look at the MIF files using a text editor program.)
Lisa
Hello Lisa,
in Framemaker the hieroglyphics are displayed normal -> ü and ß after conversion to MIF and/or FM.
For some languages for example Russian or Greek you have to change the fonts after translation process in Framemaker. For German language this should not be necessary.
Cheers
Wilhelm Polmann
www.sysfilter.com
| | | | lisa79
Local time: 19:14
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER | Appearance of ASCII codes in text editor vs. FrameMaker | May 28, 2007 |
Hello, Wilhelm,
Thank you also for your contribution.
In other words, does that mean that even though (after conversion from STF to MIF) in my text editing program the hieroglyphics are displayed, they will look normal in FrameMaker?
Cheers,
Lisa
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| Appearance of ASCII codes in text editor vs. FrameMaker | May 28, 2007 |
Elisabeth Hippe-Heisler wrote:
Hello, Wilhelm,
Thank you also for your contribution.
In other words, does that mean that even though (after conversion from STF to MIF) in my text editing program the hieroglyphics are displayed, they will look normal in FrameMaker?
Cheers,
Lisa
Hello Lisa,
I don't understand quite the problem 
If you are translating the STF files (*.RTF or TTX) in MS Word or in TagEditor no hieroglyphics should be displayed.
The hieroglyphics only appears if the the MIF files are open using a text editor. If you open the MIF files un Framemaker then the hieroglyphics are displayed normal.
Cheers,
Wilhelm Polmann
www.sysfilter.com
| | | | lisa79
Local time: 19:14
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER
"The hieroglyphics only appears if the the MIF files are open using a text editor. If you open the MIF files un Framemaker then the hieroglyphics are displayed normal."
Really?! So that means there isn't a problem here at all then! Thanks very much, Wilhelm, you have really helped me a lot!!
Cheers,
Lisa
| | | | lisa79
Local time: 19:14
English to German
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TOPIC STARTER | Problem solved | Jun 4, 2007 |
Hi there again,
I have downloaded the trial version of FM from Adobe and managed to open my MIF file in it, and it's turned out that all the Umlaute etc. that I was a bit worried about are displayed normally. So... what I thought was a problem was not actually a problem at all! So this is to confirm what Wilhelm suggested.
Anyway, using that evaluation version has also reassured me that so-called ancillary files actually do get reinserted back into the main file during... See more Hi there again,
I have downloaded the trial version of FM from Adobe and managed to open my MIF file in it, and it's turned out that all the Umlaute etc. that I was a bit worried about are displayed normally. So... what I thought was a problem was not actually a problem at all! So this is to confirm what Wilhelm suggested.
Anyway, using that evaluation version has also reassured me that so-called ancillary files actually do get reinserted back into the main file during conversion from STF to MIF...
Regards,
Lisa ▲ Collapse
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