NAME
charmap - character symbols to define character encodings
DESCRIPTION
A character set description (charmap) defines a characterset
of available characters and their encodings. All supported
character sets should have the portable character set as a
proper subset. The portable character set is defined in the
file /usr/lib/nls/charmap/POSIX for reference purposes.
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
multibyte-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 character.
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 char-
acters 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 CHAR-
MAP in column 1.
The following lines may have one of the two following forms
to define the character-encodings:
<symbolic-name> <encoding> <comments>
This for defines exactly one character and its encod-
ing.
<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 isenclosed
between angle brackets. Characters following the
<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/lib/nls/charmap/*
AUTHOR
Jochen Hein (jochen.hein@delphi.central.de)
CONFORMING TO
POSIX.2
SEE ALSO
setlocale(3), localeconv(3), locale(1), locale(5),
localedef(1),