Direct Unicode Input

[mdSlash]

Is there a way to insert Unicode directly in Kitty without opening this window?

[kovidgoyal]

Use your systems IME facilities for inputting unicode if you dont want to use kitty's

[cybardev]

Expanding on the maintainer's suggestion...

If that's MacOS, here's a relevant discussion thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1899290

If you're on Ubuntu or a derivative, try Ctrl + Shift + u, followed by the unicode number, followed by Enter.

If neither, tell us more about your system and we might be able to help. Or consider searching something like "enter unicode character in <your OS/distro/DE/WM>".

[mdSlash]

I'm using Archlinux, and yes, Ctrl+Shift+u followed by the unicode number inserts the character. But, as I said, in kitty, it opens a window to write the unicode, and I want to prevent this. If I unmap Ctrl+Shift+u using map ctrl+shift+u, it inserts 7;6u, or map ctrl+shift+u discard_event and try to write the unicode, Kitty inserts the characters I type. I can map the character I want to a keybinding, and it will work as I wanted, but the problem is I'm using KMonad to control my keyboard layers, and this will work inside kitty and won't outside it.

[cybardev]

Ok, thanks for filling in the missing details.

@kovidgoyal any suggestions on this?

[kovidgoyal]

This isnt anything to do with kitty. If the OP doesnt want to use kitty's unicode input facility, its up to them to find and use an alternative. Nothing kitty can do about it.

[cybardev]

Kitty can get out of the way and allow users to use the system's unicode input facility. If Kitty would actually do "nothing" when Ctrl + Shift + u or Ctrl + Shift + e is pressed, then that would likely solve the problem.

The way suggested by @Neurognostic seems to not work for me on Pop!_OS, but maybe @mdSlash can make it work since he's on Arch.

[mdSlash]

This isnt anything to do with kitty. If the OP doesnt want to use kitty's unicode input facility, its up to them to find and use an alternative. Nothing kitty can do about it.

The entire topic is related to Kitty, and correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, I opened a new issue #7269 for that.

[Neurognostic]

Use IBus' Emoji Input.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/IBus#Emoji_input

It will provide an interface for inputting unicode symbols using the symbol's names and aliases for any program.

In your kitty.conf set the GLFW_IM_MODULE environment variable to ibus.

env GLFW_IM_MODULE=ibus

Then with the default key map press super+. to start the input method, type a name like cat and press space to get more results.

[Neurognostic]

kitty-20240327T170626Z.mp4

That's too much UI?

[mdSlash]

No, that's good, how did you do it?

[Neurognostic]

I explained it in my original comment, IBus' Emoji Input.

It's not just emojis either, it works for any unicode symbol; and it works in every program not just Kitty.

[mdSlash]

@Neurognostic Thanks for your help. I'll take a look ASAP.

[Neurognostic]

For many language symbols Xcompose is better. But for emojis and other non-language symbols IBus' Emoji input is the most convenient.

[kovidgoyal]

On Tue, Mar 26, 2024 at 07:55:44PM -0700, Sheikh wrote: Kitty _can_ get out of the way and _allow_ users to use the system's unicode input facility. If Kitty would actually do "nothing" when `Ctrl + Shift + u` is pressed, then that would likely solve the problem.

If you specify a system level shortcut for ctrl+shift+u it will never even reach kitty. And regardless you can unmap or even discard any shortcut in kitty as 2 mins reading the manual will tell you. https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/conf/#keyboard-shortcuts

[cybardev]

You may have missed the OP's 2nd response where they mentioned trying both unmapping and discarding the shortcut to no avail.

Just tried it myself and can confirm that neither work. In zsh, the cursor becomes a block, and in bash, it inserts 7;6u. Gnome terminal gets the underlined u with both shells, letting me insert unicode easily.

[kovidgoyal]

On Tue, Mar 26, 2024 at 08:03:50PM -0700, Sheikh wrote: You may have missed the OP's 2nd response where they mentioned trying both unmapping and discarding the shortcut to no avail. Just tried it myself and can confirm that neither work.

kitty -o 'map ctrl+shift+u discard_event' cat -v Press ctrl+shift+u observe nothing happens.

[cybardev]

Yes. An underlined u should appear like it does on Gnome Terminal.

^[[117;6u appears for kitty -o 'map ctrl+shift+u' cat -v, which is still not the unicode input u.

[kovidgoyal]

On Tue, Mar 26, 2024 at 08:11:21PM -0700, Sheikh wrote: Yes. An underlined `u` should appear like it does on Gnome Terminal.

Where would this underlined u magically appear from? kitty is not GNOME terminal. It has a different technique for entering unicode characters, that is far superior to GNOME terminals, since it allows you to search unicode characters by typing a few letters from their names OR using hex codes. Underlined you only supports hex codes. If you want to use some system level technique for doing this then use an IME or XCompose or similar. If you do, then the ctrl+shift+u or whatever trigger key your IME uses event wont even reach kitty to become a shortcut.