How to type zero-width space character (U+200B) on a laptop keyboard?

28

14

There is a very similar question to this one already (How can I type U+200B character?) but all the answers are about how to type this character on a PC keyboard with a num pad which is not my case.

I use Czech (QWERTY) layout but am willing to switch to English (US) layout if necessary.

How do I type this character (U+200B) on a laptop keyboard without a num pad?

Edit: I want to do this on Windows, without a Fn key if possible. If the process of "typing" it involves MS Word, copy/paste from some website or anything else that is easily doable on a standard Windows laptop, I'm fine with that too.

Borek Bernard

Posted 2012-02-12T22:02:20.047

Reputation: 11 400

What operating system? Also, you may be able to use Fn to get a keypad keys. – Daniel Beck – 2012-02-12T22:07:47.153

Edited a question, hope it's clearer now. – Borek Bernard – 2012-02-12T22:25:04.113

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ – hims056 – 2013-03-16T09:43:42.097

Answers

34

You could just use the Character Map program, built into Windows. It lists all characters for each font installed on the system, and lets you select one and copy it to the clipboard. In fact, I use it to reference all the keycodes to type them, otherwise, but when I'm on my laptop, it's handy just to be able to copy the characters from that program.

It's available in the Accessories start group, or by running charmap.exe.

You can copy U+200B like so:

charmap

Ben Richards

Posted 2012-02-12T22:02:20.047

Reputation: 11 662

This inserted a line break when I pasted it. – Noumenon – 2019-09-09T13:32:17.923

How about U+200F? It doesn't appear to list that. :/ – Tamara Wijsman – 2012-02-15T13:31:44.650

@TomWijsman It depends on the font. Arial Unicode MS doesn't have it, but (for example) Calibri does. – Ben Richards – 2012-02-15T19:26:20.683

Ah, interesting, thank you! +1 Didn't know one could get the characters there... – Tamara Wijsman – 2012-02-15T19:45:48.517

3Missing in this answer is how to actually find the character: Activate advanced view and use the input field labelled "Go to Unicode" or just "Unicode" in newer versions. Input 200B and the character will be selected in the top left corner. Searching for the name only works if you know how the character is called in your locale. – kapex – 2014-03-07T13:31:41.770

6

I have written a small application for just this purpose! It is called Npad, and it is a simple AutoHotkey script to conditionally remap the normal number keys to behave as the Numpad keys. This allows you to enter Unicode characters using their Alt keystroke combinations with any keyboard.

Instructions:

Press Ctrl+Win+N to toggle Npad between 0 and 1, off and on respectively.

Press Alt+Win+N to display the state of Npad without toggling on or off.

Source:

Note: See the download link below for the latest version...

npad = 0

^#n:: ;Ctrl+Win+N
npad := !npad
MsgBox, , Npad, Toggle: %npad%
Exit

!#n:: ;Alt+Win+N
MsgBox, , Npad, State: %npad%
Exit

#If (npad)
    0::Numpad0
    1::Numpad1
    2::Numpad2
    3::Numpad3
    4::Numpad4
    5::Numpad5
    6::Numpad6
    7::Numpad7
    8::Numpad8
    9::Numpad9
#If
Exit

Download: https://bitbucket.org/iglvzx/npad/downloads

iglvzx

Posted 2012-02-12T22:02:20.047

Reputation: 21 611

3sweet, gonna use this a lot. – Sathyajith Bhat – 2012-02-14T10:17:26.997

Nice although I would appreciate a solution that doesn't involve running a 3rd party utility and pressing like 15 keys to insert one freaking character :) Nothing against this solution, I appreciate your effort, I was just hoping for a simpler solution if there's any. – Borek Bernard – 2012-02-14T12:43:27.797

@Borek If you don't want to memorize Alt codes, see sidran32's answer below. :) – iglvzx – 2012-02-14T18:31:32.943

5

  1. Alt code on Laptop Keyboard - This works if your keyboard have a numlock key. If not try this:

  2. Use the osk.exe utility (the Visual Keyboard) typically in C:\windows\system32\osk.exe

    • Click on options on the Visual keyboard
    • Check the option "activate the numeric pad"
    • Press the Alt key on the "real" keyboard AND enter the Alt-code on the Visual Keyboard
    • Then release the Alt key on the "real" keyboard

The character must be written on notepad or any other application.

Here a screen capture : alt code 0128 in Notepad++:

screen capture : alt code 0128 in Notepad++

Hope this help. Let us know.

climenole

Posted 2012-02-12T22:02:20.047

Reputation: 3 180

1

There is probably some way to simulate the numpad keys using normal keys. The manual of the system should tell you which function key or other tool needs to be used to enable such simulation and which keys are to be used for numpad keys.

But things get somewhat awkward then.

So perhaps a better approach is to download and install some nice utility, like UnicodeInput (for entering characters by Unicode number) or unicode-input-by-name (for entering characters by their formal Unicode name). Unfortunately, for both of them, the most conveniently way to launch the program is to type Alt++ using the numpad “+” key

Jukka K. Korpela

Posted 2012-02-12T22:02:20.047

Reputation: 4 475

0

As I'm already a user of ClipX, there is another way:

  • Copy a zero width space character to a clipboard e.g. from this Wikipedia page (if you're precise enough you will be able to select the character in the middle of any "Antidisestablishmentarianism​Antidisestablishmentarianism" combination, if not copy it to MS Word, show hidden characters and copy from there)
  • In ClipX, install the Stickies plugin (try icon > Configure > More Plugins)
  • In the Stickies plugin page in the configuration window, click "add", select "from current history" and select the weird character (it displayed like €;& or something like that)

You'll then be able to insert this character anywhere by invoking ClipX (Win + V by default) and selecting the sticky you just created.

To test that it works properly, you can use MS Word or some other text editor that can count characters or display the hidden ones.

Works great for me!

Borek Bernard

Posted 2012-02-12T22:02:20.047

Reputation: 11 400