Re: [libreoffice-users] select en-dash and em-dash characters

On 16/04/2012, Séamas Ó Brógáin <sob@iol.ie> wrote:
> Regina wrote:
>
> > They are usually written via AutoCorrect. The simple hyphen is replaced
> > with the en-dash or em-dash when the following word is finished . . .
>
> That is _not_ a good idea. The hyphen, en rule and em rule (dash) are
> distinct characters with distinct uses in conventional typography and
> typesetting. Their correct use cannot be predicted by context, nor are
> they interchangeable.

Agreed; why using auto-correct feature of LO is _not_ wanted.

> You need to find out where these characters are in the character set you
> are using. This depends on your operating system, your language, and
> your keyboard layout.

After a quick search, seems that xorg.conf file needs to be found and
edited for a computer using xfce dvorak English keyboard.

> As Johnny pointed out, they can be entered with the compose key. If you
> use them so often that even this is too cumbersome you can customise
> your keyboard layout, so that (for example) compose-hyphen gets you the
> en rule and shift-compose-hyphen gets you the dash (em rule). If you
> want to do this I will help you (but only if you use GNU/Linux!).

Thanks for the offer, but for now, will use 'charmap' and after much
repetition remember to use the unicode value! :)

This does seem to be a weakness with the dialogue window 'insert
special character'. It does not show a definition of each character
that may be selected from the particular character set. For example in
'charmap' the character 'small ligature ae' (æ) is described in the
dialogue window with the unicode value, yet in LO, only the unicode
value is shown.

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