Emacs: describe-char, Find a Char's Unicode Name, Codepoint, Encoding, Property, Font, Cursor Position

By Xah Lee. Date: . Last updated: .

Place cursor on the character then Alt + x describe-char.

Alt + x describe-char
Show info about cursor position and info on the character to the right of cursor (or under, if cursor shape is square.).

Position is between characters. The left of first character in buffer has position 1.

The info of the character after cursor, includes:

  • Unicode Codepoint (decimal, octal, hexadecimal)
  • Unicode Name
  • Unicode encoding used for the character
  • Font used
  • Emacs syntax class of the character. [see Emacs Lisp: Syntax Table]

Show Cursor Position

emacs cursor position 2022-10-07 9FyNM
describe-char, showing cursor position. 2022-10-07

Find Unicode Character Codepoint, Character Name

emacs unicode codepoint 2022-10-07
describe-char, showing info about the right arrow → character. 2022-10-07

Get Codepoint of ASCII Control Character

emacs describe-char CR 2021-12-09
describe-char, showing ASCII control character CR.

Find Font Used for the Character Under Cursor

emacs describe-char 2021-09-25 TyYb
describe-char, showing current font used of a character.

Find Syntax Class of a Character

emacs describe char syntax class 2022-10-07
describe-char output, showing syntax table class. 2022-10-07

Check Character's Unicode Property

For example, check if a character is a unicode letter.

Place cursor on (or before) the char, then Alt + x describe-char , then read the line “general-category”. [see Emacs: Unicode Tutorial]

emacs describe-char 2022-02-19
emacs describe-char 2022-02-19

Jump to a Cursor Position

Alt + x goto-char
Move cursor to a given position.

Emacs Cursor Position, Line Number, Column Number

Emacs and Unicode

File Encoding


Emacs Tutorial

Quick Start

Font

Split Window

File

Buffer

Copy/Paste

Find Replace

Unicode

Whitespace

Rectangle Edit

Line Wrap

Shell

View Special File

Editing Brackets

Org Mode

HTML

Emacs Efficiency

Misc