char(2713) and fprintf('\x2713\n') don't show a checkmark in the command window

According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_mark, the unicode for a checkmark is 2713. However, `char(2713)` doesn't show a checkmark in the command window. It shows a question mark with a box around it. If I copy and paste it into Vim or Word, it shows up as a capital `S` with a smudge in the upper circle.

I also tried `fprintf('\x2713\n')`, which also printed a question mark inside a box.

Is there anyway to get a checkmark? (I am using Matlab 2019a)

I eventually want the checkmark to show when I copy and paste it into Vim or Word. Funnily enough I can enter unicode 2713 into Vim and get a checkmark. In Insert mode, press ctrl+V followed by `u2713` without quotes.

P.S. I got the above ideas from https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/10874-show-symbol-in-command-window

P.P.S. I can't even copy and paste the checkmark from Vim to the MATLAB command window. It shows up as a question mark within a box. Same if I try to paste it within single quotes to create a char array.

Answer 1

[Stephen23]

"According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Check_mark, the unicode for a checkmark is 2713."

Sure, lets try it using both FPRINTF and CHAR:

fprintf('\x2713\n%s\n',char(10003))

✓
✓

"However, `char(2713)` doesn't show a checkmark in the command window."

Nor should it. Hexadecimal x2713 converts to decimal 10003, which is the correct value to use with CHAR.

The incorrect decimal value that you tried converts to... hexadecimal xA99, aka U+0A99, which is the Gujarati Letter Nga, and looks like this:

ઙ

https://unicode-table.com/en/0A99/

So far everything seems to be working exactly as expected.

However you are very unlikely to get any meaningful characters if you keep mixing up decimal and hexadecimal.

[Stephen23]

Even if you use the right code value, your OS + MATLAB might not be able to render that character.

It worked when I tried it on Win10 + R2013b, proving that it works for earlier releases than yours:

[FM]

Thanks for clearing up my confusion about the numerical base.

I used exactly your command, and got two boxes with a question mark in each.

It seems odd that more recent versions of Matlab would be interoperable with the OS. The OS is Windows 10, which I suspect is the most prevalent OS.

I'd like to wait a bit before accepting this answer, in case there is another explanation.

[Stephen23]

@FM: typeface/font support is a special kind of magic which apparently depends significantly on the OS. My experience with MATLAB is that more recent versions are much better with Unicode support, perhaps these blogs give some hints about which versions:

https://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/2014/10/03/matlab-r2014b-graphics-part-1-features-of-the-new-graphics-system/?s_tid=srchtitle_unicode_3#a41686a9-00d4-411a-9bde-8a8ab14875ba

https://blogs.mathworks.com/steve/2017/06/06/chessboards-implicit-expansion-repelem-and-unicode-chess-queens/

[FM]

Thanks again, Stephen. The linked pages show the display of special characters in GUI panels rather than in the command window. While I'm not entirely certain, I suspect that the capabilities of the two may not be entirely identical.

[Rik]

In my experience, rich text is much more limited in the command window for most Matlab releases. GUI elements have a much better chance of loading the correct glyph.

This is especially apparent with emoji.

[FM]

Understood. I'm hoping that there is a solution for the command window, but am preparing for the likelihood that there is not.

[Rik]

You could try setting a different font for the command window. I doubt that would work, but it might. The unicode version supported in the command window is not documented as far as I could find.

[FM]

I appreciate the suggestion, but will chose to work around the inability to display checkmarks. It is more important that I be able to view the command window in a way that I find to be most helpful for focusing. Eventually, I'm going to copy and paste the text elsewhere anyway, so if my solution is so fragile as to require a certain font, it's a nonstarter. I chose to use the plain alphabetic letter "Y" instead of a checkmark. Thanks!

Answer 2

[KSSV]

How about using sprintf.

 s = sprintf('\x2713')

s = '✓'

[FM]

Thanks, KSSV. I upvoted, but I think the correct answer is that it works for some characters, depending on the font and interoperability with the operating system.

[Rik]

This might have to do with the font settings, but even on the same OS you might get different results: on R2007b I get a placeholder box when I run this code, but on R2017b (same OS) I do get the checkmark.

[FM]

I wouldn't want to change fonts, so I consider the wish for a checkmark in the command window to be not a good idea. Thanks.