UnicodeSample Microsoft Access Guru

Unicode Character Map

Unicode character lookup tool that opens in Microsoft Access and works similar to CharMap in Windows — but better. See a bunch of characters at a time (100 in this case), scroll up and down pages, start anywhere you want, and get information about any selected character.

Customize Format Codes

Access can store Unicode in field values, and also in Format codes. For instance, use a textbox to display a Yes/No field value and use something like this for the format code:
☑;☑;☐

Copy whatever symbols you see in the Unicode CharMap that you want to show for True or False in the Format code. Access can store it — get creative ... Stop/Go, hands, circles ... possibilities only limited by your imagination.

On forms, you can set color and font size too.

ChrW in VBA

In VBA, specify a Unicode character by passing a decimal Unicode value to the ChrW function.

Unicode CharMap

Unicode CharMap in Access

Download

Download Access database application with form to display unicode characters that you can copy and look up.

Download Unicode_CharMap_s4p_ACCDB.zip
(120 kb, unzips to 800 kb ACCDB Access database)  

This Tool may only be used freely -- you may modify it, but not sell it, or use its ideas to make or change a commercial product. Please share your modifications back to the community. Thanks!

Character Grid

The grid shows 100 Unicode characters in 10 rows and 10 columns.

Display Box

Unicode Display Box

The display box in the upper left shows the selected Unicode character on the grid. In this case, the character is an umbrella. Its decimal code is 9730 and its hex code is 2602.

Enter Decimal, Hex The first character displayed can be specifically set by entering a code or pasting a character.

The decimal value is important for Access since you can pass that to the ChrW function.

Decimal or Hex

When you enter a decimal code into the Start textbox ( that currently says 9730. Alternately, click or scrolled to using the beginning with the Start value at the top. You may enter this value in Decimal or Hex

... or ...

Paste what you want to look up into the display box

Click on any character to put it into the display box in the upper left, where you can copy it, and look up its Decimal and Hex code.

TAB

Press TAB after you enter information.

Blocks

Choose a block to start with such as Arrows, Dingbats, Geometric Shapes, Block Elements, Musical Symbols, Currency Symbols, Greek, Cyrillic, ...

Developers will be interested in the blocks table.

Filter

Filter the list of block names for whatever you type to make it easier to look them up.

Scroll the display ▲ ▼

Display previous or next 100 Unicode characters. Click the filled triangles on the right to scroll the display one screen ▲ (Up) or ▼ (Down).

Copy and Paste

Copy any Unicode character from the display box in the upper left. Paste wherever you want ♥ ♁ ☮

Backstory

Unicode is a cool way to get lots that you don't see on the keyboard into your data and format codes

Access stores Unicode even though VBA can't show it right.

    Format Code for numbers – delimit parts with semi-colon ;
  1. The first part is the display for positive numbers (1=True in SQL Server back-ends)
  2. then display for negative numbers (-1=True in Access back-ends)
  3. then display for 0 (0=False everywhere)
  4. then display for Null

Resources

Free Book on Access: Access Basics

Free Video Tutorials: Video Tutorials

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