Box-drawing characters

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Box-drawing characters,also known asline-drawing characters,are a form ofsemigraphicswidely used intext user interfacesto draw various geometric frames and boxes. These characters are characterized by being designed to be connected horizontally and/or vertically with adjacent characters, which requires proper alignment. Box-drawing characters therefore typically only work well withmonospaced fonts.

Midnight Commanderusing box-drawing characters in aterminal emulator

Ingraphical user interfaces,these characters are much less useful as it is more simple and appropriate to draw lines and rectangles directly with graphicalAPIs.However, they are still useful forcommand-line interfacesand plaintextcommentswithinsource code.

Some recent embedded systems also use proprietary character sets, usually extensions toISO 8859character sets, which include box-drawing characters or other special symbols.

Other types of box-drawing characters areblock elements,shade characters, and terminal graphic characters; these can be used for filling regions of the screen and portrayingdrop shadows.

Unicode

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Box Drawing

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Unicodeincludes 128 such characters in theBox Drawingblock.[1]In many Unicode fonts, only the subset that is also available in theIBM PCcharacter set (see below) will exist, due to it being defined as part of theWGL4character set.

Box Drawing[1]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart(PDF)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
U+250x
U+251x
U+252x
U+253x
U+254x
U+255x
U+256x
U+257x
Notes
1.^As of Unicode version 16.0

The image below is provided as a quick reference for these symbols on systems that are unable to display them directly:

Block Elements

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TheBlock ElementsUnicode block includes shading characters. 32 characters are included in the block.

Block Elements[1]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart(PDF)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
U+258x
U+259x
Notes
1.^As of Unicode version 16.0

Symbols for Legacy Computing

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In version 13.0, Unicode was extended with another block containing many graphics characters,Symbols for Legacy Computing,which includes a few box-drawing characters and other symbols used by obsolete operating systems (mostly from the 1980s). Few fonts support these characters (one isNoto Sans Symbols 2), but the table of symbols is provided here:

Symbols for Legacy Computing[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart(PDF)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
U+1FB0x 🬀 🬁 🬂 🬃 🬄 🬅 🬆 🬇 🬈 🬉 🬊 🬋 🬌 🬍 🬎 🬏
U+1FB1x 🬐 🬑 🬒 🬓 🬔 🬕 🬖 🬗 🬘 🬙 🬚 🬛 🬜 🬝 🬞 🬟
U+1FB2x 🬠 🬡 🬢 🬣 🬤 🬥 🬦 🬧 🬨 🬩 🬪 🬫 🬬 🬭 🬮 🬯
U+1FB3x 🬰 🬱 🬲 🬳 🬴 🬵 🬶 🬷 🬸 🬹 🬺 🬻 🬼 🬽 🬾 🬿
U+1FB4x 🭀 🭁 🭂 🭃 🭄 🭅 🭆 🭇 🭈 🭉 🭊 🭋 🭌 🭍 🭎 🭏
U+1FB5x 🭐 🭑 🭒 🭓 🭔 🭕 🭖 🭗 🭘 🭙 🭚 🭛 🭜 🭝 🭞 🭟
U+1FB6x 🭠 🭡 🭢 🭣 🭤 🭥 🭦 🭧 🭨 🭩 🭪 🭫 🭬 🭭 🭮 🭯
U+1FB7x 🭰 🭱 🭲 🭳 🭴 🭵 🭶 🭷 🭸 🭹 🭺 🭻 🭼 🭽 🭾 🭿
U+1FB8x 🮀 🮁 🮂 🮃 🮄 🮅 🮆 🮇 🮈 🮉 🮊 🮋 🮌 🮍 🮎 🮏
U+1FB9x 🮐 🮑 🮒 🮔 🮕 🮖 🮗 🮘 🮙 🮚 🮛 🮜 🮝 🮞 🮟
U+1FBAx 🮠 🮡 🮢 🮣 🮤 🮥 🮦 🮧 🮨 🮩 🮪 🮫 🮬 🮭 🮮 🮯
U+1FBBx 🮰 🮱 🮲 🮳 🮴 🮵 🮶 🮷 🮸 🮹 🮺 🮻 🮼 🮽 🮾 🮿
U+1FBCx 🯀 🯁 🯂 🯃 🯄 🯅 🯆 🯇 🯈 🯉 🯊 🯋 🯌 🯍 🯎 🯏
U+1FBDx 🯐 🯑 🯒 🯓 🯔 🯕 🯖 🯗 🯘 🯙 🯚 🯛 🯜 🯝 🯞 🯟
U+1FBEx 🯠 🯡 🯢 🯣 🯤 🯥 🯦 🯧 🯨 🯩 🯪 🯫 🯬 🯭 🯮 🯯
U+1FBFx 🯰 🯱 🯲 🯳 🯴 🯵 🯶 🯷 🯸 🯹
Notes
1.^As of Unicode version 16.0
2.^Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

The image below is provided as a quick reference for these symbols on systems that are unable to display them directly:

Symbols for Legacy Computing Supplement

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In version 16.0 (September 2024), Unicode was extended with another block containing many graphics characters,Symbols for Legacy Computing Supplement,which includes a few box-drawing characters and other symbols used by obsolete operating systems (mostly from the 1970s and 1980s).

Symbols for Legacy Computing Supplement[1][2]
Official Unicode Consortium code chart(PDF)
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
U+1CC0x 𜰀 𜰁 𜰂 𜰃 𜰄 𜰅 𜰆 𜰇 𜰈 𜰉 𜰊 𜰋 𜰌 𜰍 𜰎 𜰏
U+1CC1x 𜰐 𜰑 𜰒 𜰓 𜰔 𜰕 𜰖 𜰗 𜰘 𜰙 𜰚 𜰛 𜰜 𜰝 𜰞 𜰟
U+1CC2x 𜰠 𜰡 𜰢 𜰣 𜰤 𜰥 𜰦 𜰧 𜰨 𜰩 𜰪 𜰫 𜰬 𜰭 𜰮 𜰯
U+1CC3x 𜰰 𜰱 𜰲 𜰳 𜰴 𜰵 𜰶 𜰷 𜰸 𜰹 𜰺 𜰻 𜰼 𜰽 𜰾 𜰿
U+1CC4x 𜱀 𜱁 𜱂 𜱃 𜱄 𜱅 𜱆 𜱇 𜱈 𜱉 𜱊 𜱋 𜱌 𜱍 𜱎 𜱏
U+1CC5x 𜱐 𜱑 𜱒 𜱓 𜱔 𜱕 𜱖 𜱗 𜱘 𜱙 𜱚 𜱛 𜱜 𜱝 𜱞 𜱟
U+1CC6x 𜱠 𜱡 𜱢 𜱣 𜱤 𜱥 𜱦 𜱧 𜱨 𜱩 𜱪 𜱫 𜱬 𜱭 𜱮 𜱯
U+1CC7x 𜱰 𜱱 𜱲 𜱳 𜱴 𜱵 𜱶 𜱷 𜱸 𜱹 𜱺 𜱻 𜱼 𜱽 𜱾 𜱿
U+1CC8x 𜲀 𜲁 𜲂 𜲃 𜲄 𜲅 𜲆 𜲇 𜲈 𜲉 𜲊 𜲋 𜲌 𜲍 𜲎 𜲏
U+1CC9x 𜲐 𜲑 𜲒 𜲓 𜲔 𜲕 𜲖 𜲗 𜲘 𜲙 𜲚 𜲛 𜲜 𜲝 𜲞 𜲟
U+1CCAx 𜲠 𜲡 𜲢 𜲣 𜲤 𜲥 𜲦 𜲧 𜲨 𜲩 𜲪 𜲫 𜲬 𜲭 𜲮 𜲯
U+1CCBx 𜲰 𜲱 𜲲 𜲳 𜲴 𜲵 𜲶 𜲷 𜲸 𜲹 𜲺 𜲻 𜲼 𜲽 𜲾 𜲿
U+1CCCx 𜳀 𜳁 𜳂 𜳃 𜳄 𜳅 𜳆 𜳇 𜳈 𜳉 𜳊 𜳋 𜳌 𜳍 𜳎 𜳏
U+1CCDx 𜳐 𜳑 𜳒 𜳓 𜳔 𜳕 𜳖 𜳗 𜳘 𜳙 𜳚 𜳛 𜳜 𜳝 𜳞 𜳟
U+1CCEx 𜳠 𜳡 𜳢 𜳣 𜳤 𜳥 𜳦 𜳧 𜳨 𜳩 𜳪 𜳫 𜳬 𜳭 𜳮 𜳯
U+1CCFx 𜳰 𜳱 𜳲 𜳳 𜳴 𜳵 𜳶 𜳷 𜳸 𜳹
U+1CD0x 𜴀 𜴁 𜴂 𜴃 𜴄 𜴅 𜴆 𜴇 𜴈 𜴉 𜴊 𜴋 𜴌 𜴍 𜴎 𜴏
U+1CD1x 𜴐 𜴑 𜴒 𜴓 𜴔 𜴕 𜴖 𜴗 𜴘 𜴙 𜴚 𜴛 𜴜 𜴝 𜴞 𜴟
U+1CD2x 𜴠 𜴡 𜴢 𜴣 𜴤 𜴥 𜴦 𜴧 𜴨 𜴩 𜴪 𜴫 𜴬 𜴭 𜴮 𜴯
U+1CD3x 𜴰 𜴱 𜴲 𜴳 𜴴 𜴵 𜴶 𜴷 𜴸 𜴹 𜴺 𜴻 𜴼 𜴽 𜴾 𜴿
U+1CD4x 𜵀 𜵁 𜵂 𜵃 𜵄 𜵅 𜵆 𜵇 𜵈 𜵉 𜵊 𜵋 𜵌 𜵍 𜵎 𜵏
U+1CD5x 𜵐 𜵑 𜵒 𜵓 𜵔 𜵕 𜵖 𜵗 𜵘 𜵙 𜵚 𜵛 𜵜 𜵝 𜵞 𜵟
U+1CD6x 𜵠 𜵡 𜵢 𜵣 𜵤 𜵥 𜵦 𜵧 𜵨 𜵩 𜵪 𜵫 𜵬 𜵭 𜵮 𜵯
U+1CD7x 𜵰 𜵱 𜵲 𜵳 𜵴 𜵵 𜵶 𜵷 𜵸 𜵹 𜵺 𜵻 𜵼 𜵽 𜵾 𜵿
U+1CD8x 𜶀 𜶁 𜶂 𜶃 𜶄 𜶅 𜶆 𜶇 𜶈 𜶉 𜶊 𜶋 𜶌 𜶍 𜶎 𜶏
U+1CD9x 𜶐 𜶑 𜶒 𜶓 𜶔 𜶕 𜶖 𜶗 𜶘 𜶙 𜶚 𜶛 𜶜 𜶝 𜶞 𜶟
U+1CDAx 𜶠 𜶡 𜶢 𜶣 𜶤 𜶥 𜶦 𜶧 𜶨 𜶩 𜶪 𜶫 𜶬 𜶭 𜶮 𜶯
U+1CDBx 𜶰 𜶱 𜶲 𜶳 𜶴 𜶵 𜶶 𜶷 𜶸 𜶹 𜶺 𜶻 𜶼 𜶽 𜶾 𜶿
U+1CDCx 𜷀 𜷁 𜷂 𜷃 𜷄 𜷅 𜷆 𜷇 𜷈 𜷉 𜷊 𜷋 𜷌 𜷍 𜷎 𜷏
U+1CDDx 𜷐 𜷑 𜷒 𜷓 𜷔 𜷕 𜷖 𜷗 𜷘 𜷙 𜷚 𜷛 𜷜 𜷝 𜷞 𜷟
U+1CDEx 𜷠 𜷡 𜷢 𜷣 𜷤 𜷥 𜷦 𜷧 𜷨 𜷩 𜷪 𜷫 𜷬 𜷭 𜷮 𜷯
U+1CDFx 𜷰 𜷱 𜷲 𜷳 𜷴 𜷵 𜷶 𜷷 𜷸 𜷹 𜷺 𜷻 𜷼 𜷽 𜷾 𜷿
U+1CE0x 𜸀 𜸁 𜸂 𜸃 𜸄 𜸅 𜸆 𜸇 𜸈 𜸉 𜸊 𜸋 𜸌 𜸍 𜸎 𜸏
U+1CE1x 𜸐 𜸑 𜸒 𜸓 𜸔 𜸕 𜸖 𜸗 𜸘 𜸙 𜸚 𜸛 𜸜 𜸝 𜸞 𜸟
U+1CE2x 𜸠 𜸡 𜸢 𜸣 𜸤 𜸥 𜸦 𜸧 𜸨 𜸩 𜸪 𜸫 𜸬 𜸭 𜸮 𜸯
U+1CE3x 𜸰 𜸱 𜸲 𜸳 𜸴 𜸵 𜸶 𜸷 𜸸 𜸹 𜸺 𜸻 𜸼 𜸽 𜸾 𜸿
U+1CE4x 𜹀 𜹁 𜹂 𜹃 𜹄 𜹅 𜹆 𜹇 𜹈 𜹉 𜹊 𜹋 𜹌 𜹍 𜹎 𜹏
U+1CE5x 𜹐 𜹑 𜹒 𜹓 𜹔 𜹕 𜹖 𜹗 𜹘 𜹙 𜹚 𜹛 𜹜 𜹝 𜹞 𜹟
U+1CE6x 𜹠 𜹡 𜹢 𜹣 𜹤 𜹥 𜹦 𜹧 𜹨 𜹩 𜹪 𜹫 𜹬 𜹭 𜹮 𜹯
U+1CE7x 𜹰 𜹱 𜹲 𜹳 𜹴 𜹵 𜹶 𜹷 𜹸 𜹹 𜹺 𜹻 𜹼 𜹽 𜹾 𜹿
U+1CE8x 𜺀 𜺁 𜺂 𜺃 𜺄 𜺅 𜺆 𜺇 𜺈 𜺉 𜺊 𜺋 𜺌 𜺍 𜺎 𜺏
U+1CE9x 𜺐 𜺑 𜺒 𜺓 𜺔 𜺕 𜺖 𜺗 𜺘 𜺙 𜺚 𜺛 𜺜 𜺝 𜺞 𜺟
U+1CEAx 𜺠 𜺡 𜺢 𜺣 𜺤 𜺥 𜺦 𜺧 𜺨 𜺩 𜺪 𜺫 𜺬 𜺭 𜺮 𜺯
U+1CEBx 𜺰 𜺱 𜺲 𜺳
Notes
1.^As of Unicode version 16.0
2.^Grey areas indicate non-assigned code points

Platform-specific

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Various different platforms defined their own unique set of box-drawing characters.

Thehardware code pageof the original IBM PC supplied the following box-drawing characters, in whatDOSnow callscode page 437.This subset of the Unicode box-drawing characters is thus included inWGL4and is far more popular and likely to be rendered correctly:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
B
C
D

The integral halves are also box drawing as they are used alongside 0xB3:

4 5
F

Their number is further limited to 28 on those code pages that replace the 18 characters that combine single and double lines, the left and right half blocks, as well as integral halves with other, usually alphabetic, characters (such ascode page 850):

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
B
C
D

Note: The non-double characters are the thin (light) characters (U+2500, U+2502), not the bold (heavy) characters (U+2501, U+2503).

Some OEM DOS computers supported other character sets, for example theHewlett-PackardHP 110/HP PortableandHP 110 Plus/HP Portable Plus,where in amodified versionof the character set box-drawing characters were added in reserved areas of their normalHP Roman-8character set.[2][3]

[2][3] 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
8
9

Unix, CP/M, BBS

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On manyUnixsystems and early dial-upbulletin board systemsthe only common standard for box-drawing characters was theVT100alternate character set (see also:DEC Special Graphics). Theescape sequenceEsc ( 0switched the codes for lower-case ASCII letters to draw this set, and the sequenceEsc ( Bswitched back:

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
6
7

On some terminals, these characters are not available at all, and the complexity of the escape sequences discouraged their use, so often onlyASCIIcharacters that approximate box-drawing characters are used, such as - (hyphen-minus), | (vertical bar), _(underscore), =(equal sign) and + (plus sign) in a kind ofASCII artfashion.

Modern Unixterminal emulatorsuse Unicode and thus have access to the line-drawing characters listed above.

Teletext

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TheWorld System Teletext(WST) uses pixel-drawing characters for some graphics. A character cell is divided in 2×3 regions, and 26= 64 code positions are allocated for all possible combinations of pixels.[4]These characters were added to the Unicode standard in Version 13.[5]

Historical

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Manymicrocomputersof the 1970s and 1980s had their own proprietary character sets, which also included box-drawing characters. Many of these were added to Unicode asSymbols for Legacy Computing.

Commodore

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Commodore machines, such as theCommodore PETand theCommodore 64,included a set of text semigraphics with block elements and dithering patterns in the PETSCII character set.

PET 2001keyboard layout, illustrating PETSCII graphics characters

Sinclair

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ZX81 semigraphics

TheSinclair ZX80,ZX81,andZX Spectrumincluded a set of text semigraphics with quadrant-based block elements. The ZX80 and ZX81 also included a set of text semigraphics with dithering patterns.

BBC and Acorn

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TheBBC Microcould utilize theTeletext7-bit character set, which had 128 box-drawing characters, whose code points were shared with the regular alphanumeric and punctuation characters.Control characterswere used to switch between regular text and box drawing.[6]

Teletext G1 Block Mosaics Set[7]
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
2
3
6
7

TheBBC Masterand laterAcorncomputers have the soft font by default defined with line drawing characters.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
A
B

Amstrad

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TheAmstrad CPC character setalso has soft characters defined by default as block and line drawing characters.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
8
9

TheCP/M Plus character setused on variousAmstradcomputers of theCPC,PCWandSpectrumfamilies included a rich set of line-drawing characters as well:[8][9][10]

[8] 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
8
9

Apple

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MouseTextis a set of display characters for theApple IIc,IIe,andIIGSthat includes box-drawing characters.

Encoding

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On many platforms, the character shape is determined programmatically from the character code.

  • ZX Spectrum block characters:
    0x80 + topright*1 + topleft*2 + bottomright*4 + bottomleft*8
  • Amstrad CPC block characters:
    0x80 + topleft*1 + topright*2 + bottomleft*4 + bottomright*8
  • Amstrad CPC line characters:
    0x90 + up*1 + right*2 + down*4 + left*8
  • BBC Master line characters:
    0xA0 + down*1 + right*2 + left*4 + up*8
  • Teletext block characters:
    0xA0 + topleft*1 + topright*2 + middleleft*4 + middleright*8 + bottomleft*16 + bottomright*64

However, DOS line- and box-drawing characters are not ordered in any programmatic manner, so calculating a particular character shape needs to use a look-up table.

Examples

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Sample diagrams made out of the standard box-drawing characters, using a monospaced font:

┌─┬┐ ╔═╦╗ ╓─╥╖ ╒═╤╕
│ ││ ║ ║║ ║ ║║ │ ││
├─┼┤ ╠═╬╣ ╟─╫╢ ╞═╪╡
└─┴┘ ╚═╩╝ ╙─╨╜ ╘═╧╛
┌───────────────────┐
│ ╔═══╗ Some Text │▒
│ ╚═╦═╝ in the box │▒
╞═╤══╩══╤═══════════╡▒
│ ├──┬──┤ │▒
│ └──┴──┘ │▒
└───────────────────┘▒
▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒▒

See also

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References

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  1. ^Box Drawing U+2500-U+257F,The Unicode Standard Code Charts
  2. ^abHewlett-Packard - Technical Reference Manual - Portable PLUS(1 ed.). Corvallis, OR, USA:Hewlett-Packard Company,Portable Computer Division. August 1985. 45559-90001.Retrieved2016-11-27.
  3. ^abHewlett-Packard - Technical Reference Manual - Portable PLUS(PDF)(2 ed.). Portable Computer Division, Corvallis, OR, USA:Hewlett-Packard Company.December 1986 [August 1985]. 45559-90006.Archived(PDF)from the original on 2016-11-28.Retrieved2016-11-27.
  4. ^Wiels."TeleText - Het Protocol"(in Dutch). Mosaic characters.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-12-22.Retrieved2017-12-21.
  5. ^"Symbols for Legacy Computing"(PDF).Unicode Consortium.Retrieved2020-04-19.
  6. ^Broadcast Teletext Specification, September 1976 (asHTMLorscans of original document)
  7. ^Enhanced Teletext specification(PDF),European Telecommunications Standards Institute, May 1997, p. 126
  8. ^ab"Appendix II: CP/M Plus character sets / II.1 The complete character set (Language 0)".Spectrum +3 CP/M Plus manual(User Manual).Archivedfrom the original on 2009-10-15.Retrieved2017-07-10.[1]
  9. ^Elliott, John C. (2015-04-04)."Amstrad Extended BIOS Internals".Seasip.info.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-07-15.Retrieved2017-07-15.
  10. ^"Amstrad CP/M Plus character set".Archivedfrom the original on 2017-07-15.Retrieved2017-07-15.