A very brief bit of investigation on the last usage of Unicode HEX values:

The Method: Type the Unicode HEX value (4 digits) and immediately hit Alt-X.

This method is apparently available only in OfficeXP and Word2002 or later(?). I've been looking for it for about 3 years now and finally found it by accident in my Word2002, OfficeXP Professional (Small Business) version. (Gives an idea of how useful Mickey's Help files are?)

1. The Help file in my OfficeXP Word doesn't give any indication of which versions are required for this to work. Lots of stuff is obviously "lifted" from Word2000 Help, but this one does not work in the Word2000 that I have accessible (from Office 2000 Pro on Win2K).

2. The "character" can be "read" using my little "ASNI_Value" macro, which displays the ANSI (decimal) code for any highlighted character in the ISO nuber range. Significance is that what is inserted is a "real character" and not a phony glyph like you get using the Insert-Symbol method that Word tries to get you to use.

3. The rather marvelous thing is that the character can be "unconverted" back to the Unicode HEX value just by hitting Alt-X again.

The significance of #3 is that any Word program that has the "Insert using Unicode Hex Value" capability has a built-in "Unicode Hex Value Reader." If you place your cursor immediately to the right of ANY CHARACTER in a Word document with the feature, and hit Alt-X, you'll see the Unicode HEX value for that character.

The "zinger" is that you apparently have to have a space before the Hex number and a space after the cursor to be able to hit Alt-X and put the character glyph back if you've converted a char that's in a line of text. If you hit Alt-X again without the spaces, you get the Unicode HEX value of the last digit of the Unicode HEX value of the character.

On a New Topic: VISUAL KEYBOARD

I mentioned above that you can "change languages" in Office programs, but the new language assumes you have the keyboard that goes with that language. Lots of characters may be "in the wrong places" when you try to type in another language.

Microsoft Office Updates,, at least for Office 2000, Office XP, and Office 2003, now has a "Visual Keyboard" utility that (they say) will display on screen the standard keyboard for whichever language you select. You can "type" by clicking "keys" on screen, or use the on-screen display to see which keys to use on your "real" keyboard. I haven't given it a test drive yet, so can't really offer much of an evaluation.

If you select "OfficeXP," then on the new page select "Add Ins", it should be the last item on the second page, "Office XP/2000 Add-in: Microsoft Visual Keyboard."

(Some might also be interested in the "Office XP Add-in: Irish Proofing Tools" on the first page for OfficeXP:
"The Office Irish Proofing Tools add-in allows you to check the spelling of Irish words and phrases." I didn't look to see which other versions can use it.)

I didn't see the Visual Keyboard in Add Ins for Office 97/98. There may be other stuff there that someone might want, so it's worth browsing.

While you're at Office Updates, you should click on the "Check for Updates" and let them tell you if there are Security Updates your Office programs should have. There's also a link at the left where you can click to let them take a peek and tell you what updates you already have installed.

John