[Help] Anybody have a list of special INF chars

ricktendo64 · Post by **ricktendo64** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 11:37 am

OK let me explain, looking thru some INF files I noticed that they use some special symbols to represent certain letters for some languages.
Here is an example:

Configuraci¢n is the same as Configuración

I really could use a list of these special characters because I am making some INF files that need them (Spanish XP)

BTW i c they also work for CMD and BAT files so if youve seen them before or know about them could you be so kind as to post more?

RogueSpear · Post by **RogueSpear** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 12:42 pm

I'm not sure if this would carry over to .inf or not but under WSH and VS languages you can use Chr(x) to represent special characters.

ex: Chr(34) would represent a " double quote.

elrico · Post by **elrico** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:01 pm

I don't know if this can help you but i've two way to make file in OEM code page :

1) i make my file like usual and use a dos commande :
type myfile.txt > myfile.inf

2) i use ultraedit (not free) and in "display menu" i chek "OEM Character Sets" (i translate from french don't know if it's exactly like this in english) : with this way i wrote my inf normally and when i save my file Character are in the good format. I can translate code page to ANSI -> OEM or OEM -> ANSI in menu "file->convert" too. (very great software)

Don't find function like this in notepad++ or notepad 2

ricktendo64 · Post by **ricktendo64** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:15 pm

elrico You DID IT!

UE is the tool for the job thanks

OuTman · Post by **OuTman** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:34 pm

I use the same tip with Notepad++ (useful when creating batch files with accentuated characters)

you must have "ConvertExt" plugin (direct download link)

create a new document, switch to "DOS (OEM)" mode (shortcut: CTRL+ALT+D), type your characters (like "ó"), then switch back to "WIN" mode (CTRL+ALT+W)... now you have "¢" et cetera

CAUTION: if saving a file which use OEM characters (like a batch file), be sure to ALWAYS remember to be in "WIN" mode before saving, or all accentuated characters will be corrupt! (OEM chars saved as WIN... a flaw of the software)

code65536 · Post by **code65536** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 9:44 pm

Instead of mucking around with 1980's-era ANSI/OEM code pages, it's much better to just use Unicode (UTF-16LE has always been the native internal string format for all versions of Windows NT, ever since NT3.1). It'll make your life much easier; it's like WYSIWYG for character encodings. There is no reason anybody should be using code pages to encode international characters in this day and age.

In Windows Notepad, simply select "Unicode" (not Big-Endian) in the Encoding drop-down when you save.

ricktendo64 · Post by **ricktendo64** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 10:29 pm

Code I not only needed it or wanted to try it in INF but I also needed it for a .NET Framework AIO batch installer that deleted the Administrative Tools shortcuts

Finally it deletes