Compose(5) | File Formats Manual | Compose(5) |
Compose - X client mappings for multi-key input sequences
The X library, libX11, provides a simple input method for characters beyond those represented on typical keyboards using sequences of key strokes that are combined to enter a single character.
The compose file is searched for in the following order:
Compose files can use an "include" instruction. This allows local modifications to be made to existing compose files without including all of the content directly. For example, the system's iso8859-1 compose file can be included with a line like this:
There are several substitutions that can be made in the file name of the include instruction:
For example, you can include in your compose file the default Compose file by using:
Compose files are plain text files, with a separate line for each compose sequence. Comments begin with # characters. Each compose sequence specifies one or more events and a resulting input sequence, with an optional comment at the end of the line:
Each event consists of a specified input keysym, and optional modifier states:
If the modifier list is preceded by "!" it must match exactly. MODIFIER may be one of Ctrl, Lock, Caps, Shift, Alt or Meta. Each modifier may be preceded by a "~" character to indicate that the modifier must not be present. If "None" is specified, no modifier may be present.
The result specifies a string, keysym, or both, that the X client receives as input when the sequence of events is input:
Keysyms are specified without the XK_ prefix.
Strings may be direct text encoded in the locale for which the compose file is to be used, or an escaped octal or hexadecimal character code. Octal codes are specified as "\123" and hexadecimal codes as "\x3a". It is not necessary to specify in the right part of a rule a locale encoded string in addition to the keysym name. If the string is omitted, Xlib figures it out from the keysym according to the current locale. I.e., if a rule looks like:
XLookupString(3), XmbLookupString(3),
XwcLookupString(3), Xutf8LookupString(3),
mkcomposecache(1), locale(7).
Xlib - C Language X Interface
libX11 1.8.4 | X Version 11 |