====== Management of Special Characters (Symbols) ======

===== Overview =====

Whether you're working on academic texts, multilingual documents, or technical publications, this guide shows you how to:

  * Insert special symbols not found on your keyboard
  * Use built-in shortcuts
  * Access a wide range of Unicode characters through fonts and subsets
  * Ensure correct display and encoding

----

==== What Are Special Characters? ====

Special characters include:

| Category | **Examples** |
| Mathematical symbols | ≠, ±, ∑ |
| Punctuation marks | — (em dash), – (en dash), • (bullet) |
| Accented letters | à, ç, ñ, ü |
| Copyright & trademarks | ©, ®, ™ |
| Currency symbols | €, ¥, £ |

These may not be directly accessible on your keyboard — but they're fully supported in Criterion.

----

==== How to Insert a Special Character ====

{{ :criterion:insert_symbol.png?nolink&600 |}}

You can insert special characters using one of three methods:

----

==== Method 1: Use the "Add Symbol" Dialog (Recommended) ====

  1. Place your cursor where you want the symbol to appear
  2. Go to the menu: Insert → Add Symbol
  3. The "Add Symbol" dialog opens with two tabs: Tab A: Symbols, Tab B: Special Characters

**Tab A: Symbols**

Use this tab to browse thousands of Unicode characters by font and script:

  * **Font Selection**: Choose a font (e.g., Arial, Times New Roman, Cambria)
  * **Subset Filter**: Narrow down the list by script or category:
    * Latin Extended, Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic
    * Mathematical Operators, Dingbats, and more...

Click on any symbol → Preview appears → Click **Insert** to add it to your document.

**Tab B: Special Characters**

Quickly access commonly used special characters:

| **Character** | **Description** |
| © | Copyright |
| ® | Registered Trademark |
| ™ | Trademark |
| – | En Dash |
| — | Em Dash |
| § | Section Sign |

Simply click on the character you need → Then click **Insert**.

^ {{:note.png?20}} | **Note**: The selected symbol is inserted exactly at the cursor position. All characters are stored and rendered using standard Unicode encoding, so they remain accurate across devices and exports. |

----

==== Method 2: Keyboard Shortcuts (Fast Access) ====

For frequently used symbols, use these keyboard shortcuts:

| **Operating System** | **Shortcut** | **Description** |
| Windows / Linux | Ctrl+Shift+Y | Opens the Add Symbol dialog |
| macOS | ⇧⌘Y | Opens the Add Symbol dialog |

^ {{:note.png?20}} | **Note Important**: These shortcuts do not insert the symbol directly — they open the dialog for selection. |

----

==== Method 3: System Tools Integration ====

Criterion works seamlessly with your operating system's native tools:

  * Special characters can be accessed via system-provided character maps:
    * Windows Character Map
    * macOS Character Viewer
  * Shortcuts or key combinations for frequently used special characters

All Unicode characters are preserved correctly.

----

==== Important Notes ====
**No Encoding Changes**: Criterion never alters the Unicode value of a character. What you insert is what you keep.

**Font Dependency**: If a font doesn't support a specific symbol, it may appear as a blank box or question mark. Always check rendering.