Unicode Greek Symbols show as blocks in windows version

May 14, 201114 yr

I have a database that stores html code that gets uploaded to our website catalog. We also use this database to generate internal documents, so I am trying to use the web viewer to display the html code as regular text on some of our layouts.

We also use a lot of Greek Unicode symbols in our text which has presented us a lot of cross-platform issues in the past with FileMaker. For example, if you insert a unicode alpha (α) into a field on a Mac, the PC would show it as a block or empty character. This is why I am trying to use the web viewer approach instead.

Having the same problems with the web viewer; if I place the html code with Greek unicode into a filemaker field, the greek symbols show as blocks on the PC, but are fine on the Mac. If I take that same code and make an html file and point the web viewer to it, the PC renders the symbols just fine. There is something about those characters being stored in the FM database that it like.

Is there another approach that I can take or could this be some kind of windows font issue (did try on multiple PCs though)?

May 14, 201114 yr

if you insert a unicode alpha (α) into a field on a Mac, the PC would show it as a block or empty character.

Putting the web side of the story aside for the moment, it sounds like you need to format the field with a different font - one that has the required glyphs on both platforms. Try Arial Unicode MS if you have it, or just plain Arial.

May 14, 201114 yr

Author

Putting the web side of the story aside for the moment, it sounds like you need to format the field with a different font - one that has the required glyphs on both platforms. Try Arial Unicode MS if you have it, or just plain Arial.

Thanks for the suggestion...I do have the field set to Arial Unicode MS.

May 14, 201114 yr

Hm. Can you open the attached file on a Windows system, take a screenshot and post it here?

GreekTest.zip

May 15, 201114 yr

Author

Hm. Can you open the attached file on a Windows system, take a screenshot and post it here?

Yes, all is viewable in windows, I added a web viewer as well and you can see the block characters that appear in windows. They do show correctly on the Mac.

GreekTest.fp7.zip

May 15, 201114 yr

Hold on the web viewer, please. I want to understand the difference between my file and yours - or between my Greek and yours. You said you couldn't see Greek characters in a Filemaker field in yours.

May 15, 201114 yr

Author

Hold on the web viewer, please. I want to understand the difference between my file and yours - or between my Greek and yours. You said you couldn't see Greek characters in a Filemaker field in yours.

I think it was a font issue in our old file, because the characters are working in my new file as well as yours. The new file is an improved design and more well thought out. In regards to the web viewer issue, if I use the html symbol code "α", the web viewer renders the alpha symbol correctly on windows and mac just fine. If I go this route, then we will no longer be storing the unicode characters in the database and use the html symbol codes instead.

Probably should have looked at this route in the first place.

Thanks for the time and effort in helping me.

May 15, 201114 yr

You can still store the Greek characters in your field - and use GetAsCSS ( YourField ) in the web viewer and in your export.

I am also curious what would you get if you added this to the <head> section of your HTML:

<style type='text/css'>¶

body {font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Arial', sans-serif;}¶

</style>¶

May 15, 201114 yr

Author

You can still store the Greek characters in your field - and use GetAsCSS ( YourField ) in the web viewer and in your export.

I am also curious what would you get if you added this to the <head> section of your HTML:
<style type='text/css'>¶

body {font-family:'Lucida Grande', 'Arial Unicode MS', 'Arial', sans-serif;}¶

</style>¶

It returns the following: Q when it should be α

BTW, I have never used the GetAsCSS before, that worked great!

Thanks again.