CODEWITHSUNDEEP
unicodecommand-lineautohotkeyentityreferencecodepoint
msoutopico
msoutopico

Reputation: 356

Why Unicode codepoints are needed to use AHK hotstrings in WSL

AutoHotKey cannot insert numbers on the WSL unless I use codepoints

I would like to use python3 every time I use pipenv. For that, I need to insert: pip --python /usr/bin/python3 etc.. However, I don't want to type --python /usr/bin/python3 every time, and therefore I have automated that part with an AutoHotKey script.

The following line works fine when I type the hotstring in any place such as a Notepad file or a path bar:

::pipenv::pipenv --python /usr/bin/python3

When I type pipenv in, say, Notepad, the string pipenv --python /usr/bin/python3 is inserted.

However, if I type it on the WSL (Windows Subsytem for Linux), then I get: 

 pipenv 66python LusrLbinLpython·

I get the same result in CMD, but surprisingly not in PowerShell (where I get the expected output).

To make it work on the command line, I had to re-write my script using hexadecimal codepoints (or entity references, not sure what the proper name is) instead of the characters themselves: 

::pipenv::pipenv {U+2D}{U+2D}python {U+2F}usr{U+2F}bin{U+2F}python{U+33}

That way the output is the expected pipenv --python /usr/bin/python3 both on the command line and in any other environment. I'm surprised that this is the case, because those characters (-, / and 3) are normal ASCII characters, so I don't understand why using codepoints is necessary.

The AutoHotKey script contains UTF-8 Unicode (with BOM) text, with CRLF line terminators.

In a nutshell, I have managed to make the script work. The reason for opening this question is to understand why this happens. Thanks.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 119

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