AllChars Reviews

Unlike the old (non-Unicode) AllChars, this software isn't really usable anymore, alas. There are a number of serious issues (Control characters don't work, dead keys don't work, AltGr-generated accents don't work) and there doesn't seem to occur any bug fixing anymore.

Allchars works perfect.

If you need full documentation of the compose key sequences defined in Xorg, please see Compose Key Sequence Reference Guide 2012, ISBN 1-4681-4110-4.

AllChars was a great piece of software in the 2000's and I have been using it a lot, with great success and productivity. Unfortunately, v5 has been in beta since 2009: is this project abandoned? After a switch from 32-bit WinXP to 64-bit Win8 I decided to find another solution: - MS International Keyboard Layout provides some AllChars' shortcuts, but not all, by far. - MS provides an International Keyboard Layout editor called Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator. - Other options are: Autohotkey.com or Sharpkeys.codeplex.com or even Klm32.com (but I haven't tried these at all)...

I used it many years, specially together with Firefox on Wikipedia, but I never could get it to work on Windows 7 (64). Since I had some typing problems after a real bad meningitis it was really difficult for me to write without AllChars. I have been waiting for a new version, 5.0 or something, in two years now, but I think the allchars project has closed down by some new owner. There is no version 5 for Windows 7. Last time it worked it was 4.? and I used Windows XP. Life seems to be like this, as soon as I find something useful and good – it could be AllChars or a TV series or a good schampoo or something else very useful – they close it down. Fast fox is an alternative text expander, but not so god as Allchars. It really saved me /Stefan

Been using AllChars since W98 (still running on my old Dell Dimension); finally got 5.0 to work on my Win7x64 system. Not real crazy about the switch from .ini to .xml, but i'm learning; using Notepad++ helps. Seems to be working with everything -- Notepad, FireFox, various genealogy programs, and the virtual Word & Excel that come in W7 Home Premium. Tried out PhraseExpress -- way more than i needed. ¡¡Thanks for keeping AC running!!

Version 4 works on Win7 in all programs I care about. Instead version 5 output always a È. I think AllChar should be part of the base OS, there are a lot of expat these days...

I've used AllChars for years, and I love it. Now I'm running version 4.0.321. The program is however incompatible with Internet Explorer and Chrome, and I have to disable the program when opening URLs in these two browsers. The problem is observed on all my computers (XP/Vista, all with latest versions of IE and Chrome). With FireFox there is no problem. I hope that you can remove this incompatibility when you develop the redesigned version 5.

I've used AllChars for years. Please take a look at my tip for AllChars' invisible [s+p] space character, with which you can modify Windows' alphabetizing. It's in the forums here at https://sourceforge.net/projects/allchars/forums/forum/662786/topic/4711404

AllChars is a great program. It should be part of Windows proper. However, I have trouble with it on my new upgraded system running Windows 7 64-bit. I have installed version 5.0.181. It does not show under installed programs, but it shows in Tas Manager. It does not work either. Can anybody help?

The perfect program for a pedant who prefers proper prose.

Works flawlessly with Windows 7 64-bit. I recommend changing the configuration to use AltGr (the right alt key) as the compose key. This is similar to european keyboards. You can then input characters such as ñ by entering <AltGr> + <~> + <n> or é by inputting <AltGr> + <'> + <e>. The AltGr key becomes a meta shift key that toggles deadkey behavior of other keys to enable combinations to produce diacritical marks, accent characters, and more.

Very useful for proper spelling of English words like rôle, mediæval, façade, pâté, naïveté, subpœna, et al. Perfect for occasional use of e.g. French or German words or Greek letters without the hassle of searching character maps or compromising accurate spelling. Excellent.

Brings most of the benefits of the Linux "compose" key approach to entering accented characters to Windows. Makes living in Sweden but using a UK keyboard much easier.