Doc/library/unicodedata.rst

:mod:`!unicodedata` --- Unicode Database
========================================

.. module:: unicodedata
   :synopsis: Access the Unicode Database.

.. moduleauthor:: Marc-André Lemburg <mal@lemburg.com>
.. sectionauthor:: Marc-André Lemburg <mal@lemburg.com>
.. sectionauthor:: Martin v. Löwis <martin@v.loewis.de>

.. index::
   single: Unicode
   single: character
   pair: Unicode; database

--------------

This module provides access to the Unicode Character Database (UCD) which
defines character properties for all Unicode characters. The data contained in
this database is compiled from the `UCD version 17.0.0
<https://www.unicode.org/Public/17.0.0/ucd>`_.

The module uses the same names and symbols as defined by Unicode
Standard Annex #44, `"Unicode Character Database"
<https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr44/>`_.  It defines the
following functions:

.. seealso::

   The :ref:`unicode-howto` for more information about Unicode and how to use
   this module.


.. function:: lookup(name, /)

   Look up character by name.  If a character with the given name is found, return
   the corresponding character.  If not found, :exc:`KeyError` is raised.
   For example::

      >>> unicodedata.lookup('LEFT CURLY BRACKET')
      '{'

   The characters returned by this function are the same as those produced by
   ``\N`` escape sequence in string literals. For example::

      >>> unicodedata.lookup('MIDDLE DOT') == '\N{MIDDLE DOT}'
      True

   .. versionchanged:: 3.3
      Support for name aliases [#]_ and named sequences [#]_ has been added.


.. function:: name(chr, default=None, /)

   Returns the name assigned to the character *chr* as a string. If no
   name is defined, *default* is returned, or, if not given, :exc:`ValueError` is
   raised. For example::

      >>> unicodedata.name('½')
      'VULGAR FRACTION ONE HALF'
      >>> unicodedata.name('\uFFFF', 'fallback')
      'fallback'


.. function:: decimal(chr, default=None, /)

   Returns the decimal value assigned to the character *chr* as integer.
   If no such value is defined, *default* is returned, or, if not given,
   :exc:`ValueError` is raised. For example::

      >>> unicodedata.decimal('\N{ARABIC-INDIC DIGIT NINE}')
      9
      >>> unicodedata.decimal('\N{SUPERSCRIPT NINE}', -1)
      -1


.. function:: digit(chr, default=None, /)

   Returns the digit value assigned to the character *chr* as integer.
   If no such value is defined, *default* is returned, or, if not given,
   :exc:`ValueError` is raised::

      >>> unicodedata.digit('\N{SUPERSCRIPT NINE}')
      9


.. function:: numeric(chr, default=None, /)

   Returns the numeric value assigned to the character *chr* as float.
   If no such value is defined, *default* is returned, or, if not given,
   :exc:`ValueError` is raised::

      >>> unicodedata.numeric('½')
      0.5


.. function:: category(chr, /)

   Returns the general category assigned to the character *chr* as
   string. General category names consist of two letters.
   See the `General Category Values section of the Unicode Character
   Database documentation <https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr44/#General_Category_Values>`_
   for a list of category codes. For example::

      >>> unicodedata.category('A')  # 'L'etter, 'u'ppercase
      'Lu'


.. function:: bidirectional(chr, /)

   Returns the bidirectional class assigned to the character *chr* as
   string. If no such value is defined, an empty string is returned.
   See the `Bidirectional Class Values section of the Unicode Character
   Database <https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr44/#Bidi_Class_Values>`_
   documentation for a list of bidirectional codes. For example::

      >>> unicodedata.bidirectional('\N{ARABIC-INDIC DIGIT SEVEN}') # 'A'rabic, 'N'umber
      'AN'


.. function:: combining(chr, /)

   Returns the canonical combining class assigned to the character *chr*
   as integer. Returns ``0`` if no combining class is defined.
   See the `Canonical Combining Class Values section of the Unicode Character
   Database <https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr44/#Canonical_Combining_Class_Values>`_
   for more information.


.. function:: east_asian_width(chr, /)

   Returns the east asian width assigned to the character *chr* as
   string. For a list of widths and or more information, see the
   `Unicode Standard Annex #11 <https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr11/>`_.


.. function:: mirrored(chr, /)

   Returns the mirrored property assigned to the character *chr* as
   integer. Returns ``1`` if the character has been identified as a "mirrored"
   character in bidirectional text, ``0`` otherwise. For example::

      >>> unicodedata.mirrored('>')
      1


.. function:: isxidstart(chr, /)

   Return ``True`` if *chr* is a valid identifier start per the
   `Unicode Standard Annex #31 <https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr31/>`_,
   that is, it has the ``XID_Start`` property. Return ``False`` otherwise.
   For example::

      >>> unicodedata.isxidstart('S')
      True
      >>> unicodedata.isxidstart('0')
      False

   .. versionadded:: 3.15


.. function:: isxidcontinue(chr, /)

   Return ``True`` if *chr* is a valid identifier character per the
   `Unicode Standard Annex #31 <https://www.unicode.org/reports/tr31/>`_,
   that is, it has the ``XID_Continue`` property. Return ``False`` otherwise.
   For example::

      >>> unicodedata.isxidcontinue('S')
      True
      >>> unicodedata.isxidcontinue(' ')
      False

   .. versionadded:: 3.15


.. function:: decomposition(chr, /)

   Returns the character decomposition mapping assigned to the character
   *chr* as string. An empty string is returned in case no such mapping is
   defined. For example::

      >>> unicodedata.decomposition('Ã')
      '0041 0303'


.. function:: normalize(form, unistr, /)

   Return the normal form *form* for the Unicode string *unistr*. Valid values for
   *form* are 'NFC', 'NFKC', 'NFD', and 'NFKD'.

   The Unicode standard defines various normalization forms of a Unicode string,
   based on the definition of canonical equivalence and compatibility equivalence.
   In Unicode, several characters can be expressed in various way. For example, the
   character U+00C7 (LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C WITH CEDILLA) can also be expressed as
   the sequence U+0043 (LATIN CAPITAL LETTER C) U+0327 (COMBINING CEDILLA).

   For each character, there are two normal forms: normal form C and normal form D.
   Normal form D (NFD) is also known as canonical decomposition, and translates
   each character into its decomposed form. Normal form C (NFC) first applies a
   canonical decomposition, then composes pre-combined characters again.

   In addition to these two forms, there are two additional normal forms based on
   compatibility equivalence. In Unicode, certain characters are supported which
   normally would be unified with other characters. For example, U+2160 (ROMAN
   NUMERAL ONE) is really the same thing as U+0049 (LATIN CAPITAL LETTER I).
   However, it is supported in Unicode for compatibility with existing character
   sets (for example, gb2312).

   The normal form KD (NFKD) will apply the compatibility decomposition, that is,
   replace all compatibility characters with their equivalents. The normal form KC
   (NFKC) first applies the compatibility decomposition, followed by the canonical
   composition.

   Even if two unicode strings are normalized and look the same to
   a human reader, if one has combining characters and the other
   doesn't, they may not compare equal.


.. function:: is_normalized(form, unistr, /)

   Return whether the Unicode string *unistr* is in the normal form *form*. Valid
   values for *form* are 'NFC', 'NFKC', 'NFD', and 'NFKD'.

   .. versionadded:: 3.8


In addition, the module exposes the following constant:

.. data:: unidata_version

   The version of the Unicode database used in this module.


.. data:: ucd_3_2_0

   This is an object that has the same methods as the entire module, but uses the
   Unicode database version 3.2 instead, for applications that require this
   specific version of the Unicode database (such as IDNA).


.. rubric:: Footnotes

.. [#] https://www.unicode.org/Public/17.0.0/ucd/NameAliases.txt

.. [#] https://www.unicode.org/Public/17.0.0/ucd/NamedSequences.txt