How do you echo a 4-digit Unicode character in Bash?

Question

I\'d like to add the Unicode skull and crossbones to my shell prompt (specifically the \'SKULL AND CROSSBONES\' (U+2620)), but I can\'t figure out the magic incantation to m

Answer 1

In Bash:

UnicodePointToUtf8()
{
    local x="$1"               # ok if '0x2620'
    x=${x/\\u/0x}              # '\u2620' -> '0x2620'
    x=${x/U+/0x}; x=${x/u+/0x} # 'U-2620' -> '0x2620'
    x=$((x)) # from hex to decimal
    local y=$x n=0
    [ $x -ge 0 ] || return 1
    while [ $y -gt 0 ]; do y=$((y>>1)); n=$((n+1)); done
    if [ $n -le 7 ]; then       # 7
        y=$x
    elif [ $n -le 11 ]; then    # 5+6
        y=" $(( ((x>> 6)&0x1F)+0xC0 )) \
            $(( (x&0x3F)+0x80 ))" 
    elif [ $n -le 16 ]; then    # 4+6+6
        y=" $(( ((x>>12)&0x0F)+0xE0 )) \
            $(( ((x>> 6)&0x3F)+0x80 )) \
            $(( (x&0x3F)+0x80 ))"
    else                        # 3+6+6+6
        y=" $(( ((x>>18)&0x07)+0xF0 )) \
            $(( ((x>>12)&0x3F)+0x80 )) \
            $(( ((x>> 6)&0x3F)+0x80 )) \
            $(( (x&0x3F)+0x80 ))"
    fi
    printf -v y '\\x%x' $y
    echo -n -e $y
}

# test
for (( i=0x2500; i<0x2600; i++ )); do
    UnicodePointToUtf8 $i
    [ "$(( i+1 & 0x1f ))" != 0 ] || echo ""
done
x='U+2620'
echo "$x -> $(UnicodePointToUtf8 $x)"

Output:

─━│┃┄┅┆┇┈┉┊┋┌┍┎┏┐┑┒┓└┕┖┗┘┙┚┛├┝┞┟
┠┡┢┣┤┥┦┧┨┩┪┫┬┭┮┯┰┱┲┳┴┵┶┷┸┹┺┻┼┽┾┿
╀╁╂╃╄╅╆╇╈╉╊╋╌╍╎╏═║╒╓╔╕╖╗╘╙╚╛╜╝╞╟
╠╡╢╣╤╥╦╧╨╩╪╫╬╭╮╯╰╱╲╳╴╵╶╷╸╹╺╻╼╽╾╿
▀▁▂▃▄▅▆▇█▉▊▋▌▍▎▏▐░▒▓▔▕▖▗▘▙▚▛▜▝▞▟
■□▢▣▤▥▦▧▨▩▪▫▬▭▮▯▰▱▲△▴▵▶▷▸▹►▻▼▽▾▿
◀◁◂◃◄◅◆◇◈◉◊○◌◍◎●◐◑◒◓◔◕◖◗◘◙◚◛◜◝◞◟
◠◡◢◣◤◥◦◧◨◩◪◫◬◭◮◯◰◱◲◳◴◵◶◷◸◹◺◻◼◽◾◿
U+2620 -> ☠