Unicodedata – Unicode Database in Python

Unicode Character Database (UCD) is defined by Unicode Standard Annex #44 which defines the character properties for all unicode characters. This module provides access to UCD and uses the same symbols and names as defined by the Unicode Character Database.

Functions defined by the module :

• unicodedata.lookup(name)
  This function looks up for the character by name. If a character with the given name is found in the database, then, the corresponding character is returned otherwise Keyerror is raised.

  Example :

  import unicodedata
  
  print (unicodedata.lookup('LEFT CURLY BRACKET'))
  print (unicodedata.lookup('RIGHT CURLY BRACKET'))
  print (unicodedata.lookup('ASTERISK'))
  
  # gives error as there is
  # no symbol called ASTER
  # print (unicodedata.lookup('ASTER'))

  Output :

  
  
  

  {
  }
  *
  

• unicodedata.name(chr[, default])
  This function returns the name assigned to the given character as a string. If no name is defined, default is returned by the function otherwise ValueError is raised if name is not given.

  Example :

  import unicodedata
  
  print (unicodedata.name(u'/'))
  print (unicodedata.name(u'|'))
  print (unicodedata.name(u':'))

  Output :

  SOLIDUS
  VERTICAL LINE
  COLON
  

• unicodedata.decimal(chr[, default])
  This function returns the decimal value assigned to the given character as integer. If no value is defined, default is returned by the function otherwise ValueError is raised if value is not given.

  Example :

  import unicodedata
  
  print (unicodedata.decimal(u'9'))
  print (unicodedata.decimal(u'a'))

  Output :

  9
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "7e736755dd176cd0169eeea6f5d32057.py", line 4, in 
      print unicodedata.decimal(u'a')
  ValueError: not a decimal
  

• unicodedata.digit(chr[, default])
  This function returns the digit value assigned to the given character as integer. If no value is defined, default is returned by the function otherwise ValueError is raised if value is not given.

  Example :

  import unicodedata
  
  print (unicodedata.decimal(u'9'))
  print (unicodedata.decimal(u'143'))

  Output :

  9
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "ad47ae996380a777426cc1431ec4a8cd.py", line 4, in 
      print unicodedata.decimal(u'143')
  TypeError: need a single Unicode character as parameter
  

• unicodedata.numeric(chr[, default])
  This function returns the numeric value assigned to the given character as integer. If no value is defined, default is returned by the function otherwise ValueError is raised if value is not given.

  Example :

  import unicodedata
  
  print (unicodedata.decimal(u'9'))
  print (unicodedata.decimal(u'143'))

  Output :

  9
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "ad47ae996380a777426cc1431ec4a8cd.py", line 4, in 
      print unicodedata.decimal(u'143')
  TypeError: need a single Unicode character as parameter
  

• unicodedata.category(chr)
  This function returns the general category assigned to the given character as string. For example, it returns ‘L’ for letter and ‘u’ for uppercase.

  Example :

  import unicodedata
  
  print (unicodedata.category(u'A'))
  print (unicodedata.category(u'b'))

  Output :

  Lu
  Ll
  

• unicodedata.bidirectional(chr)
  This function returns the bidirectional class assigned to the given character as string. For example, it returns ‘A’ for arabic and ‘N’ for number. An empty string is returned by this function if no such value is defined.

  Example :

  import unicodedata
  
  print (unicodedata.bidirectional(u'\u0660'))

  Output :

  AN
  

• unicodedata.normalize(form, unistr)
  This function returns the normal form for the Unicode string unistr. Valid values for form are ‘NFC’, ‘NFKC’, ‘NFD’, and ‘NFKD’.

  Example :

  from unicodedata import normalize
  
  print ('%r' % normalize('NFD', u'\u00C7'))
  print ('%r' % normalize('NFC', u'C\u0327'))
  print ('%r' % normalize('NFKD', u'\u2460'))

  Output :

  u'C\u0327'
  u'\xc7'
  u'1'