Block Elements is a
Unicode block
A Unicode block is one of several contiguous ranges of numeric character codes (code points) of the Unicode character set that are defined by the Unicode Consortium for administrative and documentation purposes. Typically, proposals such as the ...
containing square block symbols of various fill and shading. Used along with block elements are
box-drawing character
Box-drawing characters, also known as line-drawing characters, are a form of semigraphics widely used in text user interfaces to draw various geometric frames and boxes. These characters are characterized by being designed to be connected horiz ...
s, shade characters, and terminal graphic characters. These can be used for filling regions of the screen and portraying
drop shadow
In graphic design and computer graphics, a drop shadow is a visual effect consisting of a drawing element which looks like the shadow of an object, giving the impression that the object is raised above the objects behind it. The drop shadow is of ...
s. Its block name in Unicode 1.0 was Blocks.
Character table
Font coverage
Font
In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design.
For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...
sets like
Code2000
Code2000 is a serif and pan- Unicode digital font, which includes characters and symbols from a very large range of writing systems. As of the current version 1.176 released in 2023, Code2000 is designed and implemented by James Kass to inclu ...
and the
DejaVu family include coverage for each of the glyphs in the Block Elements range.
also contains all the glyphs. Among the fonts in widespread use,
full implementation is provided by
Segoe UI Symbol.
The glyphs in Block Elements each share the same character width in most supported fonts, allowing them to be used graphically in row and column arrangements. However, the block does not contain a space character of its own and ASCII space may or may not render at the same width as Block Elements glyphs, as those characters are intended to be used exclusively for
monospaced fonts.
Compact table
History
The following Unicode-related documents record the purpose and process of defining specific characters in the Block Elements block:
Related symbols
* in the
Mathematical Operators
Mathematical Operators is a Unicode block containing characters for mathematical, logical, and set notation.
Notably absent are the plus sign (+), greater than sign (>) and less than sign (<), due to them already appearing in the Basic ...
Unicode block.
* in the
Geometric Shapes
A shape is a graphics, graphical representation of an object's form or its external boundary, outline, or external Surface (mathematics), surface. It is distinct from other object properties, such as color, Surface texture, texture, or material ...
Unicode block.
See also
*
Box-drawing characters
Box-drawing characters, also known as line-drawing characters, are a form of semigraphics widely used in text user interfaces to draw various geometric frames and boxes. These characters are characterized by being designed to be connected horiz ...
*
Code page 437
Code page 437 ( CCSID 437) is the character set of the original IBM PC (personal computer). It is also known as CP437, OEM-US, OEM 437, PC-8, or MS-DOS Latin US. The set includes all printable ASCII characters as well as some accented letters (di ...
, the character set of the original IBM PC
*
Dingbat
In typography, a dingbat (sometimes more formally known as a printer's ornament or printer's character) is an ornament, specifically, a glyph used in typesetting, often employed to create box frames (similar to box-drawing characters), or a ...
*
Semigraphics
Text-based semigraphics, pseudographics, or character graphics is a primitive method used in early text mode video hardware to emulate raster graphics without having to implement the logic for such a display mode.
There are two different ways ...
(or pseudographics)
*
Tombstone (typography)
In mathematics, the tombstone, halmos, end-of-proof, or Q.E.D. symbol "∎" (or "□") is a symbol used to denote the end of a Mathematical proof, proof, in place of the traditional abbreviation "Q.E.D." for the Latin phrase "''Q.E.D., quod erat ...
* other Unicode blocks
**
Box Drawing
Box Drawing is a Unicode block containing characters for compatibility with legacy graphics standards that contained characters for making bordered charts and tables, i.e. box-drawing characters. Its block name in Unicode 1.0 was Form and Chart C ...
**
Geometric Shapes
A shape is a graphics, graphical representation of an object's form or its external boundary, outline, or external Surface (mathematics), surface. It is distinct from other object properties, such as color, Surface texture, texture, or material ...
**
Halfwidth and Fullwidth Forms
In CJK characters, CJK (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) computing, graphic characters are traditionally classed into fullwidth and halfwidth characters. Unlike monospaced fonts, a halfwidth character occupies half the width of a fullwidth characte ...
**
Symbols for Legacy Computing
Symbols for Legacy Computing is a Unicode block containing graphic characters that were used for various home computers from the 1970s and 1980s and in teletext broadcasting standards. It includes characters from the Amstrad CPC, MSX, Mattel Aqua ...
References
{{reflist
Unicode blocks