How do I get a "≤" sign to appear in my function's HELP documentation?

How do I get a "≤" sign to appear in my function's HELP documentation? I am using 2016b. All that shows up is a "?"

[Matt J]

All that shows up is a "?"

As a result of doing what?

[Richard Lyman]

typing "help <function name>"

[Richard Lyman]

    methods (Static)
        function obj = move(x0,x3,xd0,xd3,xdmax,xddacc,xdddec,press_lim)
            %sseg.move 
            %   ≤

>> help sseg.move

sseg.move

?

Answer 1

[dpb]

<unicode-characters-in-m-file>

[Richard Lyman]

It appears in the editor just fine. I doesn't appear in the command window.

I'm also not interested in changing environment variables every time. I will be sharing this code with collegues in other parts of the world, so I don't know their settings.

[dpb]

I just turned you code into code format and pasted into a function here to see what happens...

function obj = lyman(x0,x3,xd0,xd3,xdmax,xddacc,xdddec,press_lim)
            %sseg.move 
            %   ≤
end

It actually seems to work here...

>> help lyman
 sseg.move 
    ≤

>> 

R2020b, Win

I never use unicode so never noticed one way or t'other...but looks like may be something about your system code or the like...

[Richard Lyman]

I'm using R2016b

[dpb]

I'd guess at that point the command window display interpreter simply doesn't know what to do with unicode and there's nothing to be done for the symptom on that system.

[DGM]

For what it's worth:

in R2019b, R2015b, and R2009b (linux)

>> help lyman
 sseg.move 
    ≤  

Default encoding seems to be UTF-8 in each case. I don't know what defaults are expected in Windows.

I don't know how you can ensure correct character display without considering the locale settings in use.

[Richard Lyman]

>> feature('locale')

ans = 

  struct with fields:

               ctype: 'en_US.windows-1252'
             collate: 'en_US.windows-1252'
                time: 'en_US.windows-1252'
             numeric: 'en_US_POSIX.windows-1252'
            monetary: 'en_US.windows-1252'
            messages: 'en_US.windows-1252'
            encoding: 'windows-1252'
    terminalEncoding: 'IBM437'
         jvmEncoding: 'Cp1252'
              status: 'MathWorks locale management system initialized.'
             warning: ''

[Richard Lyman]

I don't see '≤' as part of UTF-8 nor windows-1252.

Why does the editor recognize the character but not the routine that handles the 'help' function?

[Richard Lyman]

Is it because of the 'IBM437' character set, which does have '≤'?

[DGM]

LE should be UTF-8 0xE289A4, UTF-16 0x2264, or CP437 0xF3

I don't know about CP1252

Answer 2

[Walter Roberson]

<= is not part of CP1252

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows-1252

I am using 2016b

In that release, MATLAB did not use UTF-8 for .m files unless you took specific steps (which even if you took, your co-workers probably have not taken.)

I have seen several cases posted in which the exact same code (file was attached) on the exact same version of MATLAB for windows, had characters come out differently.. having to do with the installed fonts on the Windows machines.