PRB: Accented Characters in Filename Controls Lose Accents

 Last reviewed: July 23, 1997
Article ID: Q90854
3.00 3.10 WINDOWS kbprg kbprb

The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK), versions 3.0 and 3.1

SYMPTOMS

In an application for the Microsoft Windows graphical environment that uses a combo box with the CBS_OEMCONVERT style or an edit control with the ES_OEMCONVERT style, the user enters a character with an accent mark, and the accent is lost.

CAUSE

The OEMCONVERT control styles convert all input as follows:

  • Convert lowercase letters to uppercase letters with the AnsiUpper function.
  • Convert all characters from the ANSI character set to the installed OEM character set with the AnsiToOem function.
  • Convert the appropriate characters back to lowercase letters with the AnsiLower function.

Because the OEM character set installed in most computers (code page 437) does not include representation for the capital letters with accent marks, the accent marks are lost in this conversion process. This occurs in all versions of Windows, including those designed for use outside the United States.

RESOLUTION

Unicode specifies a unified character set that can represent every active language and many dead languages. Windows NT incorporates support for Unicode.

MORE INFORMATION

For further details on the cause of this problem, see the article by Dr. William S. Hall "Adapt Your Program for Worldwide Use with Windows Internationalization Support," starting on page 29 of the Nov-Dec 1991 Microsoft Systems Journal.

Additional reference words: 3.00 3.10
KBCategory: kbprg kbprb
KBSubcategory: UsrCtl
Keywords : kb16bitonly

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Last reviewed: July 23, 1997
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