Determine if a unicode character is alphanumeric without using a regular expression

Question

Given a single unicode character I need to determine if it is alphanumeric for any language script. I don't have access to regular expressions or any useful API that work with unicode. I think my only solution is to compare the Unicode value to a set of character ranges for alphanumeric characters.

The problem is that I can't find a list of such ranges.

Can anyone either suggest a better solution of else point me to a definitive list of alphanumeric ranges to compare against?

Thanks,

Tim

Answer 1

The Unicode Standard is the normative source of information on this. But as a shortcut, you could pick up information from the XRegExp Unicode plug-in, which currently reflects Unicode 6.1 (and Unicode 6.2 has added just one character, a non-letter). The source code has a string that contains ranges of letters in the Basic Multilingual Plane, which is sufficient for most purposes. It’s fairly long, and the ranges have no separator, but all code numbers appear in exactly four hexadecimal digits:

0041-005A0061-007A00AA00B500BA00C0-00D600D8-00F600F8-02C102C6-02D102E0-02E402EC02EE0370-037403760377037A-037D03860388-038A038C038E-03A103A3-03F503F7-0481048A-05270531-055605590561-058705D0-05EA05F0-05F20620-064A066E066F0671-06D306D506E506E606EE06EF06FA-06FC06FF07100712-072F074D-07A507B107CA-07EA07F407F507FA0800-0815081A082408280840-085808A008A2-08AC0904-0939093D09500958-09610971-09770979-097F0985-098C098F09900993-09A809AA-09B009B209B6-09B909BD09CE09DC09DD09DF-09E109F009F10A05-0A0A0A0F0A100A13-0A280A2A-0A300A320A330A350A360A380A390A59-0A5C0A5E0A72-0A740A85-0A8D0A8F-0A910A93-0AA80AAA-0AB00AB20AB30AB5-0AB90ABD0AD00AE00AE10B05-0B0C0B0F0B100B13-0B280B2A-0B300B320B330B35-0B390B3D0B5C0B5D0B5F-0B610B710B830B85-0B8A0B8E-0B900B92-0B950B990B9A0B9C0B9E0B9F0BA30BA40BA8-0BAA0BAE-0BB90BD00C05-0C0C0C0E-0C100C12-0C280C2A-0C330C35-0C390C3D0C580C590C600C610C85-0C8C0C8E-0C900C92-0CA80CAA-0CB30CB5-0CB90CBD0CDE0CE00CE10CF10CF20D05-0D0C0D0E-0D100D12-0D3A0D3D0D4E0D600D610D7A-0D7F0D85-0D960D9A-0DB10DB3-0DBB0DBD0DC0-0DC60E01-0E300E320E330E40-0E460E810E820E840E870E880E8A0E8D0E94-0E970E99-0E9F0EA1-0EA30EA50EA70EAA0EAB0EAD-0EB00EB20EB30EBD0EC0-0EC40EC60EDC-0EDF0F000F40-0F470F49-0F6C0F88-0F8C1000-102A103F1050-1055105A-105D106110651066106E-10701075-1081108E10A0-10C510C710CD10D0-10FA10FC-1248124A-124D1250-12561258125A-125D1260-1288128A-128D1290-12B012B2-12B512B8-12BE12C012C2-12C512C8-12D612D8-13101312-13151318-135A1380-138F13A0-13F41401-166C166F-167F1681-169A16A0-16EA1700-170C170E-17111720-17311740-17511760-176C176E-17701780-17B317D717DC1820-18771880-18A818AA18B0-18F51900-191C1950-196D1970-19741980-19AB19C1-19C71A00-1A161A20-1A541AA71B05-1B331B45-1B4B1B83-1BA01BAE1BAF1BBA-1BE51C00-1C231C4D-1C4F1C5A-1C7D1CE9-1CEC1CEE-1CF11CF51CF61D00-1DBF1E00-1F151F18-1F1D1F20-1F451F48-1F4D1F50-1F571F591F5B1F5D1F5F-1F7D1F80-1FB41FB6-1FBC1FBE1FC2-1FC41FC6-1FCC1FD0-1FD31FD6-1FDB1FE0-1FEC1FF2-1FF41FF6-1FFC2071207F2090-209C21022107210A-211321152119-211D212421262128212A-212D212F-2139213C-213F2145-2149214E218321842C00-2C2E2C30-2C5E2C60-2CE42CEB-2CEE2CF22CF32D00-2D252D272D2D2D30-2D672D6F2D80-2D962DA0-2DA62DA8-2DAE2DB0-2DB62DB8-2DBE2DC0-2DC62DC8-2DCE2DD0-2DD62DD8-2DDE2E2F300530063031-3035303B303C3041-3096309D-309F30A1-30FA30FC-30FF3105-312D3131-318E31A0-31BA31F0-31FF3400-4DB54E00-9FCCA000-A48CA4D0-A4FDA500-A60CA610-A61FA62AA62BA640-A66EA67F-A697A6A0-A6E5A717-A71FA722-A788A78B-A78EA790-A793A7A0-A7AAA7F8-A801A803-A805A807-A80AA80C-A822A840-A873A882-A8B3A8F2-A8F7A8FBA90A-A925A930-A946A960-A97CA984-A9B2A9CFAA00-AA28AA40-AA42AA44-AA4BAA60-AA76AA7AAA80-AAAFAAB1AAB5AAB6AAB9-AABDAAC0AAC2AADB-AADDAAE0-AAEAAAF2-AAF4AB01-AB06AB09-AB0EAB11-AB16AB20-AB26AB28-AB2EABC0-ABE2AC00-D7A3D7B0-D7C6D7CB-D7FBF900-FA6DFA70-FAD9FB00-FB06FB13-FB17FB1DFB1F-FB28FB2A-FB36FB38-FB3CFB3EFB40FB41FB43FB44FB46-FBB1FBD3-FD3DFD50-FD8FFD92-FDC7FDF0-FDFBFE70-FE74FE76-FEFCFF21-FF3AFF41-FF5AFF66-FFBEFFC2-FFC7FFCA-FFCFFFD2-FFD7FFDA-FFDC

Answer 2

You can check Unicode Character Database - and PropList files (here's 5.0 example), with 'character points - properties' mapping, in particular. Alternatively, you can parse the main listing file (this one for 5.0, for example) (it's huge), taking all the character points with properties you need (L and N, I suppose) then building the ranges from this data.

Also, you didn't mention the tools you use, but I think referring to this Perl module (and XS.xs file in its distribution package) might be helpful too.