Why do only some CLDR Short Names work in python?

Question

I want to add reactions on a discord bot, but only some of my Emoji CLDR Short Names work.

For example:

If I use '\N{grinning face}' it works, '\N{thumbs up}' however does not. Instead it shows this message:

SyntaxError: (unicode error) 'unicodeescape' codec can't decode bytes in position 0-15: unknown Unicode character name

Same with '\N{green heart}' and '\N{red heart}'

I looked the CLDR Short Name up on the unicode.org page; are they just wrong or is it something else?

Answer 1

Escape sequence \N{name} = Character named name in the Unicode database. Use

'\N{thumbs up sign}'
'👍'

Note that abovementioned link is to the last Unicode version (currently 13.0, I think) while your Python could use another one:

import unicodedata
unicodedata.unidata_version
'12.1.0'

FYI, excerpting from abovementioned UnicodeData.txt using the "\bheart\b" regex gives the following:

Char CodePoint Description
---- --------- -----------
   ☙ U+2619    Reversed Rotated Floral Heart Bullet
   ♡ U+2661    White Heart Suit
   ♥ U+2665    Black Heart Suit
   ❣ U+2763    Heavy Heart Exclamation Mark Ornament
   ❤ U+2764    Heavy Black Heart
   ❥ U+2765    Rotated Heavy Black Heart Bullet
   ❦ U+2766    Floral Heart
   ❧ U+2767    Rotated Floral Heart Bullet
   ⺖ U+2E96    CJK Radical Heart One
   ⺗ U+2E97    CJK Radical Heart Two
   ⼼ U+2F3C    Kangxi Radical Heart
  🎔 U+1F394   HEART WITH TIP ON THE LEFT
  💑 U+1F491   COUPLE WITH HEART
  💓 U+1F493   BEATING HEART
  💔 U+1F494   BROKEN HEART
  💖 U+1F496   SPARKLING HEART
  💗 U+1F497   GROWING HEART
  💘 U+1F498   HEART WITH ARROW
  💙 U+1F499   BLUE HEART
  💚 U+1F49A   GREEN HEART
  💛 U+1F49B   YELLOW HEART
  💜 U+1F49C   PURPLE HEART
  💝 U+1F49D   HEART WITH RIBBON
  💟 U+1F49F   HEART DECORATION
  🖤 U+1F5A4   BLACK HEART
  😍 U+1F60D   SMILING FACE WITH HEART-SHAPED EYES
  😻 U+1F63B   SMILING CAT FACE WITH HEART-SHAPED EYES
  🤍 U+1F90D   WHITE HEART
  🤎 U+1F90E   BROWN HEART
  🧡 U+1F9E1   ORANGE HEART
  🫀 U+1FAC0   ANATOMICAL HEART