AllChars : Java Glossary

A free, open source program for W3.1, OS2, W95, W98, Me, NT, W2K, XP, W2003, Vista, W2008, W7-32, W7-64, W8-32, W8-64, W2012, W10-32 and W10-64 that makes it easy to key accented letters and special characters without a European keyboard. You tap Ctrl and let go. Then click an easy-to-remember two-key sequence, e.g. 'e for é. It generates the Unicode character, not the equivalent HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) entity string, e.g. é You could use the Entify class to do that, or the beta version. The program comes as a *.msi file that installs a *.exe file. It installs no icon on the desktop or menu entry. It is permanently resident in the task bar on the bottom right of the screen. It works on all standard Windows applications.

To install it, create a directory X:\Program Files\AllChars and extract all the files in the zip distributable into it. Then run allchars.exe and to have it autostart put a shortcut to it in the C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup menu directory.

When it runs, it pops up no window. It does not echo anything to the screen until you have finished typing the abbreviation for it.

You can also use it to create your own shortcuts. You type the abbreviation and it echoes back the string, like simplified SuperKey of DOS (Disk Operating System) days.

The original zwolnet.com authors no longer support the product. It is now maintained by an open source team at SourceForge. There are two versions, the stable release version Last revised/verified: 2007-07-25 4.0.321 and the beta 5.0.181 Last revised/verified: 2013-02-11. I gather the project is in the doldrums, evidence by the lack of Windows 7 support.