# textutil::wcswidth(3tcl) 35.3 textutil "Text and string utilities, macro processing"

## Name

textutil::wcswidth - Procedures to compute terminal width of strings

## Synopsis

- package require Tcl 8.5 9
- package require textutil::wcswidth ?35.3?

- ::textutil::wcswidth string
- ::textutil::wcswidth_char char
- ::textutil::wcswidth_type char

## Description

The package textutil::wcswidth provides commands that determine character type and width when used in terminals, and the length of strings when printed in a terminal.

The data underlying the functionality of this package is provided by the Unicode database file http://www.unicode.org/Public/UCD/latest/ucd/EastAsianWidth.txt.

The complete set of procedures is described below.

::textutil::wcswidth string

  Returns the number of character cells taken by the string when printed to the terminal. This takes double-wide characters from the various Asian and other scripts into account.

::textutil::wcswidth_char char

  Returns the number of character cells taken by the character when printed to the terminal.

  Beware: The character char is specified as Unicode codepoint.

::textutil::wcswidth_type char

  Returns the character type of the specified character. This a single character in the set of A, F, H, N, Na, and W, as specified per http://www.unicode.org/Public/UCD/latest/ucd/EastAsianWidth.txt

  Beware: The character char is specified as Unicode codepoint.

## Bugs, Ideas, Feedback

This document, and the package it describes, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other problems. Please report such in the category textutil of the Tcllib Trackers. Please also report any ideas for enhancements you may have for either package and/or documentation.

When proposing code changes, please provide unified diffs, i.e the output of diff -u.

Note further that attachments are strongly preferred over inlined patches. Attachments can be made by going to the Edit form of the ticket immediately after its creation, and then using the left-most button in the secondary navigation bar.

## See Also

regexp(3tcl), split(3tcl), string(3tcl)

## Keywords

character type, character width, double-wide character, prefix, regular expression, string

## Category

Text processing