# Using Unicode in README.md file?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [December 22, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097 "2024-12-22T16:37:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ufechner7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/ufechner7/32/51363_2.png) [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 4:37pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097/1 "2024-12-22T16:37:09Z")

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If I look at the README at this website: [GitHub - baggepinnen/TrajectoryLimiters.jl: Nonlinear filters to create dynamically feasible reference trajectories](https://github.com/baggepinnen/TrajectoryLimiters.jl) with Firefox the unicode characters are very distorted and hardly readable. Example:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/d/1/d1e4470096430cb30cd4c9180bf5959800132033.png)

This is supposed to be \dot{x}\_M and \ddot{x}\_M. This problem is much smaller when using Chrome, but still exists:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/c/6/c6624e9c08674d1db8ca774d4535ff2449fb12dc.png)

In Chrome, only the dots are shifted a bit to the right, but you can at least understand what is meant.

What is the suggested way to use Unicode in a README.md file?

Of course it is possible to use LaTeX ` $\dot{x}_M$ and $\ddot{x}_M$`, but that does not render on JuliaHub and it is also not an option in the source code examples.

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**Author:** ![kellertuer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/kellertuer/32/220707_2.png) [@kellertuer](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/kellertuer)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097/2 "2024-12-22T20:56:04Z")

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I would use LaTeX, renders nice on GitHub and even when you include it in your docs. Sure JuliaHub does not have MathJax/KaTeX running, but isn‘t their their problem and not yours?

Do you have a use case for code examples? If that’s quarto (or Literate) in the docs or Pluto they would render LaTeX as well in their Markdown.  
In comments in code I would maybe do less math, sure; In doc strings I heavily use math, though on REPL that sometimes doe not look that nice.

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**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097/3 "2024-12-22T21:18:57Z")

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> [@ufechner7](#):
>
> What is the suggested way to use Unicode in a README.md file?

The rendering is determined by your browser and font, so you probably need a better font if you want better rendering.

(But for equations I would just use LaTeX now that GitHub supports it.)

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**Author:** ![ufechner7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/ufechner7/32/51363_2.png) [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 9:52pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097/4 "2024-12-22T21:52:19Z")

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> [@stevengj](#):
>
> so you probably need a better font

I already installed extra fonts which did not help:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/9/f/9fe84446aec76f466b3248b1375d73f14d265407.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ufechner7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/ufechner7/32/51363_2.png) [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2024, 2:41am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097/5 "2024-12-23T02:41:31Z")

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> [@stevengj](#):
>
> (But for equations I would just use LaTeX now that GitHub supports it.)

@baggepinnen Any comment?

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**Author:** ![baggepinnen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/baggepinnen/32/693_2.png) [@baggepinnen](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/baggepinnen)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2024, 5:55am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097/6 "2024-12-23T05:55:00Z")

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I have already given you my comment in the issue and PR you opened.

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**Author:** ![ufechner7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/ufechner7/32/51363_2.png) [@ufechner7](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/ufechner7)\
**Post date:** [December 23, 2024, 8:46am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097/7 "2024-12-23T08:46:26Z")

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So for now my conclusion is, do NOT use Unicode characters in Julia code or in README.md without checking their readability on Github in the browser. I think most Greek letters are no problem. but variables like \dot{X} should be avoided.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/using-unicode-in-readme-md-file/124097/8 "2025-01-02T23:35:19Z")

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2 posts were split to a new topic: [Complications of diacritical marks in Unicode](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/complications-of-diacritical-marks-in-unicode/124392)