Here is what PopChar Pro offers:

  floating window for quick access
  insert HTML codes
  customizable appearance for every single font
  predefined and custom layouts
  layout editor
  automatic adaption to applications
  multiple languages
  recognition of QuickDraw GX fonts
  improved compatibility with certain applications
  manual font selection
  programming interface

PopChar Pro makes "typing" of unusual characters easy without having to remember keyboard combinations.

PopChar Pro installs a menu that shows all characters available in the current font. Any character can be inserted into the current document by simply selecting it from the menu.

You can open a floating window that remains accessible all the time. You can continue to use the keyboard for regular text and click on a character in the floating window when you need a special character. Of course, the floating window's content will automatically adapt to the font that's currently used in the active application.

PopChar Pro lets you insert HTML codes for most symbols and accented letters that appear in text fonts (such as Times or Helvetica).

PopChar Pro can be customized for every single font, as shown in the following screen snapshot. You can adjust Geneva to appear in a small table with font size 9 and Times in a larger table with font size 14.

You can omit letters and digits for text fonts (such as Geneva, Times, and Helvetica) and see all characters of picture and symbol fonts (such as Cairo, Symbol, and Zapf Dingbats).

Speed

PopChar Pro is fast. PopChar Pro uses internal caches to remember fonts, layouts and application preferences. Essential parts of PopChar Pro are PowerPC native.

Compatibility

PopChar Pro knows how to deal with particularities of some widely used applications:

PopChar Pro recognizes the current font in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel by "reading" the current font from the toolbar (see the Excel illustration below).
PopChar Pro can guess the current font in Adobe Illustrator and FrameMaker.

PopChar Pro displays the "PC80" font in SoftPC and SoftWindows and knows how to generate the correct keystrokes.

Recognition of GX fonts

PopChar Pro recognizes QuickDraw GX fonts and shows only those characters that are available in those fonts.

Programming Interface

PopChar Pro has an open interface that lets application developers control PopChar Pro to a certain degree. Developers can use this interface to tell PopChar Pro which font to display. For details, see the online documentation of the PopChar Pro Programming Interface.

Layouts

PopChar Pro can display fonts in predefined or custom layouts. Custom layouts are special character arrangements that let the characters of individual fonts appear in a more intuitive way. For example, you can let certain characters appear next to each other even if they appear wide apart in the ASCII order. The next two screen snapshots show how Zapf Dingbats would appear in a default and in a custom layout designed specifically for Zapf Dingbats.