Unicode Bidirectional Text Editor

Edit text containing both left-to-right and right-to-left scripts. Visualize and control text direction with Unicode formatting characters.

Unicode Bidirectional Text Editor

Edit and visualize bidirectional text mixing left-to-right and right-to-left scripts

Insert Directional Control Characters

Text Input

Directional Control Characters

LRM (U+200E)

Left-to-Right Mark

RLM (U+200F)

Right-to-Left Mark

LRE (U+202A)

Left-to-Right Embedding

RLE (U+202B)

Right-to-Left Embedding

LRO (U+202D)

Left-to-Right Override

RLO (U+202E)

Right-to-Left Override

PDF (U+202C)

Pop Directional Formatting

How the Unicode Bidirectional Editor Works

Enter text containing mixed left-to-right and right-to-left content. The editor shows how Unicode's bidirectional algorithm renders your text.

Each character has a directionality property: L (left-to-right), R (right-to-left), AL (Arabic letter), EN (European number), etc. The algorithm determines visual order from logical order.

Visualize the directionality of each character. See how embedding levels work. Test with Arabic, Hebrew, and mixed LTR/RTL text. Understand complex text rendering.

When You'd Actually Use This

Developing RTL language support

Adding Arabic or Hebrew to your app? Test how mixed text renders. Debug bidirectional text issues. Ensure proper display for RTL users.

Debugging text rendering bugs

Text displaying backwards? Numbers appearing wrong in RTL context? Use this to understand the bidirectional algorithm's behavior.

Creating multilingual content

Writing content with mixed scripts? See how LTR and RTL text interact. Ensure proper quotation and punctuation placement.

Working with URLs in RTL text

URLs in RTL context can display incorrectly. Understand how to embed LTR URLs in RTL text. Use proper isolation techniques.

Testing Unicode implementations

Building a text engine? Test your bidirectional algorithm implementation. Compare against this reference. Ensure Unicode compliance.

Learning Unicode bidirectional behavior

The bidirectional algorithm is complex. This tool makes it visible. Educational resource for understanding Unicode text processing.

What to Know Before Using

Logical vs visual order differs.Text is stored in logical order (reading order). Displayed in visual order (left-to-right on screen). Bidirectional algorithm converts between them.

Paragraph direction matters.The base direction (LTR or RTL) affects the entire paragraph. Same text can display differently with different base directions.

Numbers have special behavior.European numbers adapt to surrounding text. In RTL context, they may display differently. This causes common confusion.

Control characters affect direction.LRM, RLM, LRE, RLE, PDF, and isolate characters control directionality. Use them to override default behavior when needed.

Pro tip: For embedding LTR text in RTL (or vice versa), use Unicode isolates (U+2066-LRI, U+2067-RLI, U+2068-FSI) instead of deprecated embedding characters. They're safer and more predictable.

Common Questions

What is the bidirectional algorithm?

Unicode Standard Annex #9 defines how mixed LTR/RTL text is ordered. Determines visual display from logical storage order. Essential for Arabic, Hebrew, and mixed scripts.

Why do numbers display wrong in RTL?

Numbers are "weak" characters. Their direction depends on surrounding text. In RTL context, digit order may appear reversed. This is by design.

How do I force text direction?

Use Unicode directionality marks. LRM (U+200E) for LTR, RLM (U+200F) for RTL. Or use HTML dir attribute and ‎/‏ entities.

What's the difference between R and AL?

R is generic right-to-left. AL is specifically Arabic letters. AL has different behavior with numbers. Important for proper Arabic text handling.

Can I use this for Hebrew?

Yes, Hebrew uses the same bidirectional algorithm as Arabic. Both are RTL scripts. Tool works for any RTL language.

What are embedding levels?

Nested LTR/RTL content creates embedding levels. Each level reverses direction. Complex text can have multiple levels. Algorithm handles this automatically.

How do I debug bidirectional issues?

Use this tool to visualize character directionality. Compare expected vs actual display. Add direction marks where needed. Test with real RTL users.

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Unicode Bidirectional Text Editor