> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://nolongerset.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Throwback Thursday: July 18, 2024 - URL: https://nolongerset.com/throwback-thursday-2024-07-18/ - Published: 2024-07-18T15:06:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-05-08T12:41:09.000Z - Description: Today's edition is all about Unicode, character sets, and Windows Alt Codes. It turns out English is NOT the world's only written language. Who knew?!?! - Author: Mike Wolfe - Tags: Throwback Thursday, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59 *With over a million words scattered across more than 1,300 articles on this blog, you've probably missed a few things here.* *That’s why each week in "Throwback Thursday," we’ll revisit some standout posts. Expect a blend of my personal favorites, insightful articles from other great minds, and a touch of coding humor to keep things light.* --- ## Highlights from NoLongerSet.com [VBA and UnicodeVBA and Unicode go together like Bailey’s and Lime. But pretending the problem doesn’t exist won’t make it go away. Even for us Americans.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2020/12/cement-406822_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/vba-and-unicode/) [Unicode-Friendly MsgBoxThere’s a great big world outside of the ANSI bubble. Make every MsgBox in your program Unicode-safe in no time at all with this drop-in replacement.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2020/12/nature-3289812_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/unicode-friendly-msgbox/) [Unicode MsgBox RevisitedA small improvement to my Unicode-friendly MsgBox and a handy trick for avoiding compile errors across Word/Excel/Access/etc.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/09/message-in-a-bottle-3437294_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/unicode-msgbox-revisited/) [Unicode Private Use Areas in VBALooking for a safe temporary character or text delimiter that is guaranteed to not exist in your data set? Look no further than the Unicode Private Use Areas.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2022/09/private-1647769_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/private-use-areas/) [Quick Tip: Alt Codes in WindowsCheckmarks, bulleted lists, section symbols, pi, daggers, copyrights, etc. Each of these symbols can be entered in Windows using an easy keyboard shortcut.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2021/11/Alt-Codes-QuickTip.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/quicktip-alt-codes-in-windows/) ## Wisdom from Around the Web [The history of Alt+number sequences, and why Alt+9731 sometimes gives you a heart and sometimes a snowman - The Old New ThingCode pages and custom keyboard handling.![](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/03/Microsoft-Favicon.png)The Old New ThingRaymond Chen![](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2019/02/ShowCover.jpg)](https://devblogs.microsoft.com/oldnewthing/20240702-00/?p=109951) [The Absolute Minimum Every Software Developer Absolutely, Positively Must Know About Unicode and Character Sets (No Excuses!)Ever wonder about that mysterious Content-Type tag? You know, the one you’re supposed to put in HTML and you never quite know what it should be? Did you ever get an email from your friends in…![](https://i0.wp.com/www.joelonsoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/11969842.jpg?fit=192%2C192&ssl=1)Joel on SoftwareJoel Spolsky![](https://149366100.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2003/10/ibm.jpg)](https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2003/10/08/the-absolute-minimum-every-software-developer-absolutely-positively-must-know-about-unicode-and-character-sets-no-excuses/) ## Developer Humor OK, maybe I've just got a weird sense of humor, but I'm throwing this article about escaping semicolons in a semicolon-separated Value List under "Developer Humor" because the trick I used to make it work is so wacky and off the wall. Those zany, Greeks! [Escaping Semicolons in a Multi-Column Access ListBoxWhen adding items to a multi-column list box, the semicolon character is used to separate columns. What if the items themselves contain semicolons?![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2021/10/temple-1413586_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/escaping-semicolons-in-listbox/) *Cover image generated by Ideogram*