Typing x_bar in pages

Question

Level 1

8 points

Typing x_bar in pages

I realize this is not a question but I have come across an issue I ended up having to find a valid solution for as the old solution no longer works quite the same way.

I often have to type in Math and Science, and this often requires denoting an average value, depicted by the character for the value with a bar over the top. We have a line we can type below, and through the center of characters quite easily, but how do I get the line ABOVE a character?

P.S.: Thank you Apple, for all the new characters

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS X El Capitan (10.11.3), Pages 5.6.1

Posted on Mar 8, 2016 12:30 AM

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Answer 1

GarethH1 Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 8, 2016 12:31 AM in response to GarethH1

Above seems to require a bit of figuring out. Based on a similar but [6 year] old post, I have recently figured out that the method used to get the (bar) above requires searching in the new "emojis and symbols" pane, under "edit", as in the previous version, HOWEVER one would have to search "U+305" where as in the '09 or before version of pages, simply "305" would apparently work. You can still save the character modifier to favorites, and it must be utilized directly AFTER the character you wish to modify.

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Answer 2

Barry

Level 9

60,023 points

Mar 8, 2016 1:27 AM in response to GarethH1

Hi Gareth,

You should also be able to find this character by searching for macron or combining.

U+0305 is the "combining overline"

related characters are U+00AF: macron, U+0304: combining macron, U+035E: combining double macron, and a few others. All of the 'combining' characters occupy the same character space as the character entered before them (or in the case of the combining double macron, of the two characters entered before the combining character.

Regards,

Barry

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Answer 3

Yellowbox

Level 7

21,939 points

Mar 8, 2016 2:00 AM in response to GarethH1

Hi Gareth,

I stole this from Tom Geweckein this locked thread from 2007:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1123103?start=0&tstart=0

Thanks, Tom!

x̄ X̄

Copy and Paste those x-bar characters into a document then save as a 'resource document' or a template for future use. A bit like Clip Art!

Regards,

Ian.

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Answer 4

GarethH1 Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 8, 2016 2:01 AM in response to Barry

Thanks but, none of those are really applicable, "U+00AF" (M¯M) doesn't even modify the character, just kind of sits between characters, "U+0304" (M̄) is about half as wide as necessary, "U+035E" is much wider and would probably cover the width of the character but, for whatever reason shows up half a character to the right, and shares "top space" with whatever other character comes after. (M͞)

"U+305" seems to be the most appropriate to denote an average character (M̅).

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Answer 5

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,308 points

Mar 8, 2016 10:25 AM in response to GarethH1

In System Preferences : Keyboard : Input Sources, add the Unicode Hex Input keyboard. Click the + symbol to add it, and then scroll to the bottom of languages until you see Others. Click Others, select Unicode Hex Input, and Add. On this same panel, ensure that Show Input menu in menu bar is checked.

Switch to your Unicode Hex Input menu item. Type your 'x', and then press and hold the option key while typing 0304 which is Unicode (U+0304) for the combining macron. Set the input source menu item back to your normal language. This technique works in Find/Replace too.

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