Simple question: What's the quickest way to get an en dash (–, Unicode U+2013 EN DASH) in Windows? Note that this question is for all programs, not just Microsoft Word.
Even better if it can be copied to the clipboard as a pure Unicode character, with no formatting information (typeface, etc.) so that when I paste it into Word or Excel or other rich text editors, it doesn't carry its format with it.
Get autohotkey and use hotstrings.
Replace say -- with an en dash, the way word does.
Here is the script:
::--::{Asc 0151}
Yeah. Its that short. Works in my notepad on Windows 7.
PS:You can compile the script into standalone EXE with icon of your choice if you want to redistribute.
Answering my own question with my current unsatisfactory solution.
Right now I open character map with a keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-Alt-M), type "en dash" into the advanced-mode "Search for:" field, then click Select, and Copy. It's very slow, and if the character map is on a particular font, it will also carry formatting information with it.
