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6.0.0 Unicode Standard Annexes (proposed updates)
UAX #9: The Bidirectional Algorithm
UAX #11: East Asian Width
UAX #14: Line Breaking Properties
UAX #15: Unicode Normalization Forms
UAX #24: Script Names
UAX #29: Text Boundaries
UAX #31: Identifier and Pattern Syntax
UAX #34: Unicode Named Character Sequences
UAX #38: Unicode Han Database (Unihan)
UAX #41: Common References for Unicode Standard Annexes
UAX #42: An XML Representation of the UCD
UAX #44: Unicode Character Database
6.0.0 Unicode Technical Standards (proposed updates)
UTS #10: Unicode Collation Algorithm
UTS #46: Unicode IDNA Compatibility Processing
Earlier Versions
Versions of the Unicode Standard
Unicode 5.2.0
Unicode 5.1.0
Unicode 5.0.0

BETA Unicode 6.0.0

The next version of the Unicode Standard will be Version 6.0.0, planned for release on October 11, 2010. A beta version of the 6.0.0 Unicode Character Database files is available for public comment. We strongly encourage implementers to review the summary description, download the beta 6.0.0 Unicode Character Database files, and test their programs with the new data, well before the end of the beta period. Beta code charts are also available for review. We encourage users to check the code charts carefully to verify correctness of the new characters added to Unicode 6.0 and to ensure that there are no regressions in glyph shapes for previously encoded characters.

The Version 6.0 draft of Chapter 3, Conformance is also posted for review. Please note that definitions D110 and D111 have revised wording. Users of Unicode should take advantage of this opportunity to provide any feedback.

Summary description Unicode 6.0.0
Data files http, ftp
Summary of beta charts Readme.txt
Single-block charts with yellow highlighting for new characters http, ftp
Single block charts for all of Unicode 6.0 http, ftp
Code charts - single download, 95MB http, ftp

Related Unicode Technical Standards

In addition to the Unicode Standard proper, two other Unicode Technical Standards have significant text and data file updates that are correlated with the new additions for Unicode 6.0. Review of that text and data is also encouraged during the beta review period. 

Unicode Collation Algorithm (UCA)
Unicode IDNA Compatibility Processing

Review and Comments

For guidance on how to focus your review, see the section Notable Issues for Beta Testers below.

Any comments on the beta Unicode 6.0.0, the UCD 6.0.0, or the 6.0.0 UAXes and UTSes should be reported using the Unicode reporting form, referring to Public Review Issue #170. The comment period ends August 2, 2010. All substantive comments must have been received by that date for consideration at the August UTC meeting. Editorial comments (typos, etc.) may be still submitted after that date for consideration in the final editorial work.

Note: All beta files may be updated, replaced, or superseded by other files at any time. The beta files will be discarded once Unicode 6.0.0 is final. It is inappropriate to cite these files as other than a work in progress. No products or implementations should be released based on the beta UCD data files -- use only the final, approved Version 6.0.0 data files, expected on October 11, 2010.

The Unicode Consortium provides early access to updated versions of the data files and text to give reviewers and developers as much time as possible to ensure a problem-free adoption of Version 6.0.0.

The assignment of characters for Unicode 6.0.0 is now stable. There will be no further additions or modifications of code points.

One of the main purposes of the beta review period, however, is to verify and correct the preliminary character property assignments in the Unicode Character Database. Reviewers should check for property changes to existing Unicode 5.2.0 characters, as well as the property values for the new Unicode 6.0.0 character additions. To facilitate verification of the property changes and additions, diffable XML versions of the Unicode Character Database are available. These XML files are dated, so that people can check the details of changes that occurred during the beta review period. The XML files are in the http://www.unicode.org/Public/6.0.0/diffs/ directory. For more information, see the diffs.readme.txt file.

The beta review period is a good opportunity to add support for the new Unicode 6.0.0 characters in internal versions of software, so that software can be tested to verify that the new characters and property assignments don't cause problems when upgraded to Version 6.0.0 of Unicode.

Notable Issues for Beta Testers

All Unicode Standard Annexes are being modified in Unicode 6.0.0, and often in coordination with changes in properties. To see the current proposed updates to the particular UAXes, see Proposed Updates for Standard Annexes. Particular issues in the UAXes are also the focus of specific Public Review Issues. Each proposed change in a UAX is highlighted, so that you can focus your review on those sections if you have limited time. The changes are also listed in each Modifications section (linked from the table of contents), so you can check on those areas that might be of most interest. Some links between beta documents and the proposed updates for UAXes will not work correctly during the beta review period. This is a known problem which does not need to be reported, as such links are links to the eventual final names or revision numbers for the released versions.

The following blocks are new in Unicode 6.0. Check implementations carefully for any range or property value assumptions regarding these new blocks—particularly for the new CJK Extension D.

Block NameRange
Alchemical SymbolsU+1F700..U+1F77F
Bamum SupplementU+16800..U+16A3F
BatakU+1BC0..U+1BFF
BrahmiU+11000..U+1107F
CJK Unified Ideographs Extension DU+2B740..U+2B81F
EmoticonsU+1F600..U+1F64F
Ethiopic Extended-AU+AB00..U+AB2F
Kana SupplementU+1B000..U+1B0FF
MandaicU+0840..U+085F
Miscellaneous Symbols And PictographsU+1F300..U+1F5FF
Playing CardsU+1F0A0..U+1F0FF
Transport And Map SymbolsU+1F680..U+1F6FF

Please also check the following carefully:

  • the new emoji symbols, especially important for mobile phones, and the related new data file, EmojiSources.txt, which maps the emoji symbols to their original Japanese telco source sets
  • the 222 new CJK Unified Ideographs in common use in China and Japan
  • the two new provisional properties for support of Indic scripts: IndicMatraCategory and IndicSyllabicCategory
  • the new provisional script extension data for use in segmentation, regular expressions, and spoof detection
  • the new CJK Compatibility charts.
  • The UAX changes (http://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode6.0.0/#UAX_Changes)