XeLaTeX: unicode characters not in PDF

Question

This question is related to this one: XeLaTeX - special unicode characters

I've got the same problem of missing unicode characters in my PDF when generated with XeLaTeX.

I used the following example code:

\documentclass[varwidth]{standalone}

\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont{Linux Libertine}
\usepackage{listings}

\begin{document}
    These characters are working - +ľščťžýáí˝¨˘˛˙´°'

    These aren't - ├ └

    \begin{lstlisting}
        Listing: ├ └
    \end{lstlisting}
\end{document}

I tried different fonts with the same results. I've checked in my LibreOffice Writer that the missing characters are included within the given font.

The output file:

My OS is Linux (Manjaro) and I run XeLaTeX via the terminal.

Does someone got an idea what the underlying problem is?

Solutions:

The problem is indeed that the font is not suited for the characters I would like to have.

One solution by Marijn is shown below utilizing a package for such missing characters.

Another way is depicted in this blog post where a fallback font is implemented: https://blog.michael.franzl.name/2014/12/10/xelatex-unicode-font-fallback-unsupported-characters/ Repost of the working example code:

\documentclass[]{book}

\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont{Junicode}
\newfontfamily\myregularfont{Junicode}
\newfontfamily\mychinesefont{IPAexMincho}

\usepackage[CJK]{ucharclasses}
\setTransitionsForCJK{\mychinesefont}{\myregularfont}

\begin{document}
Latin text. Chinese text: 紫薇北斗星  Modern greek: Διαμ πριμα εσθ ατ, κυο πχιλωσοπηια Ancient greek: Μῆνιν ἄειδε, θεά, Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος. And regular latin text.
\end{document}

Answer 1

The package pmboxdraw contains definitions for such characters, which are drawn as lines. In pdfLaTeX this works directly, if you use the characters in the main text. Inside lstlisting you need to define such characters separately in lstset, see How to use extended ASCII characters in the lstlisting environment?. For more characters see the pmboxdraw manual which contains macros for around 140 characters.

MWE for pdfLaTeX:

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{listings}
\usepackage{pmboxdraw}

\begin{document}

    These aren't - ├ └

\lstset{literate={┐}{\textSFiii}1%
  {└}{\textSFii}1%
  {┴}{\textSFvii}1%
  {┬}{\textSFvi}1%
  {├}{\textSFviii}{1}%
  {─}{\textSFx}1%
  {│}{\textSFxi}1%
  {┼}{\textSFv}1,}

    \begin{lstlisting}
        Listing: ├ └
    \end{lstlisting}
\end{document}

Result:

For XeLaTeX it is a bit more difficult, because fontspec prevents pmboxdraw to process the characters. However, you can set them individually with \newunicodechar to use the pmboxdraw macros, similar to the listings solution.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{fontspec}
\setmainfont{Linux Libertine O}

\usepackage{listings}
\usepackage{pmboxdraw}
\usepackage{newunicodechar}
\newunicodechar{└}{\textSFii}
\newunicodechar{┴}{\textSFvii}
\newunicodechar{┬}{\textSFvi}
\newunicodechar{├}{\textSFviii}
\newunicodechar{─}{\textSFx}
\newunicodechar{┼}{\textSFv}
\newunicodechar{│}{\textSFxi}

\begin{document}
    These characters are working - +ľščťžýáí˝¨˘˛˙´°'

    These aren't - ├ └

\lstset{literate={┐}{\textSFiii}1%
  {└}{\textSFii}1%
  {┴}{\textSFvii}1%
  {┬}{\textSFvi}1%
  {├}{\textSFviii}{1}%
  {─}{\textSFx}1%
  {│}{\textSFxi}1%
  {┼}{\textSFv}1,}

    \begin{lstlisting}
        Listing: ├ └
    \end{lstlisting}
\end{document}

Result: