Update: implement UTF-8 support in fss processing code and add additional functionality

Update: implement UTF-8 support in fss processing code and add additional functionality

Additional functionality includes implementing f_utf_character in f_utf.

Includes numerous other small UTF-8 updates.

Some macros have been wrapped in parenthesis to avoid unobvious issues such as when adding an exclamation before a macro call (and the possible order of operation issues).