Typing accents (in the diacritical sense)

[Bert Coules]

I've been experimenting with typing letters with accents, using ASCII codes: that's to say (on a PC, at least) holding down ALT while entering digits on the numberpad.

What I've discovered is that some codes work beautifully and others don't. For example:

ALT+132 generates ä

But ALT+142 (which should produce an upper-case A with an umlaut) takes me out of the text entry/edit box and throws me back to the list of threads for whatever section of the forums I happen to be in.

I haven't tried every possible code, but it looks as if the presence of a "4" in any position is what triggers the return to the thread list. So I can successfully use the ALT+ method to type Ö, à, ç, é, ü and various others, but not lower-case o umlaut, upper-case A umlaut and a few more.

Further mucking about reveals that ALT+4 will generate the thread list even when typed while outside the text/entry box.

Strange...

[french frank]

Being innumerate I can never remember the ALT + numbers. Thank heavens for my desktop Mac which has the most usual diacritics as dead keys:

ALT + e = ´ (then type the letter you want with the acute accent on it ´ é Á ú &c); ALT + u = ¨ ; ALT + i = ^ ; very easily, ALT + c = ç

I have to confess that I have a very awkward way of reproducing Jiří Bělohlávek or Leoš Janáček i.e. google the name without diacritics and when the Wikipedia page shows (often as the top hit) copy and paste

[Bert Coules]

I don't remember them either, but that's what sticky labels and that empty space at the top right-hand corner of the keyboard is for.

An alternative for the PC is a nifty little utility prog called AllChars, which allows almost exactly the inputting method you describe for the Mac. I have it installed and used to use it a lot (and recommend it here) but it's not happy with my main machine's upgrade to Windows 7, alas: hence my experiments with the ASCII codes.

The cut-and-paste method works well, too...

[gurnemanz]

I also used AllChars until I got a laptop with Windows 7 where it doesn't seem to work. I now use PhraseExpress which is actually better than AllChars, if slightly less easy to set up.

[Bert Coules]

I've not come across PhraseExpress; I'll check it out. Many thanks for the recommendation.

[Don Petter]

I've not come across PhraseExpress; I'll check it out. Many thanks for the recommendation.

I have used PhraseExpress for quite a while for entering things I often need (such as email address, stock positive feedback response in eBay, passwords, etc). Each can be assigned to a particular key - typically one of the function keys not being otherwise used.

For those of a paranoid nature (no-one here, I'm sure) the advantage of entering passwords this way is that possible intrusive rogue software recording your keyboard input will only 'see' key F8, or somesuch, not the actual password.

[Bert Coules]

Don, thanks for that: it sounds like a highly useful utility, especially given its compatibility with Win7: I'll hunt it up this morning.

[Chunter]

On a Mac one can set up an icon on the menu bar for displaying a character or keyboard viewer.

In System Preferences go to Language & Text -> Input Sources. Then select 'Keyboard & Character Viewer' and 'Show input menu in menu bar'.

[Norfolk Born]

I've been experimenting with typing letters with accents, using ASCII codes: that's to say (on a PC, at least) holding down ALT while entering digits on the numberpad.

What I've discovered is that some codes work beautifully and others don't. For example:

ALT+132 generates ä

But ALT+142 (which should produce an upper-case A with an umlaut) takes me out of the text entry/edit box and throws me back to the list of threads for whatever section of the forums I happen to be in.

I haven't tried every possible code, but it looks as if the presence of a "4" in any position is what triggers the return to the thread list. So I can successfully use the ALT+ method to type Ö, à, ç, é, ü and various others, but not lower-case o umlaut, upper-case A umlaut and a few more.

Further mucking about reveals that ALT+4 will generate the thread list even when typed while outside the text/entry box.

Strange...

Try Alt0196 (it should give you Ä). Similarly Alt0246 should give you ö, Alt0242 ò etc.
I've downloaded 'ALT codes for letters with accents' from http://usefulshortcuts.com/alt-codes...-alt-codes.php.
If you need a certain frequently used German character, try Alt225 (should give you ß)

[french frank]

On a Mac one can set up an icon on the menu bar for displaying a character or keyboard viewer.

In System Preferences go to Language & Text -> Input Sources. Then select 'Keyboard & Character Viewer' and 'Show input menu in menu bar'.

The problem over names like Jiří Bělohlávek and Jan Václav Voříšek is not finding the diacritics but remembering where they go

[Richard Tarleton]

I've used the Alt+ numbers for many years for Spanish - I've simply learnt them through constant practice. Alt+164 produces the ñ - there, it didn't send me back to the Thread list?

[french frank]

I've used the Alt+ numbers for many years for Spanish - I've simply learnt them through constant practice. Alt+164 produces the ñ - there, it didn't send me back to the Thread list?

It's just ALT+n +n on a Mac - ñ. But Macs were built for dummies, weren't they?

ññññññññññ

[johnb]

There is no need for additional utilities or even lists.

On a Windows PC there is an extremely useful utility called "Character Map" tucked away in:

Start/All programs/Accessories/System Tools

It displays the available characters for the font/character set. You can either copy and paste or use the ALT+ code that it displays.

The best thing to do is to pin Character Map to the Start Menu or Task Bar (in Windows 7) or to copy a shortcut to the Desktop.

[makropulos]

johnb: Yes - and it's very similar on a Mac - you just go to the "Show character viewer" (in the language tab on the menu bar) and up comes a palate of characters with accents (including Czech, Romanian and others) - assuming you have the thing set to "accented Latin".

[Richard Tarleton]

I used to use Character map but found the Alt+ codes much quicker once I knew them - it interrupts the flow much less than stopping to copy and paste.

I always feel envious of Macs as they look so cool but fear I would be entering old dogs/new tricks territory