How do I type accented characters in windows?

Question

I heard that you can hold alt and type out some cryptic numeric code to get characters like accented letters. Is there a way to do this more like the mac way?

Answer 1

Characters with accents (ANSI / HTML)

e.g. Alt + 182 will yield a capital A with accent circumflex: Â

Answer 2

ASCII Caracthers:

http://www.asciitable.com/

:)

Answer 3

Some language settings have that already included. If your’s doesn’t, there might be a special ‘international’ setting available.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout#United_Kingdom_extended http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout#US-International http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keyboard_layout#Canadian_Multilingual_Standard

Answer 4

An alternative would be installing a multilingual keyboard layout (such as Canadian Multilingual) and use the hotkeys (ALT+SHIFT in Vista and 7) to alternate between that and your normal keyboard layout.

Answer 5

Not really, Windows doesn't allow accented input as easily. However, it is generally pretty easy to locate the codes you need by using the 'Character Map' utility.

From the run dialog (Win+R), execute: charmap.exe

In there, you will be presented with a font selection at the top and a grid of characters that font provides. I recommend picking a good standard font (e.g. Times New Roman). Locate the character you want and SINGLE-CLICK on it.

In the bottom right corner of the window there will be a code that correlates to the Alt+### code you use to type that character. Alternatively if you DOUBLE-CLICK on the character, it will append it to the text-box at the bottom left of the application, where you can easily copy & paste it into the program you needed the character.

Some software has a special-characters insert built right in (Word for example, under Insert Special Character). Do note however, that if you use a non-standard font you may get something other than what you expected (Wingdings is a great example of this).

Answer 6

On a UK keyboard here's another way to get "accented" vowels:

Alt Gr + e = é

Alt Gr + a = á

Alt Gr + i = í

Alt Gr + o = ó

Alt Gr + u = ú

The capitals work the same way too.

However, it's only these 5 characters that work this way and they're not true accents.

Answer 7

Ctrl + ', then let them go, and e will give you é

This will work for the vowels, but in my tests, only in certain situations (e.g. MS Office).

Answer 8

Windows is such a pain. I've been using copypastechar to grab them and paste in. :P

Answer 9

I use AllChars on a daily basis. It emulates X-style Compose key, allowing me to quickly type all those annoying characters like ©, ® and °.

Answer 10

I've been using this awesome AutoHotkey script from this forum http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/topic570.html by 'jak'. Just set this script to run at startup:

With this you can do stuff like

• Windows + ` and then e to get è
• Windows + : and then e to get ë

...etc

;====================================
;accents "top part" - this top part needs to be located at the top part (the 'run' part) of the ahk file
;====================================
;
;============ ----- Send Unicode Character - universal MS word-style accents in any application
;
SendInput:=DllCall("GetProcAddress",UInt,DllCall("GetModuleHandle",Str,"user32"),Str,"SendInput")
VarSetCapacity(SendUbuf, 56, 0) ; INIT SendU data strucure
NumPut(1, SendUbuf, 0, "Char")
NumPut(1, SendUbuf,28, "Char")
NumPut(0x40000, SendUbuf, 6)
NumPut(0x60000, SendUbuf,34)
;-----------------
;

;====================================
;accents "hotkey part" -  (this part can be located anywhere)
;====================================
;



SendU(UC) {                     ; Send Unicode Char, Pressed modifier keys stay active!
   Global                       ; SendUbuf, SendInput
   NumPut(UC, SendUbuf, 6, "Short")
   NumPut(UC, SendUbuf,34, "Short")
   Return DllCall(SendInput, UInt,2, UInt,&SendUbuf, Int,28)
}


a::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,à
{
SendU(0x00e0)
}
else if accent=acute
{
;   Send,á
SendU(0x00e1)
}

else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,â
{
SendU(0x00e2)
}
else if accent=tilda
;    sendinput,ã
{
SendU(0x00e3)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;   sendinput,ä
{
SendU(0x00e4)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


c::
if accent=cedilla
;    sendinput,ç
{
SendU(0x00e7)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return

e::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,è
{
SendU(0x00e8)
}
else if accent=acute
;   sendinput,é
{
SendU(0x00e9)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,ê
{
SendU(0x00ea)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;   sendinput,ë
{
SendU(0x00eb)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


i::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,ì
{
SendU(0x00ec)
}
else if accent=acute
;   sendinput,í
{
SendU(0x00ed)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,î
{
SendU(0x00ee)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;  sendinput,ï
{
SendU(0x00ef)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


n::
if accent=tilda
;    sendinput,ñ
{
SendU(0x00f1)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return

o::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,ò
{
SendU(0x00f2)
}
else if accent=acute
;   sendinput,ó
{
SendU(0x00f3)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,ô
{
SendU(0x00f4)
}
else if accent=tilda
;    sendinput,õ
{
SendU(0x00f5)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;   sendinput,ö
{
SendU(0x00f6)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


u::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,ù
{
SendU(0x00f9)
}
else if accent=acute
;   sendinput,ú
{
SendU(0x00fa)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,û
{
SendU(0x00fb)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;   sendinput,ü
{
SendU(0x00fc)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


+a::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,À
{
SendU(0x00c0)
}
else if accent=acute
;   sendinput,Á
{
SendU(0x00c1)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,Â
{
SendU(0x00c2)
}
else if accent=tilda
;    sendinput,Ã
{
SendU(0x00c3)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;   sendinput,Ä
{
SendU(0x00c4)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return



+c::
if accent=cedilla
;    sendinput,Ç
{
SendU(0x00c7)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


+e::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,È
{
SendU(0x00c8)
}
else if accent=acute
;   sendinput,É
{
SendU(0x00c9)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,Ê
{
SendU(0x00ca)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;  sendinput,Ë
{
SendU(0x00cb)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


+i::
if accent=acute
;   sendinput,Í
{
SendU(0x00cc)
}
else if accent=grave
;   sendinput,Ì
{
SendU(0x00cd)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,Î
{
SendU(0x00ce)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;   sendinput,Ï
{
SendU(0x00cf)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


+n::
if accent=tilda
;    sendinput,Ñ
{
SendU(0x00d1)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


+o::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,Ò
{
SendU(0x00d2)
}
else if accent=acute
;   sendinput,Ó
{
SendU(0x00d3)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,Ô
{
SendU(0x00d4)
}
else if accent=tilda
;    sendinput,Õ
{
SendU(0x00d5)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;   sendinput,Ö
{
SendU(0x00d6)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return



+u::
if accent=grave
;   sendinput,ù
{
SendU(0x00d9)
}
else if accent=acute
;   sendinput,ú
{
SendU(0x00da)
}
else if accent=circumflex
;   sendinput,û
{
SendU(0x00db)
}
else if accent=umlaut
;   sendinput,ü
{
SendU(0x00dc)
}
Gosub,TurnAccentsOff
Return


TurnAccentsOff:
Hotkey,a,off
Hotkey,e,off
Hotkey,i,off
Hotkey,o,off
Hotkey,u,off
Hotkey,c,off
Hotkey,n,off
Hotkey,+a,off
Hotkey,+e,off
Hotkey,+i,off
Hotkey,+o,off
Hotkey,+u,off
Hotkey,+c,off
Hotkey,+n,off
Return

TurnAccentsOn:
Hotkey,a,on
Hotkey,e,on
Hotkey,i,on
Hotkey,o,on
Hotkey,u,on
Hotkey,c,on
Hotkey,n,on
Hotkey,+a,on
Hotkey,+e,on
Hotkey,+i,on
Hotkey,+o,on
Hotkey,+u,on
Hotkey,+c,on
Hotkey,+n,on
Return



<#'::
keywait, lwin
accent=acute
Gosub,TurnAccentsOn
Return



<#`::
keywait, lwin
accent=grave
Gosub,TurnAccentsOn
Return



<#6::
<#+6::
keywait, lwin
accent=circumflex
Gosub,TurnAccentsOn
Return



<#;::
<#+;::
keywait, lwin
accent=umlaut
Gosub,TurnAccentsOn
Return



<#,::
keywait, lwin
accent=cedilla
Gosub,TurnAccentsOn
Return



<#+`::
keywait, lwin
accent=tilda
Gosub,TurnAccentsOn
Return



Gosub,TurnAccentsOff

There's also a more Mac like approach which I haven't tried here: http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/topic30440.html.

Answer 11

Windows used to ship with a 'Character Map' app in the Start Menu (under Accessories). This will give you a way to copy and paste any extended ASCII char into you current working window, including accented letters. Not sure if they still do. I haven't used windows since XP.

Answer 12

I use a lot of odd characters, and actually found it worthwile to create a new keyboard layout using MSKLC, that uses the layout I am used to, but adds a lot of special characters in unobtrusive places. Those I use most are inserted as AltGr combinations, e.g., AltGr+n for ŋ and so on. The idea is that you or anyone using your computer should have everything in its expected place, with all those extra characters available to you if you need them. The only way this can be made to work is if you take pains to put the characters in intuitive places. If you weren't sure whether a character existed or not on your keyboard, which keys would you try? These are generally a great place to keep them.

This does not solve everything, of course. I also set a keyboard shortcut to the insert symbol dialog in word, use the Charmap and separate keyboard layouts for completely different input methods, such as arabic-based alphabets.

That said, I am intrigued by the idea of combination solutions, because they also let you use intuitive paths to the characters you need. Reminds me of old Word Perfect...