Typing accents  ALT codes  Choosing a keyboard

Typing accents using ALT codes

This method is suitable for people who:

• work predominantly in English, but from time to time need to type accents;
• have a good memory for numbers/associations;
• can't or don't want to reconfigure the computer.

This method relies on the fact that "under the hood", the computer assigns a code or number to each symbol and letter of the alphabet. It is possible to type a character by directly entering its code on the numeric keypad.

How to type accents using this method

To type a character using this method:

• Hold down the left-hand ALT key;
• On the numeric keypad, type the code corresponding to the character you want to type;
• Let go of the ALT key.

The character codes (sometimes called "ALT codes") of some important characters used in French are given in the following table.

Note:

• you can generally capitalise a letter by subtracting 32 from its code;
• in some software, depending on your configuration, you may find you do not need to type the preceding zero;
• if you have a laptop keyboard without a numeric keypad, there will probably be a way (e.g. using a "function" key) to mimic one—consult your owner's manual! (You could also invest in a plug-in USB numeric keypad.)

What if I don't know the code for a character?

So, how do you find the ALT code for an accented character if you don't know it?

The answer is that you can find the code to a character using the Windows Character Map utility. Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools and choose Character Map. This will present you with a grid of characters, as shown below. Clicking on a character in the grid will show you its ALT code in the bottom-right. In this example, we find that the ALT code for the German beta s character is 0223: