[bossep]

I am about to write a document in swedish. Where do I find 'å','ä' and 'ö' on my keyboard?

[fulmer]

are you in the english or swedish keyboards?
why not just switch to swedish via the international prefs pane?

[paul w]

Or System Prefernces > International > Input menu > check character palette and then under the flag icon show character pallete.

Also use the option key. Option + u gives you the "¨" option+u then a gives you ä and so on.

Option + a = å , option + u, then o = ö...

Have fun!

[Steve Bosell]

you can use this script to open the character pallet..

[ibook_steve]

I guess the best question would be that if you don't know how to type those characters, how the heck did you type them in this post?



Steve

[Chuckit]

Originally posted by ibook_steve:
I guess the best question would be that if you don't know how to type those characters, how the heck did you type them in this post?

Copy and paste? Input palette?

[bossep]

Originally posted by Chuckit:
Copy and paste? Input palette?

I am on a Swedish keyboard now, but I am going to buy a Powerbook with English keyboard.

[tooki]

The Mac's standard input method for letters with diacriticals is the so-called dead keys.

Switch your keyboard to US for this experiment, as all the key combinations I refer to are for the US layout and will not apply to other layouts; it doesn't matter that the key caps are Swedish.

First of all, å is simply Option-A.

To make umlauted letters, type Option-U, then the letter you want umlauted. For example, ä is Option-U then a. Ä is Option-U then shift-a.

If you need other diacriticals, switch to the U.S. Extended layout, which has every diacritical under the sun (including double-diacriticals, and double-dead-keys) as well as IPA phonetic symbols. (HTML doesn't have any real way of representing them, but the examples I wanted to show were a W with the small circle above, and a U with an umlaut and a straight bar.)


If you open the Keyboard Viewer from the menu with the little flag, look at what happens as you press Option and Option-Shift: certain keys will have a thick border. Those are the "dead keys" for two-step diacrticals.

Sure beats Windows, where you have to type ALT-0624 or whatever to get characters that aren't on your keyboard!

tooki

[reemas]

how do i type the Apple / Command key?? i always am explaining things to other mac users and wish i knew how to type BOTH the apple and the wierd inifinity sign key. (same key, but two icons on it)

[tooki]

The Apple symbol on the key is only there for old-time's sake. Try to avoid using it to explain the command key, since the Apple symbol isn't used on-screen (for example, in menus).

The propeller (aka squiggly, cauliflower, etc) symbol is the Command symbol. It cannot be typed in most programs, though it does exist as a Unicode entity.

Just tell your friends the propeller means Command.

tooki

[bossep]

Originally posted by tooki:
The Mac's standard input method for letters with diacriticals is the so-called dead keys.

Switch your keyboard to US for this experiment, as all the key combinations I refer to are for the US layout and will not apply to other layouts; it doesn't matter that the key caps are Swedish.

First of all, å is simply Option-A.

To make umlauted letters, type Option-U, then the letter you want umlauted. For example, ä is Option-U then a. Ä is Option-U then shift-a.

If you need other diacriticals, switch to the U.S. Extended layout, which has every diacritical under the sun (including double-diacriticals, and double-dead-keys) as well as IPA phonetic symbols. (HTML doesn't have any real way of representing them, but the examples I wanted to show were a W with the small circle above, and a U with an umlaut and a straight bar.)


If you open the Keyboard Viewer from the menu with the little flag, look at what happens as you press Option and Option-Shift: certain keys will have a thick border. Those are the "dead keys" for two-step diacrticals.

Sure beats Windows, where you have to type ALT-0624 or whatever to get characters that aren't on your keyboard!

tooki

Many thanks!

[JKT]

Originally posted by tooki:
Just tell your friends the propeller means Command.

Just as a FYI, you may also see it referred to as the cloverleaf symbol too.

[tooki]

Thanks, that's it! I knew there was another nickname for it that was escaping me!!!

tooki

[molala]

apple keyboards actually used to have "cmd" or "command" on that key (as well as the apple drawing and propellers). but i can't remember when they last did so! maybe i just imagined it?? been using macs and calling it the command key for 11 years. just checked the oldest mac here (a beige G3 with an ADB keyboard) and there is no "command".

[Chuckit]

I'm not positive, but I seem to recall that certain localized keyboards have the name on it. That may be where you saw it.

[Dr.Michael]

Originally posted by bossep:
I am about to write a document in swedish. Where do I find 'å','ä' and 'ö' on my keyboard?

Ahem, very simple question: do you know the program "key caps" in the /Applications/utilities folder?
It shows you which key matches which symbol taking into account the modifier keys (ctrl, alt, command).
Thus you should find whatever you need.

[JKT]

Originally posted by Dr.Michael:
Ahem, very simple question: do you know the program "key caps" in the /Applications/utilities folder?
It shows you which key matches which symbol taking into account the modifier keys (ctrl, alt, command).
Thus you should find whatever you need.

Unfortunately, that only applies to OS 10.2.x and earlier. Key Caps no longer exists as a separate app in 10.3.x - you need to activate Keyboard Viewer in your Input Menu (the flag icon in the menubar) via the International Preferences to gain access to the "Key Caps" window:

[Dr.Michael]

Originally posted by JKT:
Unfortunately, that only applies to OS 10.2.x and earlier. Key Caps no longer exists as a separate app in 10.3.x - you need to activate Keyboard Viewer in your Input Menu (the flag icon in the menubar) via the International Preferences to gain access to the "Key Caps" window:

Oh yes, you are right. Thanks. I indeed use an old version.