Umlaute etc.,

Ulrich Rudofsky · Post by **Ulrich Rudofsky** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 12:21 am

There is a way to type German Umlaute (and Spanish, Slavic, Scandinavian, and French letters and symbols) in Windows MS international keyboard systems by holding down ALT and typing a 3 or 4 digit number: ü =ALT 0252, ö = ALT 0246, ß = ALT 0223 (sharp ss or sz, not beta)

http://www.forlang.wsu.edu/help/keyboards.asp

ontheslipway · Post by **ontheslipway** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 10:24 am

It's far easier with WIndowns XP to set your Keyboard to US international. Then you can just type " and the letter, and it will do the rest. ä, ë, ü, ç , é, è û, etcetera. You can set it at the regional settings-> Languages-> details. Add a keyboard, reset, remove the old one.

Ulrich Rudofsky · Post by **Ulrich Rudofsky** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 1:08 pm

Thank you! It seems like never a day passes without learning something new. It took me a while to figure out how to find the keyboard setting etc. At my age handling a computer is a challenging task. But I found directions at http://support.microsoft.com/default.as ... 60&sd=tech

So now I have a switch on my toolbar to go from English(United States) keyboard to the United States International keyboard, e.g., from "u to ü........ and I don't have to go ALT 0252 anymore.

Thank again

ontheslipway · Post by **ontheslipway** » Sat Jul 09, 2005 11:37 pm

You need to know that this item cost me a significant headache! I found it out after "some" searching after I got a new PC at work which somehow stopped printing umlauts!

Tiornu · Post by **Tiornu** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 7:10 am

What drawbacks are there to this setting? I suppose it irritates when you want to quote a passage beginning with a vowel...?

ontheslipway · Post by **ontheslipway** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:52 am

You need to press spacebar after hitting these keys: ", ', ~, `, ' and then you get the symbol that's actually on your keyboard. Ik you want to type "k, you do not need to type ", space, k, as ", k has the same result..

It requires a little of getting used to but still beter than remembering the entire ASCII table!

Ulrich Rudofsky · Post by **Ulrich Rudofsky** » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:35 pm

After using the ASCII symbols for 10 years, my brain and fingers are wired for them. It will take a major effort to rip out all the wires and change to the much simpler way. Not easy. Believe me. At 70.