Microsoft KB Archive/97728

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WD: Using US-Int'l Keyboard Layout to Type Accented Characters

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Q97728

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

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SUMMARY
This article describes how to use the US-International keyboard layout to create international characters. In Word for Windows, when you want to create international--or accented--characters, you can use this method as an alternative to typing the ANSI character code, using the Insert Symbol command, inserting EQ fields, or changing to a different Windows keyboard layout.

MORE INFORMATION
When you use the US-International keyboard layout, you should also use the English (International) language setting. To change these settings, choose the Regional Settings icon (in Windows 3.x, choose the International icon) in the Control Panel window.

The US-International keyboard layout does not remap your standard US keyboard layout. Instead it creates international characters by assigning certain characters a strikeover function so you can use them to add an accent or diacritical mark to a character. It also assigns new functions to the RIGHT ALT key. The following describes the features of the US-International keyboard layout:


 * When you press any of the following keys, nothing appears on the screen until you press the next key: the APOSTROPHE ('), QUOTATION MARK (&quot;), ACCENT GRAVE (`), TILDE (~), and accent circumflex or CARET (^) key. If you press one of the letters designated as eligible to take an accent mark, the accented version of the letter appears. If you press an ineligible key, two separate characters appear. In other words, the US-International keyboard layout DLL automatically accents letters that customarily take an accent mark but does not automatically accent letters that do not customarily take an accent mark.
 * The RIGHT ALT key activates additional functions for the APOSTROPHE (') and QUOTATION MARK (&quot;) key. As a result, the RIGHT ALT key no longer performs Windows functions. You must use the LEFT ALT key to perform Windows functions and as part of key combinations in Windows (such as ALT+TAB or ALT+F4) or Windows-based applications (such as ALT+F1 in Word for Windows).
 * You can press the RIGHT ALT key plus another character to produce some common extended characters. Most keys on the keyboard produce one or two extended characters in combination with the RIGHT ALT key. The following table lists some of the extended characters you can produce with the RIGHT ALT+ key combination:

Note: This is an incomplete list due to the difficulty of displaying extended characters in some environments.
 * If you want to type an apostrophe, quotation mark, caret, tilde, or accent grave followed by an unaccented letter, press the SPACEBAR after you press the key. For example, to type &quot;A girl named Sally&quot;, press the QUOTATION MARK key, then press the SPACEBAR, then press A.

The following table lists the accented characters you can create using the US-International keyboard layout:

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

"Q120085 WD: How to Enter Accented Characters from the Keyboard" Reference(s):

&quot;Microsoft Windows User's Guide,&quot; version 3.1, pages 169-171

Additional query words: 2.0 6.0 winword2 word6 winword overstrike strikeover nothing win31 different u.s.

Keywords : kbFont

Issue type :

Technology : kbWordSearch kbWordWSearch