Few users know that you can insert non-existent characters on the keyboard. That is, those that are not depicted on it. You can do this in various ways, but it is best to choose the most universal one and use it regularly.
In what cases may it be needed?
Cases in which there is a need to customize a document or a web page can be different. This is the design of the advertising leaflet, on which you need to add the ™ sign next to the name of the trademark, this is the dissertation with the logo of the copyright entry © (its second name is the copyright symbol). Therefore, you need to know about this opportunity to enter unusual characters on the keyboard and use it as needed.
Extended set
The first important nuance that needs to be understood is that, in addition to the usual set of characters, there is also an extended one, which is not applied to the keyboard. Any modern keyboard is equipped with a minimum of 101 keys. There may be more if you have it in multimedia performance. But the basic set of keys remains unchanged - there will still be 101 of them. Some of them are keys (Scroll Lock, Num Lock and Caps Lock), used to change the operating mode. There are also function keys, the purpose of which depends on the application currently open. Ctrl, Alt, and Shift toggle input language, case, and keyboard layout. There are also navigation and editing keys. Therefore, input options are limited by a standard set of letters and numbers. But there are times when this is not enough. Then you need to use the extended set, which consists of 253 characters. This includes ©, ®, € and more.
Use Alt
This is the most versatile way of making keyboard characters that are not in the base set. It works in all modern applications. First you need to transfer the number keys on the right side from navigation mode to input mode. If the corresponding LED does not light, then press the Num Lock key once. And with his active state, nothing needs to be done. Next, we use the table of ASCII codes. We are looking for the right character in it. Opposite it will be a digital sequence of numbers. Remember her. Then we go to our application, in which you need to enter it (for example, "Word" or "Power Point"). We make one click with the left mouse button in its work area. Hold Alt and enter the number sequence that you previously remembered, then leave all the keys. After that, the symbol we need will appear. For example, to enter the character ☼, the code 15 is dialed (1, then 5 at once, while Alt cannot be released), and for the character ☺ - 1.
Alternative in the "Word"
No wonder the Word is sometimes called a word processor. It has such wide possibilities for entering and editing documents that it is completely justified. And one of them is to use an extended character set without codes. Immediately, the pros and cons of this method can be noted. The first include the fact that you do not need a table of ASCII codes. But the disadvantage is that this method works only in office applications. That is, not only in Word, but also in any other application that is part of the Microsoft Office suite. In the open window of any of them, press Alt. Then press C and go to the "Insert" toolbar. Next, we perform a similar procedure with M. After that, the “Symbols” window opens. In it, using the cursor keys, go to the item "Other characters" and press Enter. Then the input window for the extended character set will open. In it, using the arrows, we find the symbol we need and click "Insert." At the end of input, close this window. At the same time, the characters we need should appear in the workspace of the document. This is the answer to the question of how to write characters on the keyboard that are not there. There is nothing complicated in this method, but it is tied strictly to one group of software. If you do not have it, then it is impossible to enter a special character using this method.
How else can you?
Another way to paste non-standard characters on the keyboard is to use the clipboard. That is, the sign we need can be transferred from one application to another. The first problem encountered in its implementation is the need for a source. That is, the place where the desired symbol already exists. You can use an office application or a browser. In the first case, by the previously described method, we enter the desired sign in its work area. Then select it (for example, by combining Shift and arrows in the desired direction). The background of the symbol will change. Next, press Ctrl and, without releasing it, C. Then we go to another application, into which you need to enter, using the combination Alt + Tab, if it is open, or run it through "Start \ All Programs". At the next stage, press Ctrl and, without releasing it, V. After that, the information from the clipboard will be pasted. The second option on how to type characters on the keyboard is to use any browser and the Internet. In this case, you can’t do without connecting to the global web. And the order is as follows. We launch the browser and using the search engine we find
desired character. Select it with the mouse and copy it in the previously described way. Otherwise, the procedure is the same as that given for office applications.
Summary
Within the framework of this material, three basic methods of how to type characters on the keyboard were described. The most versatile is the one that is built on the use of digital codes. It works in all Windows applications without exception, which is why it is recommended to use it most often in practice. The disadvantage is that you need to remember all 253 characters that can be entered this way. And it’s not so simple. But there is a solution to this problem. It is enough to print a table with them once and then use it as necessary. The other two methods are not so universal and require either additional software (as is the case with Word), or an Internet connection (when using the clipboard). So they are more likely theoretical than practical. But such an opportunity to enter missing characters on the keyboard still exists.