Comments | deutsche_kultur: the umlaut on the keyboard

red_day_dawning in deutsche_kultur

the umlaut on the keyboard

Sep 16, 2007 01:23

Hi
I was wondering if someone could tell me how to instruct my PC to have an umlaut function on the keyboard. I have Windows XP, & I think a standard, ordinary ("Dell") keyboard. That way I can include the umlaut when I'm writing in German, & not just add an "e" after the vowel, which always makes me believe I have done a typo!

umlaute, red_day_dawning, questions, language

Comments 17

(The comment has been removed)

red_day_dawning September 15 2007, 15:51:45 UTC

Thank you - will try this as soon as I've completed tonight's work on the assignment-from-hell!~ don't want to try this in the middle of data-base chasing, as almost everything-that-can-go-wrong HAS gone wrong in my studies lately!

marijke_rose September 16 2007, 21:49:18 UTC

If you're going to do that (that's what I did before moving here! I had XP Pro SP2), you're going to really want to find a graphic of a German "QWERTZ" keyboard layout (as you can observe, the "Y" and "Z" switch places between the two layouts). Otherwise you're going to have a hell of a time with it as it IS quite different (the punctuation is all different, but the enter, backspace, et al are the same or similar). I personally prefere the German layout. Good luck ( ... )

red_day_dawning September 16 2007, 23:01:37 UTC

Thanks for your help. Still stuck in assignment-hell, so I'm delaying implementing any changes until I have at least this first assignment completed. The Dutch layout sounds good - I think I'll start by looking at that.

akiko September 15 2007, 15:43:08 UTC

I use a Mac, which has an easy shortcut. For Windows, you either have to memorize the extended ASCII codes (alt+# on keypad; alt-0228 for ä, alt-0252 for ü, and alt-0246 for ö, but I don't remember the capital codes) or use the character map (under accessories in the start menu.) You can probably also change your keyboard layout, but I don't recommend it. The layout is very different.

here is the keyboard layout for German computers (first regular, then shifted)

<1234567890ß´ >!"§$%&/()=?`
qwertzuiopü+# QWERTZUIOPÜ*
asdfghjklöä ASDFGHJKLÖÄ
yxcvbnm,.- YXCVBNM;:_

red_day_dawning September 15 2007, 15:54:26 UTC

Thanks

carbonphoenix September 15 2007, 15:44:35 UTC

http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/lange/211Web/Materials/Umlauts.doc

From my German class webpage :)

red_day_dawning September 15 2007, 15:53:50 UTC

Thanks, have saved file & will look over later. Ta.

germankitty September 15 2007, 15:49:27 UTC

Or go to the "Start" menu, pick "program", then "extras/options", "system programs", then "special characters". You'll find the Umlaute among all the letters with various accents and whatnot. Copy&paste, and you're done!

red_day_dawning September 15 2007, 15:54:10 UTC

Thanks

germankitty September 15 2007, 15:57:35 UTC

Welcome. :)

fietsvrouw September 15 2007, 16:37:38 UTC

Here is a guide to typing any of the special characters from your keyboard using the alt key and number pad. This works for any programs.

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

In Word and other programs you can also hold don the control key and shift key, hit colon (:) then type the letter you want umlauted. (Control-shift ampersand )&) then s for ß.

cayennecoyote September 15 2007, 16:50:57 UTC

ALT+129 = ü
ALT+148 = ö
ALT+132 = ä
ALT+225 = ß