Editing Compose key (section)

{{Short description|Computer key to initiate glyph merger}}
[[File:XFCE4 Compose key selection.png|thumb|[[Xfce]] keyboard layout settings window, featuring a compose-key option]]

A '''compose key''' (sometimes called '''multi key''') is a key on a [[computer keyboard]] that indicates that the following (usually 2 or more) keystrokes trigger the insertion of an alternate character, typically a [[precomposed character]] or a symbol.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fsymbols.com/keyboard/linux/compose/ |title=Linux Keyboard Text Symbols: Compose-Key Shortcuts |website=FSymbols |date=2013-07-24 |access-date=2015-07-07}}</ref>

For instance, typing {{key press|Compose}} followed by {{key press|~}} and then {{key press|n}} will insert [[ñ]].

Compose keys are most popular on [[Linux]] and other systems using the [[X Window System]], but software exists to implement them on [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] and [[macOS]].