Editing Alt key (section)

==Alt key for special characters==
===Windows===
In [[Microsoft Windows]], holding down the Alt key while typing in numbers (often referred to as [[Alt code]]s) on the [[NumPad|numeric keypad]] allows the user to type special characters not normally available on the keyboard. For example, holding down Alt while typing 0225 ({{key press|Alt|0}}{{key press|2}}{{key press|2}}{{key press|5}}) on the numeric keypad will result in {{char|á}}, the character at 225 in the (Western Latin) [[code page 1252]]. These extended keyboard characters are useful for persons using foreign languages, mathematics, currency symbols, business use, etc. Some computers work the same if the [[Num Lock key]] is on.

===macOS===
On a [[Macintosh]], the Alt key is called the [[Option key]]. It is not used to enter numeric character codes. Instead, keyboard letters and numbers are used. The diagram below shows the special characters a US Mac keyboard will produce when the Option key is pressed.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20091208035043/http://www.recordpc.com/how-to-find-symbols-and-characters-on-the-mac How to find symbols and characters on the Mac – Record PC] - via [[Archive.org]]</ref>

The highlighted orange keys show the accents available from the combination of the {{key press|Alt}} key and the keyboard characters {{key press|e}} {{key press|i}} {{key press|u}} (on the top letters row) and {{key press|`}} {{key press|n}} (on the bottom letters row). The accent then can be applied to associated letters both lower and uppercase. The additional characters a Mac will produce are a combination of both the {{key press|Option}} key and the {{key press|Shift}} key pressed down together. With this combination pressed the keyboard will now produce a different set or an uppercase version of the previous set in some cases.