Spanish keyboard

[Guest]

Hello,

I am using WINDOWS XP professional I am trying to use my keyboard to write
in Spanish. I have figured out, by means of the help file, how to use the
control-panel to configure the keyboard so that I could have the Spahish
keyboard loaded. I know how to switch between this keyboard and the normal
English keyboard. However, nowhere have I been able to find information on
how to actually produce the distinctly Spanish characters when using the
Spanish keyboard. Through trial & error I have discovered how to produce the
accented vowels such as á and I have also discovered how to produce ñ and Ñ.
But I still can't figure out how to produce the upside down question mark and
the upside down exclamation point. Could someone help me with this?

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Check out the Character Map (Accessories>System Tools.) ¡This is Alt+0161.
¿This is Alt+0191.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hello,

I am using WINDOWS XP professional I am trying to use my keyboard to
write in Spanish. I have figured out, by means of the help file, how
to use the control-panel to configure the keyboard so that I could
have the Spahish keyboard loaded. I know how to switch between this
keyboard and the normal English keyboard. However, nowhere have I
been able to find information on how to actually produce the
distinctly Spanish characters when using the Spanish keyboard.
Through trial & error I have discovered how to produce the accented
vowels such as á and I have also discovered how to produce ñ and Ñ.
But I still can't figure out how to produce the upside down question
mark and the upside down exclamation point. Could someone help me
with this?

The ¿ and ¡ characters can be produced in several different ways. Personally
I use a little freeware background program called AllChars. This lets me
type many common special characters (many of these are used in other
languages) by pressing the ctrl key followed by a two character mnemonic
combination.

For example, for ñ the two characters are ~ and n. For ¿ it's ? and ^. For ¡
it's ! and ^.

Go to http://allchars.zwolnet.com/

As a matter of fact, you may find it more conveneinet *not* to switch
between the Spanish and English keyboard characters, but instead to stay
with the Eng;lish keyboard and use Allchars.

 

[Guest]

I'm bilingual and I used to use Alt+codes for Spanish characters a long time
ago... that is no longer necessary.

You can use your American keyboard as an old fashioned Spanish typewriter.
That is:

select ~ then N to get Ñ
select ' then a to get á
select " then u to get ü
etc...

You don't have to "load" the Spanish keyboard and use codes to remember.

Just change the Regional and Language Options for the keyboard...

....from US
to
US-International...

I hope this helps.

 

[Alias]

Hello,

I am using WINDOWS XP professional I am trying to use my keyboard to write
in Spanish. I have figured out, by means of the help file, how to use the
control-panel to configure the keyboard so that I could have the Spahish
keyboard loaded. I know how to switch between this keyboard and the normal
English keyboard. However, nowhere have I been able to find information on
how to actually produce the distinctly Spanish characters when using the
Spanish keyboard. Through trial & error I have discovered how to produce the
accented vowels such as á and I have also discovered how to produce ñ and Ñ.
But I still can't figure out how to produce the upside down question mark and
the upside down exclamation point. Could someone help me with this?

Upside down exclamation point: the key next to the back space or the "="
key. Question marks, the "_" for the normal one and "+" for the upside
down one. For the euro sign, Alt Gr plus the E key. Need any more?

Alias

 

[Alias]

The ¿ and ¡ characters can be produced in several different ways. Personally
I use a little freeware background program called AllChars. This lets me
type many common special characters (many of these are used in other
languages) by pressing the ctrl key followed by a two character mnemonic
combination.

For example, for ñ the two characters are ~ and n. For ¿ it's ? and ^. For ¡
it's ! and ^.

Go to http://allchars.zwolnet.com/

As a matter of fact, you may find it more conveneinet *not* to switch
between the Spanish and English keyboard characters, but instead to stay
with the Eng;lish keyboard and use Allchars.

I find it more convenient to switch between keyboards.

Alias

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

For the characters OP asked about, ¡ and ¿, are there simpler keystrokes
than the Alt ones?

I don't understand what you wrote. How does one "select" ~, ' and "?

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

http://www.microsoft.com/globaldev/keyboards/kbdsp.htm

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

Nevermind. I see what you're talking about.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I find it more convenient to switch between keyboards.

That's fine, and I certainly don't insist that anyone do it my way. I just
presented an alternative, as a suggestion.

 

[Guest]

First off I'd like to thank everyone who responed for their prompt help.
FYI, after investigating alternatives, I decided to go w/ Allchars, which I
have downloaded and installed and seems to be working fine. With the help of
some of the other posts I was able to figure out how to get all the
characters I needed when using the Spanish keyboard, but this keyboard moves
around alot of other characters (such as the parentheses and many others)
which can cause confusion and delays so I decided to go with AllChars. I can
see how its a matter of choice. I suppose if I were writing alot in Spanish
I might find it faster to use the Spanish keyboard becasue it takes fewer
keystrokes to product the special characters than it does w/ Allchars, but in
my case this fact is not enought to compensate for the inconvenience of
having so many keys moved around.

 

[Alias]

First off I'd like to thank everyone who responed for their prompt help.
FYI, after investigating alternatives, I decided to go w/ Allchars, which I
have downloaded and installed and seems to be working fine. With the help of
some of the other posts I was able to figure out how to get all the
characters I needed when using the Spanish keyboard, but this keyboard moves
around alot of other characters (such as the parentheses and many others)
which can cause confusion and delays so I decided to go with AllChars. I can
see how its a matter of choice. I suppose if I were writing alot in Spanish
I might find it faster to use the Spanish keyboard becasue it takes fewer
keystrokes to product the special characters than it does w/ Allchars, but in
my case this fact is not enought to compensate for the inconvenience of
having so many keys moved around.

I learned to type with an English keyboard and I touch type but, living
in Spain, I use Spanish keyboards so if I don't remember where the ñ is,
I just look.

Funny with Linux, you hit the Windows key plus the ; for example and you
get an ñ. I wonder if this is one of the patents MS is crying about?

Alias

 

[Alias]

That's fine, and I certainly don't insist that anyone do it my way. I just
presented an alternative, as a suggestion.

Different strokes for different folks ;-)

Alias