AltGr key

[Michael Milette]

Usually both of the ALT keys perform the same task. However, some languages
require the availability of more characters than is typically available on
the standard US keyboard. As I am sure you know, some languages actually
have more than 26 characters in the alphabet not to mention accented
characters.

Instead of having different physical keyboards for each language, the right
ALT key (a.k.a. AltGr key) is used to generate additional characters. In
most cases, you can still use either ALT keys except when the right one is
used to generate a special character that is not part of the default
keyboard layout.

I have a Canadian Multilingual keyboard layout which has an AltGr key
(actually, it's called AltCar for Alternate Character...don't ask me who
came up with Car instead of Char). My particular keyboard has
French/English bilingual keycaps. If I choose the French Canadian
Multilingual keyboard layout, I have keys which allow me to type additional
=B1 =A3 =A2 =A4 =AC =A6 =B2 =B3 =BC =BD =B5, etc. The keyboard layout of=
 both the French and
English Canadian Multilingual keyboard layouts have quite a few nice
features once you get used to the odd character which is in a different
position. The end result is actually a superset of the typical US keyboard
layout in that you can access all of the US characters typically available
plus a whole bunch of additional characters like accented characters those
mentioned above.

If you have an old DOS manual, you can take a look at the different
keyboard layouts for various languages. I know at one time IBM also had a
small booklet which contained codepage character sets along with keyboard
layouts.

					Michael Milette
					tng "at" cyberus.ca

At 07:29 AM 1999-11-26 -0500, you wrote:
>Fred Bone wrote:
>>=20
>> Keir Nathan said:
>>=20
>> > There lies the source of all the confusion.  On english keyboards they
both
>> > have just 'Alt' written on them.
>>=20
>> Australian ones might. English ones (at least, all the machines I and
>> my colleagues have lying around!) have the "right ALT" key labelled
>> "AltGr".
>
>Maybe it's the keyboard definition that's getting in the way.  Every
>keyboard I have (9 that I've looked at so far and that's at home.) have
>ALT only, on both keys.  Now, I don't know what I'd call these as most
>of them were probably made in Japan or another country, but they were
>all purchased in the US.  I've never seen the AltGr key on any keyboard
>that I can recall.
>
>So is the 'keyboard country' definition based on the country the
>keyboard is used or where it came from?
>
>
>--
>Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric "at" denali.atlnet.com
>
>It should be illegal to yell "Y2K" in a crowded economy.
>	-- Larry Wall, creator of the programming language Perl
>
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