Special Characters - The Alt Key Entry Method

The chart below lists many "special characters" supported by DBT. Although superseded by more convenient methods on most Windows systems, the "Alt-key" method for entering characters that do not appear on the keyboard can still occasionally be useful. In the list below, find your character, note the number next to "DOS:" (if available) or "Win:" and follow these directions.

Turn on the Num Lock (a key on the numeric keypad on full keyboards). Hold down the Alt key (you might be required to use the left Alt key) and enter a 3 or 4 digit decimal number on the Numeric keypad. Then release the Alt key.

If the number does not start with zero, it is accepted as the character in the old MS-DOS code page, also known as code page 437.

If the number starts with zero, it is accepted as the character in the current Windows 8-bit code page. For the chart below, we assume the use of code page 1252 (the most common).

For example, using the chart below you can enter the Euro symbol by keying Alt + 0128.

(See also the notes below this chart.)

Alt key entry list

Char

DUSCI

DOS

Windows-1252

Central
Europe

Character Description

Ç

D+80

DOS:128

Win:0199

 

Latin capital letter c with cedilla

ü

D+81

DOS:129

Win:0252

 

Latin small letter u with diaeresis

é

D+82

DOS:130

Win:0233

 

Latin small letter e with acute

â

D+83

DOS:131

Win:0226

 

Latin small letter a with circumflex

ä

D+84

DOS:132

Win:0228

 

Latin small letter a with diaeresis

à

D+85

DOS:133

Win:0224

 

Latin small letter a with grave

å

D+86

DOS:134

Win:0229

 

Latin small letter a with ring above

ç

D+87

DOS:135

Win:0231

 

Latin small letter c with cedilla

ê

D+88

DOS:136

Win:0234

 

Latin small letter e with circumflex

ë

D+89

DOS:137

Win:0235

 

Latin small letter e with diaeresis

è

D+8a

DOS:138

Win:0232

 

Latin small letter e with grave

ï

D+8b

DOS:139

Win:0239

 

Latin small letter i with diaeresis

î

D+8c

DOS:140

Win:0238

 

Latin small letter i with circumflex

ì

D+8d

DOS:141

Win:0236

 

Latin small letter i with grave

Ä

D+8e

DOS:142

Win:0196

 

Latin capital letter a with diaeresis

Å

D+8f

DOS:143

Win:0197

 

Latin capital letter a with ring above

É

D+90

DOS:144

Win:0201

 

Latin capital letter e with acute

ô

D+93

DOS:147

Win:0244

 

Latin small letter o with circumflex

ö

D+94

DOS:148

Win:0246

 

Latin small letter o with diaeresis

ò

D+95

DOS:149

Win:0242

 

Latin small letter o with grave

û

D+96

DOS:150

Win:0251

 

Latin small letter u with circumflex

ù

D+97

DOS:151

Win:0249

 

Latin small letter u with grave

ÿ

D+98

DOS:152

Win:0255

 

Latin small letter y with diaeresis

Ö

D+99

DOS:153

Win:0214

 

Latin capital letter o with diaeresis

Ü

D+9a

DOS:154

Win:0220

 

Latin capital letter u with diaeresis

D+ed5c

xx

Win:0128

 

Euro sign

¢

D+9b

DOS:155

Win:0162

 

Cent sign

¥

D+9d

DOS:157

Win:0165

 

Yen sign

á

D+a0

DOS:160

Win:0225

 

Latin small letter a with acute

í

D+a1

DOS:161

Win:0237

 

Latin small letter i with acute

ó

D+a2

DOS:162

Win:0243

 

Latin small letter o with acute

ú

D+a3

DOS:163

Win:0250

 

Latin small letter u with acute

ñ

D+a4

DOS:164

Win:0241

 

Latin small letter n with tilde

Ñ

D+a5

DOS:165

Win:0209

 

Latin capital letter n with tilde

¿

D+a8

DOS:168

Win:0191

 

Inverted question mark

¡

D+ad

DOS:173

Win:0161

 

Inverted exclamation mark

÷

D+f6

DOS:246

Win:0247

 

Division sign {line between two dots}

×

D+f7

DOS:247

Win:0215

 

"Multiplication sign
{X shape, i.e. cross or ""times""}"

°

D+f8

DOS:248

Win:0176

 

Degree sign

·

D+f9

DOS:249

Win:0183

 

Middle dot

Â

D+9c83

xx

Win:0194

 

Latin capital letter a with circumflex
{capital

À

D+9c85

xx

Win:0192

 

Latin capital letter a with grave {capital à}

Ê

D+9c88

xx

Win:0202

 

Latin capital letter e with circumflex {capital

Ë

D+9c89

xx

Win:0203

 

Latin capital letter e with diaeresis {capital

È

D+9c8a

xx

Win:0200

 

Latin capital letter e with grave {capital è}

Ï

D+9c8b

xx

Win:0207

 

Latin capital letter i with diaeresis {capital

Î

D+9c8c

xx

Win:0206

 

Latin capital letter i with circumflex {capital

Ì

D+9c8d

xx

xx

 

Latin capital letter i with grave {capital ì}

Ô

D+9c93

xx

Win:0212

 

Latin capital letter o with circumflex {capital

Ò

D+9c95

xx

Win:0210

 

Latin capital letter o with grave {capital ò}

Û

D+9c96

xx

Win:0219

 

Latin capital letter u with circumflex {capital

Ù

D+9c97

xx

Win:0217

 

Latin capital letter u with grave {capital ù}

Á

D+9ca0

xx

Win:0193

 

Latin capital letter a with acute {capital á}

Í

D+9ca1

xx

Win:0205

 

Latin capital letter i with acute {capital í}

Ó

D+9ca2

xx

Win:0211

 

Latin capital letter o with acute {capital ó}

Ú

D+9ca3

xx

Win:0218

 

Latin capital letter u with acute {capital ú}

£

D+f523

DOS:156

Win:0163

 

Pound sign {British pound sterling}

§

D+f527

xx

Win:0167

 

Section sign {Section mark}

±

D+f531

xx

Win:0177

 

Plus-minus sign {plus or minus}

D+f536

xx

Win:0182

 

Pilcrow sign {paragraph mark}

Ã

D+f543

xx

Win:0195

 

Latin capital letter a with tilde

Õ

D+f555

xx

Win:0213

 

Latin capital letter o with tilde

ã

D+f563

xx

Win:0227

 

Latin small letter a with tilde

õ

D+f575

xx

Win:0245

 

Latin small letter o with tilde

5. If your document is not using the Windows-1252 code page, you can still look up the DOS value for most of these characters. Duxbury can expand this chart if given good input from our users regarding which other code pages are most helpful.