special characters (shortcuts)

If you didn't notice my username, I have an ö in it, which is a special character on an english keyboard. I know the key shortcut for it in windows, but when I want to use it in os x, I have to up the character input panel, and click insert. Is there a way to view the shortcuts for these characters, if there are any?

That there would be hold "alt/option", then press "u" (while holding alt), the release alt and press whatever vowel you want it above ("o", in your case). Hope this helps mörbius.

Edit: This works with different vowels, as well é î ü... (but "a" only produces "å" and "o" only produces "ø" and "y" just ain't a vowel, people. hahahahah). Mess around with "alt/option", Character Keys, and "shift" in different combinations to get fun symbols and letters....

If you have the Input menu enabled [In System Preferences > International] you can select "Show Keyboard Viewer." This will place a palette with a diagram of your keyboard on the screen.

If you hold down a modifier key (Like Option or Shift) or a combination of modifiers (control-option) they letters on the palette will change to show the characters that appear when you type a letter when holding down a modifier key.

For example, hold down option, and the 's' turns into a ß. That means that option-s produces a ß.

Some keys will have a white highlighting box drawn around them, namely ¨ˆ´˜ and `. These are symbols that will appear over other letters, and must be typed in two steps: first the symbol, then the letter you want under it.. The ¨, for exampke, is on the 'u' key and is highlighted. So to type the ö in your username, you'd have to type option-u and then 'o'. To get an ü, it's option-u and then 'u'. For an ó, the ´ is on the e, so it's option-e and then o. Try it,