Windows and Mac Alt codes are useful when you want to insert special characters or symbols without switching keyboards or languages on your computer. Use these codes to enter characters that aren't assigned to a key on your keyboard, such as accented characters or other symbols.
How to Use ALT Code to Enter Special Characters and Symbols Using Computer Keyboard
In the past, computer users had to change the input language for the operating system or connect an international keyboard to use accented letters. Typing symbols was a challenge because it depended on the software application.
Windows assigns an ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) numeric character code to each letter, number, character, and symbol. ASCII codes allow you to open text files in software applications. ASCII codes are also the reason that some input (such as passwords) is case-sensitive. The ASCII code for an uppercase E is different from that for a lowercase e.
Other names for these ASCII codes are alt key codes and alt numeric keypad codes. You can insert these characters or symbols individually by pressing the Alt key and then typing a specific number sequence on the keyboard's numeric keypad.
