Umalts

[rockytriton]

I really like being able to use the keyboard for everything, I was thinking a useful way to speed up the typing of umalts would be if we could use the up arrow to convert the previuos character to have an umalt. So if I type "u" then hit the up arrow, it will convert that character to having an umalt.

[Nachdenklich]

It would probably be best if Duolingo automatically converted ae, ue and oe into ä, ü and ö, but then ß is still a problem.

[mehulbhatia]

you can use alt+129 alt+132 alt+148 alt+225 alt+142 alt+153 alt+154 for ü ä ö ß Ä Ö Ü
repectively

[bknepprath]

That is quite a good idea. (Umlaut*) I use alt codes.

[Nachdenklich]

Umlaut (Um + laut), (around + sound). Anyway, if you have windows vista or 7, you should be able to go to the control panel and activate a German keyboard, which is what I do to get (ß, ö, ä, ü)

[rockytriton]

yes, I know but I don't really want to use the german keyboard, especially not for my whole browser session and have to keep switching it back and forth. It would be nice just to have a quick keyboard shortcut like this.

[mlabrum]

On my MacBook Pro, it's Option+u to activate the umlaut and then whatever vowel I want under it. More codes like that are listed at http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/international/accents/codemac.html
For Windows, I couldn't anything analogous after searching the 'net for a few minutes and I left my work computer (running Windows 7) at work so I can't play around and help figure out a nice shortcut.

[rockytriton]

ya i do that on my mac too, but when i have to use windows i wish i had it :\

[CorliJ]

There is an option to use right alt, ", vowel in Windows 7 (if your keyboard is set to US International English), but unfortunately it doesn't seem to work in any browser, only in Word. At the moment I use alt codes to make the special characters.

[S2VpdGgA]

I use a Mac as well so umlauts are easy. As for Windows, you used to be able to hold down the ALT key and enter a number using the numeric keypad to get a "ü", for example. Then you release the ALT key and the character will show up. Here's a site that should help: http://bit.ly/aytLiC (turns out that's the same server as the URL mlabrum mentioned above). From that web page, the ü character is generated by holding down ALT, then entering 0252, then releasing ALT.