Insert diacritics and characters in records

Insert diacritics and characters in records using the client graphical chart or list of names

Use the Enter Diacritics and Special Characters window (see the following procedure) or default keystroke shortcuts in the client to insert characters. Do not use other methods such as copying and pasting from outside the client. The client may appear to display a character you paste from another application, but the record will fail validation.

Follow these guidelines when entering diacritics and special characters:

• Diacritic follows letter - Always insert diacritics and characters after the character it modifies.
• Use these standard Unicode practices to enter ligatures, paired diacritics, and multiple diacritics.
• Enter diacritics from letter outward: Letter-DiacriticNearer-DiacriticFarther.
• Enter letter with diacritics above and below in this order: Letter-DiacriticBelow- DiacriticAbove. 

Enter a diacritical mark or a special character by selecting its graphical image or its name:

1. Place the cursor in a displayed record where you want to insert a character or diacritic.
2. Click Edit > Enter Diacritics, or click the Enter Diacritics button (), or press <Ctrl><E>.
3. In the Enter Diacritics and Special Characters window, in the graphical chart, click the character or diacritic you want to insert. The corresponding name of the diacritic or character displays in the Character list.
   Or
   In the Character list, click the name of the diacritic or character you want to insert. The corresponding diacritic or character is highlighted in the chart.
   Or
   (Optional) To see diacritics and characters used for a specific language, click the name of the language in the Language list. The diacritics and characters for the selected language are highlighted in the chart.
4. When you are finished, complete one of the following actions:
   • Click Insert to insert the selected diacritic or character if you want to leave the window open to insert another.
   • Click Insert and Close to insert the diacritic or character and close the window. 
   • Click Close to close the window without inserting a diacritic or character.

Alternative: Insert diacritics and characters in records using keystroke shortcuts

The client provides default keystroke shortcuts for inserting diacritics and special characters. To enter a diacritic or character in a record using a keystroke shortcut, place the cursor in a displayed record where you want to insert a diacritic or character and press the keystroke shortcut (e.g., Press <Ctrl><Alt><B> (default keystroke) to enter the acute character.).

See Default keystroke shortcuts for diacritics and special characters for a complete list of shortcuts supplied by the client. Or for a procedure to assign your own shortcuts for inserting characters, see Customize keystroke shortcuts for menu items, macros, or characters.

Insert diacritics and characters in searches, labels, or find/replace text

Use the same methods–Enter Diacritics command on the Edit menu or the Enter Diacritics button in a window, or a keystroke assigned to the diacritic or character– for entering searches (or a browse), in labels, or in text you want to find and replace:

1. Press the keystroke shortcut for the character you want to insert.
   Or
2. In any search window, in the Label window or in the Find/Replace window, click Enter Diacritics.
3. In the Enter Diacritics and Special Characters window, select a character from the graphical chart or list of names. Follow steps 3 and 4 above.