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Where's my backslash!

I

iRookie

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 28, 2005
6
0
Hi, I recently bought a new 12" iBook, and it's my first mac ever. Now, I've also managed to install LaTeX and was about to start using it, when I noticed I couldn't find the backslash (\) using any of the keys, nor could I find the curly brackets ({}). All of these are symbols are needed quite often in LaTeX, so it would sure be nice to have some key-combination for them. If anyone has any idea, I would appreciate if you'd share it with this newbie.

Thanks in advance.
 
dejo said:
You're kidding, right? Or you can't see very well. Try looking above the Return key...
Click to expand...

How far above? Just above the return key is the backspace, and above that again is F12, and above that again is the screen...
 
dav said:
How did you manage to type it then? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I opened iTeXMac, then Edit --> Special Characters, and then I put them in from there. The problem is primarily that it's quite time consuming to use backslash and curly brackets from another window, I mean, they're used quite often in LaTeX...
 
iRookie said:
How far above? Just above the return key is the backspace, and above that again is F12, and above that again is the screen...
Click to expand...

Does your keyboard look something like this:

ibookg4_keyboard_big.jpg


??

If so, try looking left of the Return key then...
 
So, still assuming that this isn't all a big joke (I'm really gullible), what kind of Mac and what kind of keyboard do you have? In particular, what country do you live in?

In the US:

On the laptops, at the end of the QWERTY row is ...IOP[]\ -- the curly brackets are shift of the straight brackets, and the pipe | is shift of the backslash. This is the row directly below the numbers, which ends in the delete/backspace key, and directly below the home row (ASDF...HJKL) which ends in the return key.

On the desktop keyboard...I have only seen the Apple Bluetooth one any time recently, but it is the same.

EDIT: Dejo, just out of curiousity, where is that keyboard from -- what nationality?
 
dejo said:
Does your keyboard look something like this:

(...)

??

If so, try looking left of the Return key then...
Click to expand...

It's the same "format", but I have a norwegian keyboard. I took a picture of it, here it is:

img_0141.jpg


Don't know if that makes anyone any wiser. But I've tried to compare my keyboard to the one you showed, but so far nothing...
 
The "/" appears to be shift+7...although there is also a symbol on the 0 key that looks like a backslash also (fn+0). I think it is the former, though.

I am not sure about {}, I didn't see them.
 
Peterkro said:
Wow that is ****ing weird.As you appear to be using english just change layout to US or UK english and your keyboard will have same layout as first pic.
Click to expand...

I know, I was about to start using LaTeX when I suddenly discovered there was no backslash...I mean...I can get symbols like ©™∞≈± but I can't get a simple backslash!!! I mean...wtf???

But, I was just about to do what you suggested here, and now it's done. Now I can easily change between norwegian and british layout with two simple clicks. That's ingenious!!!! \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ YEAH!!!!

But still, it would be nice to have backslash without having to change the layout...but at least it's not so important now...

I have been so excited about my new Mac alle week, and finally I can have TeX with it too :D
 
iRookie said:
I know, I was about to start using LaTeX when I suddenly discovered there was no backslash...I mean...I can get symbols like ©™??± but I can't get a simple backslash!!! I mean...wtf???

But, I was just about to do what you suggested here, and now it's done. Now I can easily change between norwegian and british layout with two simple clicks. That's ingenious!!!! \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ YEAH!!!!

But still, it would be nice to have backslash without having to change the layout...but at least it's not so important now...

I have been so excited about my new Mac alle week, and finally I can have TeX with it too :D
Click to expand...

It is possible to configure LaTeX for different key mappings? If so, might help makes things quicker.
 
just an idea... try holding option (in your keyboard, it's not labeled as option, but it's between the command and control keys) and pressing a lot of keys. one of them may get you "\"... just a thought.

for example, option-m gives µ in the u.s. keyboard, which is quite handy for scientific paper writing... i'd first try option-/ to see if that would yield the \. good luck.
 
jxyama said:
just an idea... try holding option (in your keyboard, it's not labeled as option, but it's between the command and control keys) and pressing a lot of keys. one of them may get you "\"... just a thought.

for example, option-m gives µ in the u.s. keyboard, which is quite handy for scientific paper writing... i'd first try option-/ to see if that would yield the \. good luck.
Click to expand...

WOW!!!! THERE IT WAS!!! I mean...I found it...I've tried what you suggest here several times, but I didn't find it. When I read your post, however, I figured I'd give it another try, and now I found it. Your suggestion option-/ was just missing a shift, i.e. option + shift + 7 (or /) gives \.

So, if anyone asks, the backslash on the 12" iBook with norwegian keyboard is option-shift-7.

Thanks a bunch jxyama, also for teaching me what the option button is. With it I can also change between keyboard layouts more easily (option-apple-space), not that I need it now, though...

Anyway, thanks again jxyama, and everyone else for your help and input.

PS! Just found the curly brackets too, they're option-shift-8: { and option-shift-9: }.

\begin{quote}
Oh my lack of gods I love my new Mac!
\end{quote}
 
\ = option+shift+7
{ = option+shift+8
} = option+shift+9

Now i have to go change my keyboard back to U.S. english.

To figure this out I used the keyboard viewer, turn it on through the international panel, just like changing a keyboard layout. [edit. spelling]
 
excellent.

also an excellent post on the use of the keyboard viewer. i knew there was some way to check the keyboard layout, but that was new to me.
 
dejo said:
You're kidding, right? Or you can't see very well. Try looking above the Return key...
Click to expand...

Okay, I need to apologize to iRookie for this snappy response. I had NO idea that there was such wide variations in the keyboards of the iBooks. I figured maybe a few keys would change but didn't realize that things like backslashes and curly braces (Apple doesn't realize Norwegians can write Java, etc.?) would almost disappear. I'm sorry. Next time I won't be so quick to question.

P.S. On a brighter note, I am happy that others were able to help out with the Option key and Keyboard Viewer suggestions. Great tips!
 
More keys

Jsmit said:
\ = option+shift+7
{ = option+shift+8
} = option+shift+9

Now i have to go change my keyboard back to U.S. english.

To figure this out I used the keyboard viewer, turn it on through the international panel, just like changing a keyboard layout. [edit. spelling]
Click to expand...

This is my first post, more over just after switching to a mac. I had just set up my pb and starting to use terminal and i could not figure out how to get to {}[]| on a belgian keyboard (via key strokes and not via the character palette). Thanks to this post i figured out
\ = option + shift + /
[ = option + shift + 5
] = option + shift + 0
{ = option + 5
} = option + 0
| = option + shift + L (my favorite)

Hope this helps some one too.

Cheers
 
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