# Can we make a list of common keyboard symbols for Mac?

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-we-make-a-list-of-common-keyboard-symbols-for-mac/8142>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [January 3, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-we-make-a-list-of-common-keyboard-symbols-for-mac/8142 "2018-01-03T23:43:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![djsegal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/djsegal/32/13752_2.png) [@djsegal](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/djsegal)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2018, 11:43pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-we-make-a-list-of-common-keyboard-symbols-for-mac/8142/1 "2018-01-03T23:43:37Z")

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A lot of people on this forum frequently use `≠`, `≈`, etc.

This is awesome because Julia enables it, but I’m guessing many coders avoid them like the plague.

As a new year’s resolution, maybe we can get everyone (at least mac users) to get accustomed to them.

This is my (very short) list so far:

| Command | Keys |
| --- | --- |
| `≈` | `opt + x` |
| `≠` | `opt + =` |
| `÷` | `opt + / ` |

* * *

// I realize many of these have `/blah` commands, but some writing environment don’t allow them

(from [http://www.chriswrites.com/how-to-type-common-symbols-and-special-characters-in-os-x](http://www.chriswrites.com/how-to-type-common-symbols-and-special-characters-in-os-x))

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**Author:** ![stevengj](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stevengj/32/71_2.png) [@stevengj](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stevengj)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-we-make-a-list-of-common-keyboard-symbols-for-mac/8142/2 "2018-01-04T04:19:21Z")

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A useful thing on the Mac is to go to the Keyboard system preferences, add a Greek keyboard under “Input Sources”, and then under Shortcuts / Input Sources add a binding for an easy way to switch input sources (I use command-space). Then you can type command-space to easily type Greek letters (e.g. α is typed by “a” in the Greek keyboard), and type command-space again to switch back to your regular keyboard.

(The Greek keyboard also has different shortcuts for math symbols, e.g. option-d is ÷.)

In the US keyboard, option-/ is ÷, option-v is √, option-\< is ≤, option-\> is ≥, option-d is ∂, option-p is π, and option-m is µ (unfortunately a different character than the greek μ, but they are treated as equivalent by Julia).

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**Author:** ![djsegal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/djsegal/32/13752_2.png) [@djsegal](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/djsegal)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 4:56am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-we-make-a-list-of-common-keyboard-symbols-for-mac/8142/3 "2018-01-04T04:56:10Z")

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That greek keyboard idea is great! Caps lock has never been more useful.

Maybe try losing command-space in favor of it though. I use spotlight search every day

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**Author:** ![mkborregaard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mkborregaard/32/556_2.png) [@mkborregaard](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mkborregaard)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2018, 1:28pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/can-we-make-a-list-of-common-keyboard-symbols-for-mac/8142/4 "2018-01-04T13:28:56Z")

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None of those shortcuts work on a Danish Mac.