I'm confused.

[Hazen]

Sorry, I'm just getting started using type editors. I THINK I understand the whole encoding thing, but I have a MUCH more basic question: how do I find out what keys or key combinations yield a specific character?

I'm just modifying a font, and I want to make the right arrow accessible when I'm using the font. But I have no idea where to put it so I can type it in.

Does my question even make sense?

[Alex Petrov (FontLab)]

Does the term "Keyboard Layout" (KL) make sense to you? Keyboard layouts are the special tables in your operating system which define what character will appear when you press the specific key. You can edit existing KL and create your own with software but I am not sure you can use keys like arrows for characters.

[Beau]

If it is for your own use, you could replace a standard character that you don't use (like } ) with the arrow character; then it would be easy to type when you want it.

If you are on a windows machine you can maybe just learn the alt code for getting to the arrow. (ie Alt>26 → gives a right arrow) But this is somewhat unreliable, application to application and is no use at all on a Mac.

[jamespuckett]

On a Mac go to System Preferences > International > Input Menu and check the following boxes:
•Character Palette
•Keyboard Viewer
•Show input menu in menu bar

You’ll see a little flag icon in the upper right of the taskbar that allows you to bring up a keyboard viewer that shows whats available when you hold down the modifier keys. It also has a character palette similar to the Indesign glyphs palette, and it works in many apps (but usually not in Fontlab).

[Maxfreak]

I've always used RUN -> charmap on Windows. Since I moved to a mac recently, I have no idea how it's done.

[Luc[as]]

Another method: name it "arrowright" with unicode 2192.
In MS Word Win, type "2192" and then alt-X.
MS Word Mac: Insert > Symbol... and define your own shortcut in the dialog.
For Adobe products: use glyph palette or misuse some feature :-)

[FontFan]

Hmmm, more ways to Rome then 
I'm confused too. I would expect a proper way for Windows and for Mac otherwise I will keep getting compatibility problems.

[Luc[as]]

Using arrowright or uni2192 as glyph name, and 2192 as unicode is the most cross platform compatible that you can get. Applications might have different ways to input the glyph,  but that is a different subject. It should even work in the browser → → → → → → → → → →

[matt1231]

you could replace a standard character

[Luc[as]]

Indeed, in some situations this "masquerading" is the only solution. It is however considered bad practice, when you change font or copy text the arrow is gone.

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