Using the Special Character panel
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This feature may be disabled if you are using a Keyman (
) keyboard.
Sometimes you need to type a special character in a text box, or in the tabs that are in the Set up Decodable Reader Tool dialog box. An example could be an IPA character. The Special Character panel allows you to see characters and choose the one you want to insert.
You can press and hold lower-case letters or upper-case letters, the spacebar on your keyboard, or any of these:
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$ ! ? % . - + \ / ' " < > =
Do these steps:
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Press and hold the keyboard key for the base of the special character you need.
The Special Character panel appears (examples).
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While you hold down the key, click the letter you want to insert.
Alternatively, hold down the key, and then do one of the steps below to move the focus to the character you want:
Use your mouse to move the mouse pointer over that character.
Use the wheel on your mouse to move the focus to that character.
Use the left or right arrow keys to move the focus to the character.
Press the keyboard key that is shown in the lower corner of the desired character (example).
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Release the keyboard key.
The character that you clicked or that was in focus is inserted into the text box.
Important
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If the Special Character panel cannot find a special character that matches the key you pressed, you may inadvertently type many instances of that letter in the text box. You may need to delete them.
This can happen more often with non-English keyboards.
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This feature is also referred to as LongPress.
Tip
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If you want to have a bulleted list in a text box, press and hold the period key to see the bullet.
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https://vimeo.com/channels/bloomlibrary/117927599 is a video that can help you learn about this panel.