Computer users and Web site designers or bloggers struggling to remember how to type necessary symbols, accent marks and other special characters often consider the "hunt" an unwanted distraction from the project they're working on. But it's a problem that is usually easily remedied.

By using two or three computer keys in combination with one another, or by typing in a few characters, computer users can easily execute accent marks as well as symbols and other special characters. Currency symbols, mathematics symbols and punctuation not found on the keyboard are often tied to special "keyboard shortcuts."

Keyboard shortcuts exist for both common symbols and for marks and characters that are used less often. There's no need to waste time and energy with pull-down menus and trial-and-error, when guides exist to direct computer users to keyboard shortcuts.

Sometimes, the shortcut commands are different when you're typing into a word processing document as opposed to something for the Internet. The commands may vary based on the operating system you are using as well (i.e.: Windows vs. Mac). Other combinations of keys generate the desired symbol in html, for the Web.