47

Sometimes, I see people posting this:

Ctrl+Alt+

Or this:

Go to FilePreferences.

How can I add these super awesome arrows?

I know I can copy the arrows from another post, or save them on my machine in a text file, but those are not "quick and easy" solutions.

2
  • 2
    On some international keyboard layouts, the arrow keys are accessible via AltGr+(Y/Z), AltGr+U, AltGr+Shift+U, and AltGr+I. No idea which ones have it though. You can also modify your layout to include them. Sep 18, 2013 at 8:13
  • 1
    So you post a question where the source contains → asking about how to include super awesome arrows in the source? Aug 13, 2020 at 13:17

4 Answers 4

53

I use these entities: ←, ↑, → and ↓ only. It's faster: ←, ↑, → and ↓.

1
  • 1
    Ha, even better!
    – Alaa Ali
    Sep 26, 2013 at 18:16
29

You can add the arrows by simply typing the below:

↑

That will give you ↑.

Similarly, ↓, →, and ← give you ↓, →, and ←.

8

A more general solution would be to set up an .Xcompose file for custom compose key sequences.

This is what I use:

include "%L"
# SINGLE ARROWS
<Multi_key> <Left> <Left>       : "←"   leftarrow   # LEFTWARDS ARROW
<Multi_key> <Up> <Up>           : "↑"   uparrow     # UPWARDS ARROW
<Multi_key> <Right> <Right>     : "→"   rightarrow  # RIGHTWARDS ARROW
<Multi_key> <Down> <Down>       : "↓"   downarrow   # DOWNWARDS ARROW
<Multi_key> <Left> <Right>      : "↔"   U2194           # LEFT RIGHT ARROW (kragen's)
<Multi_key> <Right> <Left>      : "↔"   U2194           # LEFT RIGHT ARROW (kragen's)
<Multi_key> <Right> <ampersand> <Left>  : "⥂"   U21F5       # 
<Multi_key> <Left> <ampersand> <Right>  : "⥄"   U21F5       # 
<Multi_key> <Left> <equal> <Right>      : "⇌"   U21F5       # 
<Multi_key> <Right> <equal> <Left>      : "⇌"   U21F5       # 
<Multi_key> <Up> <Down>         : "↕"   U2195           # UP DOWN ARROW (kragen's)
<Multi_key> <Up> <ampersand> <Down>     : "⇵"   U21F5       #
<Multi_key> <Down> <ampersand> <Up>     : "⇵"   U21F5       #
<Multi_key> <Down> <ampersand> <Down>   : "⇊"   U21F5       # 
<Multi_key> <Up> <ampersand> <Up>       : "⇈"   U21F5       #
# DOUBLE ARROWS
<Multi_key> <equal> <Right> <Right> : "⇒"   U21D2       # RIGHTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <greater>       : "⇒"   U21D2       # RIGHTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <Left> <Left>   : "⇐"   U21D0       # LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <less>          : "⇐"   U21D0       # RIGHTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <Left> <Right>  : "⇔"   U21D4       # LEFT RIGHT DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <Right> <Left>  : "⇔"   U21D4       # LEFT RIGHT DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <Up> <Up>       : "⇑"   U21D1       # UPWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <Down> <Down>   : "⇓"   U21D3       # DOWNWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <Up> <Down>     : "⇕"   U21D5       # UP DOWN DOUBLE ARROW
# SPECIAL ARROWS
<Multi_key> <Left> <o>          : "⟲"   U27F2       # ANTICLOCKWISE GAPPED CIRCLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <Right> <o>         : "⟳"   U27F3       # CLOCKWISE GAPPED CIRCLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <Left> <c>          : "↺"   U21BA       # ANTICLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <Right> <c>         : "↻"   U21BB       # CLOCKWISE OPEN CIRCLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <Left> <w>          : "⇜"   U21DC       # LEFTWARDS SQUIGGLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <Right> <w>         : "⇝"   U21DD       # RIGHTWARDS SQUIGGLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <Left> <bar>            : "⥖"   U21E4       #
<Multi_key> <Right> <bar>           : "⥗"   U21E5       #
<Multi_key> <Right> <minus>         : "⤼"   U21E2       # RIGHTWARDS DASHED ARROW
<Multi_key> <Right> <plus>          : "⥅"   U21E2       # RIGHTWARDS DASHED ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <slash> <greater>   : "⇏"   U21D2       # RIGHTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <equal> <slash> <less>  : "⇍"   U21D0       # LEFTWARDS DOUBLE ARROW
<Multi_key> <Down> <minus> <Right>  : "↪"   U27F2       # 
<Multi_key> <Down> <equal> <Right>  : "➥"   U27F2       #
# MATHEMATICAL OPERATORS AND SYMBOLS
<Multi_key> <exclam> <equal>        : "≠"   U2260       # NOT EQUAL TO
<Multi_key> <a> <q> <u>         : "≙"   U2260       # NOT EQUAL TO
<Multi_key> <a> <p> <r>         : "≈"   U2248           # ALMOST EQUAL TO
<Multi_key> <less> <equal>      : "≤"   U2264       # LESS-THAN OR EQUAL TO
<Multi_key> <greater> <equal>       : "≥"   U2265       # GREATER-THAN OR EQUAL TO
<Multi_key> <plus> <less>           : "≪"   U226A       # MUCH LESS-THAN
<Multi_key> <plus> <greater>        : "≫"   U226B       # MUCH GREATER-THAN
<Multi_key> <equal> <d> <e> <f>     : "≝"   U225D       # EQUAL TO BY DEFINITION
<Multi_key> <equal> <question>      : "≟"   U225f       # QUESTIONED EQUAL TO
<Multi_key> <8> <8>                     : "∞"  U221E            # INFINITY
<Multi_key> <o> <1>         : "·"   periodcentered  # MIDDLE DOT
<Multi_key> <o> <2>         : "•"   U2022       # BULLET
<Multi_key> <o> <3>         : "⚫"   U2022       # BULLET
<Multi_key> <parenleft> <plus> <parenright>     : "⊕"  U2295    # CIRCLED PLUS
<Multi_key> <parenleft> <minus> <parenright>    : "⊖"  U2296    # CIRCLED MINUS
<Multi_key> <1> <3>                     : "⅓"  U2153            # VULGAR FRACTION ONE THIRD
<Multi_key> <2> <3>                     : "⅔"  U2154            # VULGAR FRACTION TWO THIRDS
<Multi_key> <1> <5>                     : "⅕"  U2155            # VULGAR FRACTION ONE FIFTH
<Multi_key> <2> <5>                     : "⅖" U2156             # VULGAR FRACTION TWO FIFTHS
<Multi_key> <3> <5>                     : "⅗" U2157             # VULGAR FRACTION THREE FIFTHS
<Multi_key> <4> <5>                     : "⅘" U2158             # VULGAR FRACTION FOUR FIFTHS
<Multi_key> <1> <6>                     : "⅙" U2159             # VULGAR FRACTION ONE SIXTH
<Multi_key> <5> <6>                     : "⅚" U215A             # VULGAR FRACTION FIVE SIXTHS
<Multi_key> <1> <8>                     : "⅛" U215B             # VULGAR FRACTION ONE EIGHTH
<Multi_key> <3> <8>                     : "⅜" U215C             # VULGAR FRACTION THREE EIGHTHS
<Multi_key> <5> <8>                     : "⅝" U215D             # VULGAR FRACTION FIVE EIGHTHS
<Multi_key> <7> <8>                     : "⅞" U215E             # VULGAR FRACTION SEVEN EIGHTHS
# MISC SYMBOLS
<Multi_key> <colon> <parenright>        : "☺"   U263A           # WHITE SMILING FACE
<Multi_key> <colon> <parenleft>         : "☹"   U2639           # WHITE FROWNING FACE
<Multi_key> <y> <y> <1>         : "✓"   U2713       # CHECK MARK
<Multi_key> <y> <y> <2>         : "✔"   U2714       # HEAVY CHECK MARK
<Multi_key> <n> <n> <1>         : "✗"   U2717       # BALLOT X
<Multi_key> <n> <n> <2>         : "✘"   U2718       # HEAVY BALLOT X
<Multi_key> <r> <a> <d>         : "☢"   U2622       # RADIOACTIVE SIGN
<Multi_key> <b> <h>         : "☣"   U2623       # BIOHAZARD SIGN
<Multi_key> <z> <a> <p> <1>     : "⚡"   U26A1       # HIGH VOLTAGE SIGN
<Multi_key> <slash> <slash> <slash> : "↯"   U26A1       # 
<Multi_key> <z> <a> <p> <2>     : "ϟ"   U26A1       # 
<Multi_key> <m> <e> <d>         : "⚕"   U2695       # STAFF OF AESCULAPIUS
<Multi_key> <o> <minus> <plus>      : "♀"   U2640       # FEMALE SIGN
<Multi_key> <o> <minus> <greater>   : "♂"   U2642       # MALE SIGN
<Multi_key> <t> <r> <a> <n> <s>         : "⚥"   U26A5           # MALE AND FEMALE SIGN
<Multi_key> <s> <u> <n>         : "☉"   U2609       # SUN (Sunday)
<Multi_key> <g> <a> <y>                 : "⚣"   U26A3       # DOUBLED MALE SIGN
<Multi_key> <l> <e> <s> <b> <i> <a> <n> : "⚢"   U26A2       # DOUBLED FEMALE SIGN
<Multi_key> <h> <e> <t> <e> <r> <o>     : "⚤"   U26A4       # INTERLOCKED FEMALE AND MALE SIGN
<Multi_key> <O> <X>         : "☠"   U2620       # SKULL AND CROSSBONES
<Multi_key> <numbersign> <G>            : "𝄞"   U0001d11e  # MUSICAL SYMBOL G CLEF
<Multi_key> <p> <p> <p>         : "Ⓟ"   U2718       # 
<Multi_key> <k> <k> <k>         : "Ⓚ"   U2718       # 
<Multi_key> <t> <t> <t>         : "Ⓣ"   U2718       #
<Multi_key> <s> <s> <s>         : "Ⓢ"   U2718       #
<Multi_key> <d> <d> <d>         : "Ⓓ"   U2718       #
<Multi_key> <e> <e> <e>         : "Ⓔ"   U2718       #
<Multi_key> <minus> <minus>     : "−"   U2212       # 

(Sorry for the bad formatting, I should really stop using tabs)

4

enter image description here

This website provides more information: http://reference.sitepoint.com/html/kbd

Also in most browsers you can highlight it, right click, and view selection source.

enter image description here

enter image description here

Hope this helps... Have Fun!

2
  • Thanks for your post SoCalDiegoRob! Although I was looking for a way to put arrows in my post (left, right, up and down), and not necessarily the <kbd> tag. Also, "view source" shows an actual arrow, not the code that was used to make it (which is &uparrow;).
    – Alaa Ali
    Sep 18, 2013 at 16:01
  • @Alaa Ok I see, sorry about that. I thought you were asking about the keystrokes also, but you were just using them as an example of the arrow use. Glad you found your answer though... Sep 18, 2013 at 17:04

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