Editing Compose key

{{stub}}
{{infobox dkeyboardkey
| name       = Compose
| names      = Compose, Compose Character
| iso symbol = ⎄
| usb        = Keyboard Application (7:0x65)
| x11        = Multi_key (keycode 135)
}}

The '''Compose''' key or '''Compose Character''' key is a [[dead key]] used for "composing" special characters by combining existing ones found on the keyboard.
It sometimes has a lamp that tells when the keyboard is in ''Compose mode''.
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==Usage==
The '''Compose key''' is first pressed, followed by the key sequence for the character. The keys are usually two.

For example '''Compose''', '''A''', '''E''' pressed in sequence produces the ligature '''Æ'''.

==Keyboards==
The key was common on terminal keyboards such as the [[DEC LK201]] and on Unix keyboards such as the [[Sun Type 5]].

In the [[USB]] HID standard, it has the same code (7:0x65 "Keyboard Application") as the [[Menu key]] but it does have a dedicated LED (8:0x04 "Compose"). USB [[Sun Type 6]] and [[Sun Type 7]] have this mapping.

[[File:Suncompose.jpg|480px|The Compose key on a [[Sun Type 5]]c]]

==To enable==
===Gnome 2 / Mate===
In the menu select ''System''→''Preferences''→''Hardware''→''Keyboard''.<br/>
Then select the ''Layouts'' tab and click '''Options...''<br/>
Then click '''Position of Compose key'' and choose which key that should be the Compose key.

===MS Windows===
A third-party utility has to be used:
* [https://github.com/SamHocevar/wincompose WinCompose]
* [https://sourceforge.net/projects/allchars/ AllChars]
* MrBertie's [https://github.com/MrBertie/compose-keys compose-keys]
* p3lim's [https://github.com/p3lim/Compose Compose]
* [http://www.kbdedit.com/manual/ex17_compose_key_chained_dead.html Solution for KbdEdit]

==External links==
* [https://cgit.freedesktop.org/xorg/lib/libX11/plain/nls/en_US.UTF-8/Compose.pre COMM UTF-8 (Unicode) compose sequence] — Compose-key sequences supported by Xorg.
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compose_key Compose key] on Wikipedia.

[[Category:Keyboard keys]]