Alt is a key present on the computer keyboard (computers).
Alt is a term that is not part of the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) , although its use is very frequent in the field of computing . The Alt key , also known as the Alternative key , is part of computer keyboards and is used to access certain menus and shortcuts .
Depending on the type of keyboard and according to the distribution of the keys according to the language , we can find two Alt keys (one on the left and the other on the right of the keyboard) or with an Alt key and an Alt Gr key.
Alt depending on software
The Alt key works in various ways depending on the operating system in question and the program ( software ) in use. When a person is typing in Microsoft Word and presses the Alt key, the cursor will move to the toolbar and they can access options such as File , Edit , View , and others.
In the Windows operating system, the combination of the Alt key with Tab allows you to switch between windows, while the combination Alt+F4 orders the closing of a window.
The Alt key can be combined with others in multiple ways to execute different options.
Some combinations
Specifically, it is established that with Alt you can carry out up to 254 possible keyboard combinations that greatly facilitate the ability to undertake tasks of various kinds, both when browsing the Internet and when working with certain programs such as Microsoft Word or Excel. , among others.
Some very useful examples in this regard are the following:
- ALT+C : to copy the selection to the clipboard.
- ALT+V , which is used to paste the clipboard.
- ALT+W , which is used to close the active window.
- ALT+Q , which is used to carry out what would be closing an application.
A widely used combination is Alt+Ctrl+Del : by pressing these three keys, Windows shows the processes that are running at that moment, offering the possibility of closing them or even restarting or shutting down the system.
Another possibility offered by the Alt key combined with other keys is to insert characters that are not available on the keyboard. The user must hold down the Alt key and type certain numbers for these characters to appear. The combination Alt+164 , for example, inserts the letter ñ .
The ALT enzyme
We cannot forget either that ALT is an enzyme that exists in the human body, specifically in the liver, whose full name is alanine aminotransferase . When its levels are above normal values (10 to 40), significant liver disease occurs.
It must be emphasized that this increase in the aforementioned values can occur due to various causes such as hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver necrosis, liver cancer, pancreatitis or mononucleosis, among others.
a surname
To all the above we could also add that Alt also serves as a surname.
A good example of this is the name of Emmanuelle Alt , who was the director of the prestigious fashion and trends magazine “Vogue” in its Paris edition. Thus, she took the position instead of Carine Roitfeld , after a successful professional career that has led her to work for other publications such as “Elle” .