How do you type a superscript o to a number showing a degree

gerardb wrote:

I'm trying to figure out how to produce a superscript o after a number, in order to signify a number in degrees.

⌥⇧8 on the US QWERTY keyboard.

See <http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mh35878.html>

Motorcycle Michael wrote:

OptionKey + zero = º as in 70ºF. Does that work?

Not on the US QWERTY keyboard.

⌥0 = º = U+00BA = masculine ordinal indicator (as in primo = 1º)

⌥⇧8 = ° = U+00B0 = degree sign (as in 70°F)

Read

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_sign#Encoding>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Degree_sign#Keyboard_entry>

Just did it on a US QWERTY keyboard, been using º for years on US QWERTY keyboards.

BTW: FontBook will show special characters attached to a specific font, too, by placing cursor over desired character while in Repertoire view (Preview menu). Some fonts may not have specific "special" characters.....

Motorcycle Michael wrote:

Just did it on a US QWERTY keyboard, been using º for years on US QWERTY keyboards.

But it's the wrong character, even if it looks the same to you. Normally you would only use this when writing certain European languages

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinal_indicator#Galician.2C_Italian.2C_Portuguese .2C_and_Spanish

In addition to searchability issues that can arise, various fonts will underline the circle of this character, so it would not display correctly. Thus it is better to use the real degree.

gerardb wrote:

actually between the three different ways o producing it.

The third version, (standalone) ring above, ˚ = option/alt + k, is an odd one, having no real use other than perhaps to illustrate a diacritic mark.

Tom Gewecke wrote:

Normally you would only use this when writing certain European languages

It's a very small point, but I'll take issue with that. It is also used in English, in certain specific circumstances.

For instance, if you happen to be in the book trade, or have some connection to books (especially rare ones), then you are familiar with terms like quarto (4º) or octavo (8º), and, of course, folio (2º). (The famous Gutenberg Bible was a 2º; and, if your language happens to be English, then the words "Shakespeare" and "folio" go together like a horse and carriage.) If you are a classical musician, then the indication "Tempo Iº" or "Tempo 1º" (tempo primo) is no novelty to you. Basically, you could come across it anywhere in English where words of Latin, Italian, or Iberian origin are used.

But isn't the distinction between the masculine ordinal indicator and the degree sign, the most trivial of trivia? Does it matter which one is used? Well, yes, it does.

One reason is outlined by Tom: the glyphs (the visual representation of the character) are actually different. The degree sign should be always round, a circle; while the other one is derived from the letter "o", so it should match it -- sometimes circular, but most often not; moreover, again as Tom points out, in some fonts it is underlined.

But there's another reason, and it has to do with how text is parsed. When we read, we can tell the difference between 1° (1 degree of angle) and 1º (primo) from the context. But that's because we're human beings, and we are (or, anyway, supposed to be) intelligent. Computers, however, are not intelligent. In fact, they're some of the dumbest machines ever invented. The reason why writing good software is such a difficult task is because software is a method of making dumb machines accomplish tasks which require intelligence. So, if you expect a computer to handle your text, to print it correctly, to index it, to search it, to use it in any number of ways that perhaps we haven't even thought of yet, then you have to tell it explicitly that it's either one or the other. And you do that by entering the correct character.

gerardb wrote:

the three different ways o producing it.

Gerardb, I'm afraid that suggests to me that you have missed the point. These aren't "three different ways" of producing the same character. They are ways of producing three different characters., with different codepoints, different origins, and different functions.

Btw, the reason why a combining ring above is defined in Unicode is that there are languages which use characters with two, and even three, diacritics above. Even in languages like English two diacritics are sometimes required for specialised purposes (eg, meter and rhythm analysis of poetry).

fane_j wrote:

Btw, the reason why a combining ring above is defined in Unicode

But option/alt + k is the non-combining (or spacing) ring above, which has itself no use in any actual language (other than perhaps phonetic transcription or printing an isolated diacritic). I wonder why Apple gives it a place on the keyboard when there are so many more useful possibilities.

Tom Gewecke wrote:

But option/alt + k is the non-combining (or spacing) ring above

Yes, indeed. ⌥K inserts U+02DA (ring above). I was explaining why U+030A (combining ring above) was added to Unicode.

which has itself no use in any actual language

Not as far as I know, but my knowledge is very limited. I'm constantly surprised by variations on the Latin script used around the world.

I wonder why Apple gives it a place on the keyboard

Interesting question. Must be some historic reason for it, and I'd dearly like to know it.

when there are so many more useful possibilities.

Indeed. Never thought about it before, but now that you pointed it out, it's my prime target for re-mapping.

fane_j and Tom, despite all the esoteric discussion going on here 🙂 you two have given me something I have already put to good use in a paper...the option-shift-8 to get the true degree symbol for an engineer is a critical little tid-bit of information.

So thanks for something I actually can put to use in my day job.

Ralph

OptionKey + zero = º as in 70ºF. Does that work?