weird keyboard issue pressing ; on keyboard and editor instead displays >

[tarheel13]

hey does anyone know how to fix a strange keyboard issue? I was trying to take a SAS test for a job and they made me use their system like remote into their computer. I would press ; on my keyboard but the editor displayed > instead and I never found where semicolon was. Also I would press shift+8 for * but * is not what was displayed. These should have been the same as U.S. or U.K. keyboards but something must be wrong on their end.

[FreelanceReinh · Accepted solution]

Hi @tarheel13,

I remember a similar situation when I had to work remotely with a Unix SAS session that assumed a US keyboard layout while I was using a German keyboard. Back then I ended up with writing a "cheat sheet" listing the special characters and their associated keys (e.g., * Shift+8). Unfortunately it wouldn't help to switch the keyboard layout from "German" to "US" (e.g., by pressing Alt+Shift under Windows) because it's rather the reverse what would be needed.

I think the best fix would be to switch the language/keyboard settings in the remote session, if possible. Obviously this has nothing to do with SAS, but with the operating system of the remote computer or possibly a setting of the software establishing the remote connection.

Alternatively, it should be possible to create a custom keyboard layout (with software such as the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator, which I have never used, though) so that pressing the familiar key for a certain character sends the code needed by the remote session to display that character.

Good luck!

[tarheel13]

Yep going to try again Monday. They said they never ran into the issue before. Hope after Monday I get hired 🤣

[tarheel13]

@FreelanceReinh as fate would have it, someone put the keyboard in Finnish haha. The semicolon is indeed not in the same place on their keyboards as U.S. and U.K. Thanks for telling us about it.