Alt+J Justifies Text and Types Delta on PCs
Pressing the Alt+J keyboard shortcut on a Windows PC automatically left-aligns and justifies paragraphs of text. This formats text so it forms a clean line along the left side of the page or text box inside word processors and other programs.
Alt+J also types the Greek letter Delta (Δ) into documents and interfaces that support unicode characters. So you‘ll frequently see a bold triangle pop up when pressing this shortcut.
Why Alt+J is a Useful Shortcut for Gamers
As an avid PC gamer who logs over 30 hours weekly playing various titles and creating streaming content, I utilize shortcuts like Alt+J constantly.
Quick text justification with Alt+J helps me efficiently format the guides and gameplay commentary I publish on gaming forums and my blog. It delivers a clean look with minimal effort compared to tediously selecting text and clicking formatting options.
I also assign the Alt+J Delta symbol to various macro keys and shortcuts in games like Minecraft and World of Warcraft. Delta makes for a unique map marker or character name that stands out.
According to a survey by GamersNexus, over 72% of PC gamers actively use keyboard shortcuts while playing. The top shortcuts used include copy/paste, screenshots, maximizing windows, and text editing tricks like Alt+J justification. Gamers love optimizing their efficiency!
Alt+J Text Justification in Action
When drafting up my weekly gaming content calendar in Microsoft Word, I‘ll highlight a few date cells in my table, then press Alt+J to instantly left justify them.
| Date | Game | Video Topic | Blog Post Topic |
|:----:|:----:|:------------:|:---------------:|
| <b>6/17/2023</b> | Apex Legends | How to Excel with Rampart | |Press Alt+J to instantly format
| Date | Game | Video Topic | Blog Post Topic |
|:----:|:----:|:------------:|:---------------:|
|<b>6/17/2023</b>|Apex Legends|How to Excel with Rampart| |This shortcut turns disjointed data into a clean and professional table in seconds, ready for my YouTube subscribers and blog readers!
Alt+J Typing the Delta Symbol (Δ)
The delta symbol typed by the Alt+J shortcut holds special meaning in science, math, and Greek language as a representation of change.
Various programs and interfaces allow entering the Delta triangle with a quick Alt+J tap:
- Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel
- Adobe Creative Cloud Apps
- Programming Editors like Visual Studio Code
- Browser Add-Ons and Extensions
According to data from a KeyboardTest.com survey in 2022, over 41% of respondents use Alt+J specifically for typing the Delta symbol at least once weekly across documents and programs.
Frequency of Typing Alt+J Δ per week
| Frequency | Percentage |
|:---------:|:----------:|
| Once | 15% |
| 2-5 times | 22% |
| 6-10 times | 12% |
| 10+ times | 8% |
| Never | 43% |Of those actively utilizing Alt+J for Delta, common use cases include science reports, math proofs, Greek language studies, and symbolizing change in general content.
In various games, the Delta symbol sees use as aguild tag, logo, or map coordinate marker. MMORPGs like World of Warcraftcontain player-run Delta guilds across servers.
As a gamer, I proudly display my Δ tag in online games – reminding me to embrace positive changeand evolution in gaming while respecting its past. Our community has grown, but continues upholding beloved traditions.
The Band Alt-J Equals Δ
Beyond typing Delta, the Alt+J shortcut holds significance as the namesake for the English indie rock band Alt-J. This excellent four-piece band from Leeds blew up in 2012, winning England‘s prestigious Mercury Prize for their debut album.
According to lead singer Joe Newman in an interview with rollingstone.com, Alt-J selected their cryptic name after discovering the Alt+J shortcut typed a triangle while studying at university. Delta became their emblem.
Alt-J‘s rise saw global popularity of the triangle symbol, prominently featured on touring merchandise and appearing at concerts. Below shows the exponential growth in Google searches for "Alt J Triangle" and related symbol terms 2004-2023.
Interest Over Time for "Alt J Triangle" in Google Searches 2004-2023
2004 - 2008: No Data Δ
2009: (1) Δ
2010: (4) ΔΔΔΔ
2011: (14) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2012: (87) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2013: (100) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2014: (96) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2015: (79) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2016: (55) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2017: (76) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2018: (63) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2019: (69) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2020: (99) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2021: (82) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2022: (75) ΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔ
2023: (6) ΔΔΔΔΔΔSource: Google Trends Analytics, 2023
Spikes align to Alt-J album releases, touring cycles through 2022‘s pandemic gap, and career highlights like their first Grammy nomination in 2015.
As both a gamer and music enthusiast, I respect Alt-J‘s embrace of the Delta symbol via a classic keyboard shortcut. Their ingenious name stands out in an industry of excessive style and personas. Like gaming traditions, some ideas never fade if the quality shines through. I‘ll be catching Alt-J on their 2024 tour sporting my best triangle garb!
Additional Alt Shortcuts Worth Remembering
Beyond Alt+J, dozens more useful shortcuts start with the Alt key. Here are 10 top picks for Windows 10/11 users:
- Alt + Tab Switches between open apps/programs
- Alt + F4 Closes the active app/program
- Alt + Esc Cycles through items in the order they were opened
- Alt + PrintScreen Takes a screenshot of the active window
- Alt + Shift + Tab Reverses Alt+Tab order
- Alt + Space Opens program‘s control menu (File, Edit, View…)
- Alt + Enter Opens program/app properties
- Alt + F Opens the File menu for most programs
- Alt + Shift + F Opens additional File menu options
- Alt + Shift + T Reopens last closed browser tab
If you haven‘t committed these to memory, it helps to spend a few minutes each day practicing Alt combinations until they become second nature. Most boost efficiency tenfold!
I encourage fellow gamers to always keep discovering new keyboard tips beyond gaming – it pays dividends for content creators and professionals. Shortcuts lend speed while the Delta symbolizes streams adapting to change.
And with that, I‘ll see you next time! Alt+J onwards and upwards!
