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# characters

The characters associated with a key-up or key-down event.

```
var characters: String? { get }
```

## Discussion

These characters are derived from a keyboard mapping that associates various key combinations with Unicode characters. This property is only valid for key-up and key-down events. It raises an `NSInternalInconsistencyException` if accessed on any other kind of event object.

This property is set to an empty string for dead keys, such as Option-e. However, for a key combination such as Option-Shift-e this property is set to the standard accent (“´”).

For a list of constants corresponding to commonly-used Unicode characters, see [`NSText`](/documentation/AppKit/NSText).

## See Also

[`+  keyEventWithType:location:modifierFlags:timestamp:windowNumber:context:characters:charactersIgnoringModifiers:isARepeat:keyCode:`](/documentation/AppKit/NSEvent/keyEvent(with:location:modifierFlags:timestamp:windowNumber:context:characters:charactersIgnoringModifiers:isARepeat:keyCode:))

Creates and returns a new event object that describes a key event.


---

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