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# keyEquivalent

The menu item’s unmodified key equivalent.

```
var keyEquivalent: String { get set }
```

## Discussion

If you want to specify the Backspace key as the key equivalent for a menu item, use a single character string with [`NSBackspaceCharacter`](/documentation/AppKit/NSBackspaceCharacter) (defined in `NSText.h` as `0x08`) and for the Forward Delete key, use [`NSDeleteCharacter`](/documentation/AppKit/NSDeleteCharacter) (defined in `NSText.h` as `0x7F`). Note that these are not the same characters you get from an [`NSEvent`](/documentation/AppKit/NSEvent) key-down event when pressing those keys.

## See Also

[`userKeyEquivalent`](/documentation/AppKit/NSMenuItem/userKeyEquivalent)

The user-assigned key equivalent for the menu item.

[`-  mnemonic`](/documentation/AppKit/NSMenuItem/mnemonic)

Returns the character in the menu item title that appears underlined for use as a mnemonic.

[`-  setMnemonicLocation:`](/documentation/AppKit/NSMenuItem/setMnemonicLocation:)

Sets the character of the menu item title at location that is to be underlined.


---

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