Alternatively referred to as a solidus, vergul, upward slash or whack, the forward slash is the name of the “/” character on a computer keyboard. The forward slash is commonly used to describe network addresses, URLs, and other addresses. For example, in the Computer Hope URL below, the forward slash is used three times.
Forward slash symbol
To type the forward slash symbol on your keyboard, hold down the Alt key and type the forward slash Alt code, which is 47 on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key. For Mac users, press Option + Shift + 1 on your keyboard.
The quick guide above provides some useful information about the forward slash symbol, including shortcuts and alt codes that you can use on both Windows and Mac. However, below are some other ways you can take advantage of to insert this symbol into your Word document.
How to make forward slash ?
US Making a “/” sign on the keyboard :
On the English keyboard, the forward slash is on the same key as the question mark key next to the right Shift key.
Creating a “/” sign on a smartphone or tablet :
To create a forward slash on a smartphone or tablet, open the keyboard and go to the number (123) or symbol (Symbol) section and tap the / symbol.
Where is the forward slash key on the keyboard ?
Below is an overview of a computer keyboard with the forward slash keys highlighted in blue. A key appears on the main keyboard. The second key is at the top of the numeric keypad. Its primary use is as a calculator to represent mathematical division operators.
Where can the forward slash be used ?
The forward slash can also be used for any of the following reasons.
Math formula –
In math formulas, the forward slash is used to denote a division. For example, in the formula below, you can see that dividing 10 by 2 gives 5.
Separate the month, day, and year of a date –
Forward slashes are used in many parts of the world to separate the month, day, and year of a date. For example, in the United States, 5/14/2019 is May 14, 2019.
Nonexecutable statement in computer programming –
Another example of a forward slash is in the nonexecutable statement used with some programming languages. For example, in the following PHP code, the comment “hidden text” would not show when executed because it is surrounded by a forward slash and an asterisk.
Closing tags in HTML and XML –
With HTML, XML, and other markup languages, the forward slash is used with closing tags to let the browser or reader know when a tag ends. Below is an example of a bold HTML tag with a beginning and end tag surrounding “bold text” and making it bold.
Command line switch or another program option –
In MS-DOS and the Windows command line, the forward slash is used to perform a command option or switch. For example, with the below dir command, the /p performs the directory listing one page at a time.
With chat, the forward slash starts a command. For example, in IRC, /msg is a message command that message’s another person chatting.
In online games, the forward slash starts an action. For example, in World of Warcraft, typing /dance into chat makes your character dance.
A forward slash in a spreadsheet program –
In spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel, a forward slash is used in formulas for a division. For example, in the following formula, cell A1 is divided by cell B1.
When not used in a formula a forward slash with only numbers is treated as a date. For example, if you entered “2/1” in a cell, Excel treats the cell as the date “1-Feb” or “2/1/2019.”
Regular expression delimiter –
With a regular expression, a forward slash is used as a delimiter or separator. For example, in the following Perl regular expression, all of the letter “a” characters are replaced with the letter “b” in the $example variable.
Execute a Linux program –
In Linux, ./ executes a compiled program.
Separate files and directories in a path
In a Linux or network file path, a forward slash is used to separate files and directories.