Meaning of the tab key. All keyboard functions

Good day everyone and Have a good mood, my Dear friends. Force majeure can happen at any time and we always need to be prepared with a plan "B". What will you do if your keyboard suddenly “flies”? If things are urgent, then you can. What to do if the mouse breaks?

In fact, there is a solution, and even more than one. So don't rush to panic if you have some urgent work. I'll show you how to use a keyboard instead of a mouse. Of course, this is not a way out of the situation, but as a temporary urgent solution to the problem, it is just right.

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Some people don't know or even bother, but in fact, all the functions of a mouse can be performed using the keyboard. And for this you don’t even need to call any third party programs etc. Default keys can do all this.

In fact, these are all basic combinations. To be able to use a keyboard as a mouse perfectly, you need to know them even more and train for a long time to do it automatically, like seasoned computer scientists. But if this method is not for you and you don’t want to bother, then the second method is suitable for you.

Mouse imitation

In addition to regular hotkeys, you can use a full-fledged mouse with a pointer, but work with it using the keyboard.

To do this, press the key combination ALT+SHIFT+NUM LOCK. After this you will hear a strange sound signal and a sign will appear in front of you. Click OK. And now mouse mode will be activated.

But the truth is, the pointer speed leaves much to be desired. The mouse substitute is very slow. But there is a way out.

Now, when you activate the keyboard mouse, to speed it up, hold down the key CTRL. Then your work will become more convenient and much faster.

In general, to work more conveniently, more productively and faster, I recommend that you watch wonderful video course, which will help you with this. You yourself will notice how your work becomes more productive and even more interesting. You will be able to optimize all processes of working at the computer. Overall, I recommend you watch it.

Best regards, Dmitry Kostin.

The keyboard is one of the earliest and most important hardware components of a computer. The range of models and design solutions is quite wide. There are completely original products. Here is a very interesting concept on which the computer keyboard is made (photo below).

However, despite the large number of design solutions on the keyboard market, the functions and purpose of the keys on almost all product modifications of this type organized according to the same principle. Which one exactly?

Keyboard structure

Modern computer keyboards contain 101 or 102 buttons, which are divided into several groups. These are function keys, alphabetic, numeric, service, control, and so-called modifiers. Let's look at the purpose of each type of keyboard key.

Function keys

There are 12 buttons of this type in total. Computer keyboards have included them for a very long time. The purpose of the keys and their descriptions are found in many textbooks on information technology, published even before the invention of the PC in its current form. Function keys are located in one row (usually) at the very top of the keyboard. Let's study their features.

Purpose function keys largely due to traditions among computer manufacturers and software, and not by any rigid standards. There are some kind of generally accepted principles for associating the buttons of a given group with certain actions. But it cannot be ruled out that individual software manufacturers will prefer to assign the function keys whatever purpose they want. Let's take a scenario in which we have to press these buttons while working in Windows, say, version 7.

In this case, the F1 key will be responsible for calling help system OS. Most programs running on Windows also require you to activate help by pressing F1.

The F2 key is usually responsible for renaming files and folders in Windows. A similar function is assigned to it when working in some file managers.

The F3 button in Windows calls search engine OS, a separate folder or a similar interface in most programs. For example, if the text is open in the editor, then by pressing F3 you can search the right word or phrases.

The F4 key is usually associated in Windows with two functions: going to the address bar in the integrated OS file manager, as well as displaying history.

The F5 button allows you to refresh the display of objects in a folder, on the desktop, or, for example, a page in a browser window.

The F6 key has some similarities in purpose with F4. It allows you to move the text cursor to the address bar of the built-in file manager Windows, but does not display history.

The purpose of the computer keyboard keys in the F7-F9 row, as well as the F12 button in Windows, is not strictly defined. It all depends on the specific application in which the user is working. In this case, a specialized program can be used to assign keys.

The F10 button is responsible for calling the leftmost menu item in the program interface. For example, if open Word window, then the user presses F10 to open the "File" menu.

The F11 key allows you to quickly move the window to full screen mode(or vice versa).

Control keys

These usually include the arrow keys - right, left, up and down. They are designed to perform operations to move objects on the screen, to control characters in computer games etc. They can also be used to position the cursor in the text.

Letter keys

They occupy the central space of the keyboard. In numerical terms, there are the most such buttons; the typical standard is 47 pieces. An English computer keyboard usually includes pure letter keys. That is, apart from them, nothing is usually depicted on the keys. Russian usually allows the simultaneous use of some letter buttons as “carriers” of punctuation marks. If you press them without combining them with others (for example, modifiers), then the main letters will be entered. With the appropriate combination - punctuation marks.

Also, in some cases, letter keys allow you to control an object on the screen, if this is provided by a program or computer game (the second option is more common). In this sense, letter keys can sometimes be "control" keys.

Number keys

They are, depending on the configuration specific model keyboards can be located on top of the letter block, and in some cases they can be supplemented with buttons on the right side of the device (as a rule, they often do not fit on “large” keyboards for PCs and laptops).

In the second case, this key block is especially convenient to use for calculations. There are also various auxiliary buttons for operations of multiplication, division, subtraction, addition, and there is an Enter key.

Modifiers

The purpose of the keyboard keys classified as “modifiers” is to change the essence of the entered commands using function, alphabetic or numeric buttons by pressing them simultaneously. These are CTRL, ALT, and also SHIFT. Some experts also classify the CAPS LOCK, INSERT, SCROLL LOCK and NUM LOCK buttons as modifiers. Other experts distinguish these four keys into a separate group - the so-called “mode” buttons.

Let's look at the most common actions that you can use these keys to perform. The computer keyboard is designed so that the user can enter data not only using single button presses, but also in combination. The functions of many “modifiers” are performed precisely thanks to this feature.

Users often combine keyboard buttons with ALT key. For example, if you press ALT and TAB, you can switch windows different programs- from one to another. Using the combination of ALT and F4, the user will close the active application.

Combinations of keyboard buttons with CTRL are no less popular. For example, the combination of this key and "C" allows you to quickly copy an object or data area - a file, folder, text, picture, etc. to the clipboard. You can quickly paste a “copy” by pressing CTRL+V. If you substitute “X” instead of “C”, then the selected data will be “cut out” from its original location, and after pressing CTRL+V it will be moved to a new one.

One of the most frequently pressed modifier buttons is SHIFT. It is in combination with it that most users type capital letters in the text.

Hotkeys

Some experts call modifier buttons hotkeys. This is because the latter give the user the ability to very quickly perform some action that would take longer if using, say, a mouse. We have already given some examples reflecting the purpose of hot keys: for example, copying text using the combination CTRL, C, X and V is usually faster than when calling context menu using the mouse.

Combinations of “modifiers” are often used. For example, if the user has the “Russian” computer keyboard enabled, the layout can be changed to “English” by pressing the ALT and SHIFT combination. And vice versa.

Service keys

There are quite a lot of them on keyboards. Experts usually include the buttons ESC, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, PRTSC, PAUSE, DEL, BACKSPACE, HOME, END, WIN, ENTER, TAB, as well as SPACE, or, in Russian, space bar. There is an opinion that, in the broad sense of the word, “service” keys also include control keys and “modifiers”, and therefore it would be more appropriate to classify the buttons differently. But at the same time, there are no uniform standards in this matter.

Most Popular

Perhaps the most frequently used service key is SPACE. It puts a space when typing. In combination with INSERT (when its associated mode is activated), this key erases typed letters.

Probably the second most popular service key is ENTER. It has a lot of functions. It is difficult to single out the main one, we can say that there is a group of key ones: this is opening a file, folder, launching a program (or some action in an already running one), as well as translating text to a new line. Keyboards that have a separate number key area (on the right side) usually have additional key ENTER.

The ESC button is often used. Usually responsible for canceling an action. For example, if an image viewer is open, you can close it by pressing ESC. Unless, of course, the corresponding button association is built into the application: in many cases, programs do not respond to pressing ESC.

The purpose of the PRTSC key is interesting. Using it, you can take so-called “screenshots” - graphic snapshots of the contents of the screen at a specific moment in time. To save an image to separate file, you need to launch some program for processing images, for example, Paint or Photoshop, then “paste” it into the editable area (optionally, using a combination of CTRL and V), and then save it to a file in a convenient format.

Rare but necessary

Let's now study the rarely used, but very necessary in some cases, service buttons. These include SCROLL LOCK and PAUSE. The first key is designed to change the mode of use of the control arrows. So, for example, so that when you press the “right” or “left” buttons, the active window moves to the corresponding side. The PAUSE key can be useful if you are running a program or process on your PC that has a pause function. For example, before Windows loads, various types of system information are displayed on the PC screen. If the user is interested in reading it, but does not have time to do so due to the computer quickly switching to booting Windows, then he can “slow down” the process by pressing the PAUSE key. If, of course, it allows you to do this software interface- its algorithms are laid down by the computer manufacturer or motherboard. To continue the execution of the program, it is usually enough to press any button on the keyboard.

New and useful

Over time, with technological progress, the computer keyboard is constantly being improved and modernized. The purpose of the keys and their description may change. But this is not the only aspect of technological evolution. New keys may also be added and subsequently become, de facto, part of generally accepted standards.

Among the newest buttons are WIN, as well as “menu”. They are indicated on keyboards, as a rule, by pictures. WIN - in the form of a proprietary Microsoft flag, the second key - in the form of, in fact, a context menu with items, sometimes with a mouse arrow.

The WIN key contains almost any modern computer keyboard adapted for Windows. Photo is below.

Actually, the appearance of both buttons in question is believed to have been due to their entry into the world market operating system Windows.

WIN key

The WIN key, in principle, can be classified as a “hot” key, since in many cases the actions associated with it are carried out, firstly, in combination with other buttons, and secondly, they duplicate (with relatively faster execution) operations performed using the mouse. Note that if you press WIN separately, it usually opens the Start menu.

Let's look at useful hot combinations using the WIN key.

The WIN+D combination allows you to collapse everything open windows applications (or, conversely, deploy).

The WIN and R key combination is useful from the point of view of calling the Quick Program Launch window (in which you can enter the name of the main file, after which the application will launch).

The combination of WIN and PAUSE (this, by the way, is another useful property of the second key) opens the My Computer properties menu.

What's useful about the Menu key? It is, in principle, associated with the same action that the user performs by pressing the right mouse button while hovering the cursor over a file or folder. That is, a context menu opens, consisting of various options. Many users find it more convenient to use this function using the keyboard rather than the mouse.

Nuances of standardization

The assignment of computer keyboard keys, as we noted above, is rather a set of rules dictated by tradition rather than international standards. However, computer and software manufacturers, one way or another, try not to experiment too much with associating buttons with new functions that are unsuitable for other market solutions.

Many users may not like the unusual computer keyboard, the assignment of the keys, or the description of its functions. Many PC owners prefer the familiar hot buttons, function buttons, or utility buttons to work exactly as they do in most applications. And therefore, the above-described patterns regarding the purpose of various types of keys, in general, are valid for almost all models of keyboards. In turn, software manufacturers try to associate application functions in algorithms that are more or less familiar to the market.

Windows standards on other systems

Moreover, even in operating systems other than Windows (for example, Linux), the range of key assignments is generally very similar to what is described above. In many competing operating systems, it is initially focused on Windows keyboard computer - the assignment of keys, its description - reflect the same capabilities that are present in the OS from Microsoft. This even sometimes applies to the WIN key. Despite the fact that it is typical for Windows, its functions in other operating systems are in some cases very similar to the original range of purposes. Not to mention the “modifiers” that a computer keyboard contains. The layout between languages ​​using the ALT and SHIFT combination changes not only in Windows.

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Keyboard key assignments

You and I have already mastered working with the mouse quite well. It's time to take a closer look at the keyboard. Perhaps the abundance of keys is a little intimidating for a novice user, because in addition to the familiar keys with numbers and letters, there are many additional keys on the keyboard. But there’s nothing scary about them, and we’ll deal with them now.

I think it’s no secret to you that the keyboard is mainly used to enter data into a computer. But besides this, the keyboard is also used to carry out various computer control operations.

Now we will analyze the most common (classic) keyboard and make a list of the most important keys for us. I said “the most common” because you can find keyboards on sale that have additional keys that perform auxiliary functions. Keyboard manufacturers are constantly coming up with new designs, sometimes having a very fancy appearance (Fig. 79).

A regular keyboard can be divided into several areas (Fig. 80).

Let's take a closer look at all these areas and highlight the keys that we will need when working on the computer every day.

The topmost area of ​​the keyboard contains keys that are not used for entering data into the computer. These keys perform auxiliary actions, which are shown in the table below.

There are keys in this area that are called modifier keys ( Ctrl keys, Alt and Shift). These keys are so named because they allow you to change the values ​​of the symbol keys. For example, if there are three symbols on a key (Fig. 81), then one of them is entered by simply pressing the key (this is the “3” symbol), the second - by simultaneously pressing the symbol key and the Shift key (this is the “No.” symbol, provided , that the Russian keyboard layout is selected), the third character - when switching the keyboard layout to another language and simultaneously pressing the symbol key with the Shift key (this is the “#” symbol if the English keyboard layout is selected).

Just above the cursor control keys there are usually additional keys that are also related to cursor control. The actions performed by these keys are difficult to describe without giving practical examples. Therefore, in the table below I present short description these keys, and you can use this table in the future as a reference. Come back to it when we learn how to use text editors.

As I mentioned earlier, on the right side of the keyboard there is an additional keyboard on which there are number keys and math keys, as well as an additional Enter key. The additional keyboard is activated using the NumLock key. When NumLock mode is disabled, an additional keyboard can be used to control the cursor - the number keys have additional inscriptions indicating the functionality of the key.

Many (but not all) keyboards have an area where mode indicators are located (Fig. 80). These indicators light up when the corresponding key is pressed:

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How to use the keyboard

To acquire a particular skill, a person needs regular training. Keyboard skills are no exception. With constant practice, the necessary skills are achieved quickly enough, and then you just need to maintain your form.

Using the keyboard correctly means saving your time. This is the main reason to learn how to type quickly. Before you start learning, remember that you should never rush. The most important thing is to develop well the muscle memory of your fingers to the point where the typing process is practically uncontrollable.

First, you should evaluate the speed at which you type text. With good typing speed, the number of characters can vary from 200 to 250 per minute. Pair these numbers with your results to see the difference.

In order to effectively use the keyboard, you need to master typing with ten fingers, and it is advisable to do this blindly. You need to start with the correct placement of your fingers on the keyboard: the fingers of your left hand should be on the keys “F”, “Y”, “B” and “A”, and the fingers of your right hand should be placed on “O”, “L”, “D” and "F". There is also a second option for the arrangement of the fingers: the left hand is on “Y”, “B”, “A” and “M”, and the right hand is on “T”, “O”, “L” and “D”. You definitely need to remember the location of the other keys on the keyboard and then start typing. At the initial stage, take your time. The main condition is not to look at the keyboard.

Today there are a large number of special sites with so-called simulators for teaching touch typing skills. You can also find programs on the Internet that you can download and install on your computer. Most in a simple way master fast typing by running your own blogs, printing large quantity texts, chatting with friends, and so on.

Also, to use your keyboard effectively, we recommend learning more keyboard shortcuts for the programs you use. This will allow you to put your hand on the mouse as little as possible and search for various functions in the program menu. Keyboard shortcuts can be used to save or print documents and other files, to copy and paste text and graphic information.

It is definitely worth noting that in addition to the alphanumeric pad, the keyboard also has function keys, a numeric pad (NumLock), and a navigation bar (cursor keys). To use the keyboard, you need to know the purpose of each such panel.

Function keys are required for quick access various actions in programs, for example, in any Internet browser, you can refresh the page by pressing the F5 key. The cursor keys allow you to move the cursor to the beginning or end of a line, and so on, with one press. The digital pad is designed to make typing numbers and performing mathematical operations more convenient.

How could you verify efficient use keyboard significantly increases the speed of working on the computer. Of course, mastering fast typing and memorizing key combinations takes time, so you will have to put in a lot of effort.

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The keyboard is the main computer control tool. Mastering it is a top priority for any user. And having mastered the purpose of special keys and their combinations, you will be able to speed up and make your work easier.

Basic blocks of keyboard keys

A regular keyboard consists of 5 key blocks:

1. Symbolic (with images of letters of the Russian and English alphabets, numbers and punctuation marks). To type characters instead of numbers, you must press and hold the Shift key.
2. Additional block of numeric keys (on the right side of the keyboard). The Num Lock button is also located here, which turns this block on and off.
3. Special keys:
   • Caps Lock - changes the keyboard case (uppercase to lowercase). By default, most computers are configured to print in lowercase letters; after pressing the Caps Lock button once, capital letters are printed;
   • Enter - usually used to move the blinking cursor to the line below;
   • Tab - indents the “red” line;
   • Alt, Ctrl - expand the capabilities of the keyboard; when pressed simultaneously with other symbols, they issue specific commands to the computer.
4. Cursor control keys in graphic and text editors with arrows that move the cursor up, down, left, right. And also the buttons:
   • Insert - allows you to activate the mode of inserting/replacing text on the page;
   • Delete - deletes the character to the right of the text cursor or selected text;
   • Backspace - deletes the character before the cursor;
   • Home - moves the blinking cursor to the beginning of the text/paragraph;
   • End - moves the cursor to the end of the page;
   • Page up - turns the page up;
   • Page Down - turns the page down.
5. In addition, there are other keys:
   • Esc - closes some programs (browser windows, computer games and others);
   • long empty button - space;
   • Print Screen - takes a “photo” of the screen and saves it to the clipboard.
6. Function keys (top row, signed with Latin F and numbers from 1 to 12) - together with the previous block, allow you to use the keyboard without a mouse.
   • F1 - call Windows Help;
   • F2 - editing the selected object (renaming files, folders);
   • F3 - search activation. Calls up a search window in the system or enables text search in the browser;
   • F4 - activates the address bar in Windows Explorer and opens the address bar history in Internet browser Explorer;
   • F5 - executes the “refresh” command, for example, a page on the Internet or the operation of the system;
   • F6 - moves the blinking cursor to the address bar of browsers or is used in computer games to save the achieved level;
   • F7 - F9 - do not have standard functions, their purpose varies depending on the application. In games, F9 usually causes F6 to load a quick save;
   • F10 - call the program menu;
   • F11 - switches windowed mode to full screen and vice versa, this is convenient, for example, when watching movies;
   • F12 - in text editor Microsoft Word allows you to save the current document.

In general, when getting acquainted with any application, it makes sense to understand what functions the function keys perform. This can help you make your work easier and faster.

"Hotkeys

Pressing certain keys at the same time allows the computer to quickly perform more more commands Such keyboard shortcuts are usually called “hot”. The most common ones are:

• Alt+Shift - switch keyboard layout (changes input language);
• Alt+F4 - closes the current window;
• Alt+Ctrl+Del - opens “Task Manager”;
• Ctrl+A - executes the “select all” command;
• Ctrl+X - cut to clipboard;
• Ctrl+C - copy to clipboard;
• Ctrl+V - paste from clipboard;
• Ctrl+P - print the document;
• Ctrl+S - save the current document.

Features of working with a laptop keyboard

Those who have had to work on a laptop keyboard have probably noticed that some of the symbols and icons are different in color or framed. Also highlighted is the Fn button in the bottom row to the left of the space bar. When you simultaneously press Fn and keys of the same color, special tasks are performed.

This way you can change the sound volume and screen backlight, turn on/off the touchpad ( touchpad), put the laptop into sleep mode and perform other actions. Which keys are responsible for a particular function depends on the laptop model and the manufacturer; this information can be found in the accompanying documents for the computer or by deciphering the icons.

All keyboard functions. You should know it!

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All keyboard functions

F1— Call Windows Help. When clicked from the window of a program, it opens help for that program.

F2— Rename the selected object on the desktop or in Explorer.

F3— Open a search window for a file or folder (on the desktop and in Explorer).

F4— Open a drop-down list (for example, the address bar list in the “My Computer” window or in Explorer).

F5— Refresh the active window (open web page, desktop, explorer).

F6- Switch between screen elements in a window or on the desktop. In Explorer and Internet Explorer— moving between the main part of the window and the address bar.

F7— Spell checking (in Word, Excel).

F8— When loading the OS — select the boot mode. Enable advanced text highlighting in Word. Selecting a fragment from the initial to the final cursor position occurs without holding down the Shift key. A second press of the F8 key highlights the word closest to the cursor. The third is the sentence containing it. Fourth - paragraph. Fifth - document. The easiest way to remove the last selection is by pressing the key combination Shift+F8. You can disable the mode by pressing the Esc key.

F9— In some programs, updating selected fields.

F10— Call up the window menu.

F11— Switching to full screen mode and back (for example, in Internet Explorer).

F12— Go to selecting file saving options (File — Save As).

Next you will learn a lot more interesting things about the keyboard and its secrets.

Esc— cancel the last command entered, exit the window menu (remove focus) or close the open dialog.

Tab— Entering tab stops when typing. Move focus across elements. For example, moving between the desktop, Start button, panel Quick start", taskbar and system tray. Moving through elements (including links) open document. Alt+Tab - switch between windows.

Shift— uppercase key (non-fixed switching). Used simultaneously with other keys to type capital letters as well as uppercase characters.

Ctrl combinations+Shift or Alt+Shift usually used to switch keyboard layouts.

Capslock — uppercase(fixed switching). Used when typing text in CAPITAL letters. Pressing the key again cancels this mode.

Alt- used in conjunction with other keys, modifying their action.

For example, Alt+letter - call a menu command or open a menu column. The corresponding letters in the menu are usually underlined (either initially, or become underlined after pressing Alt). If the menu column is already open, you can then press the key with the letter that is underlined in this command to call a specific command. The same applies to the open context menu.

Ctrl- Used in combination with other keys. For example, Ctrl+C - copy, Ctrl+V - paste, Ctrl+Alt+Del - open Windows task manager.

Win(“start”) - opens the Start menu.

AppsKey— calling the context menu for the selected object (equivalent to right-clicking the mouse).

Enter— Confirmation of choice. Same as double clicking on an object. Click on the active one this moment button in the dialog. Often - clicking on the “default” button in the dialog. When entering commands from the keyboard, complete the command entry and proceed to its execution. When typing, move to a new paragraph.

Backspace- View a folder one level higher in the My Computer window or in the Windows Explorer. In text editing mode, delete the character to the left of the input cursor).

Delete— Deleting the selected object, selected text fragment or character to the right of the input cursor.

Up, Down, Right and Left Arrows - Allow you to navigate through menu options. Move the input cursor in the appropriate direction by one position. The action of these keys in many programs can be modified using service keys, primarily SHIFT and CTRL.

Home— moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line of the document or to the beginning of the list of files.

End— moves the cursor to the end of the current line of the document or to the end of the list of files.

PageUp/PageDown— moving the cursor one page up or down. The term "page" usually refers to the portion of a document that is visible on the screen. Used to “scroll” the content in the current window.

Insert- Switch between insert and replace modes when editing text. If the text cursor is located inside existing text, then in insert mode new characters are entered without replacing existing characters (the text is, as it were, moved apart). In replace mode, new characters replace the text that was previously present at the input position.

PrtScn(print screen) - Takes a screenshot and places it on the clipboard. Alt+PrtScn - copying a screenshot of the currently active window (application) to the clipboard.

ScrLk(Scroll Lock) - refers to service keys. Its short description is scroll blocking. Designed for a screen display mode in which pressing the cursor keys leads to a shift not of the cursor as such, but of the entire contents of the screen. Now this key is used for this purpose very rarely, but, for example, in Excel it works. This is very convenient when editing large tables.

Pause/Break- pauses the computer (in DOS it worked everywhere, in modern operating systems - only while the computer was booting).

Numlock— Changes the numeric keypad mode. When turned on, the numeric keypad switches to digit entry mode; when turned off, the additional keyboard can be used to control the cursor.

Additional numeric keypad

These keys are a favorite among bank tellers with nimble fingers and anyone who has to type a lot of numbers. The numeric keypad resembles a calculator and is located on the right side of the keyboard. (However, you must press the Num Lock key for it to work. If you don't, you'll be stuck with the cursor keys.)

When Num Lock is turned off, the keys on the secondary numeric keypad will act as cursor keys. They show small arrows showing the direction the cursor is moving across the screen. (The number 5 key, which does not have an arrow, does nothing but combat low self-esteem.) In addition, the cursor is controlled by keys with the words “Home”, “End”, “PgUp” and “PgDn”

I think you have most likely already heard that keyboard- this is the most convenient and quick way computer control, but most likely you can’t believe it because you can’t understand how you can operate the keyboard faster e, than hover your mouse over to the right place on the screen and click with one finger. So, this is really true. The author of this article himself once thought so too, but some time passed and everything fell into place.

The keyboard works faster!

The fact is that in fact, in order to perform several actions in a matter of seconds, the mouse is not suitable at all, because you need to reach out to the mouse, coordinate the movements with this hand, etc. The keys are always under your fingers, and to press several keys you need to make tens of times less concentrated effort. I'm not even talking about any altered states of consciousness, such as alcohol or drug intoxication - it is almost impossible to work with a mouse in these states, but with skillful use of the keyboard, performance does not decrease one gram even in such cases :)

What main groups of keys can be distinguished on the keyboard?

The keyboard can be roughly divided into the following logical blocks:
1. Letters, numbers and punctuation marks - this group can be called alphanumeric. These are the majority of keys on the keyboard. They are located in the center of the keyboard. Used for typing text, entering commands and program code.
   

   In order to use these keys as conveniently and effectively as possible, you need to master. He explains how fingers should be positioned on the keyboard, since the keyboard is divided into several zones, and each of them corresponds to a specific finger. It’s impossible. It’s quite difficult to learn and requires a lot of patience and perseverance, but this skill pays off handsomely, since it makes using the computer much easier.

2. This group is the row of twelve keys at the very top of the keyboard. They are used to perform many operations, which are described in detail in the article dedicated to them.
3. Control keys. This is exactly what we are going to talk about on this page of the site. These are keys that are not assembled into any block. Enter, Alt, Ctrl, Tab, Shift, Backspace, spacebar - and several others. They are located throughout the keyboard - along its periphery. This is done so that they do not interfere with typing and at the same time are always accessible. When mastering the above-mentioned ten-finger method, these keys are almost all pressed with the little fingers. However, this is not important for us to get to know them yet. We will look at their names, purposes and main functions of control keys.
4. Cursor keys. They are often separated into a separate group, consisting of only 4 keys. In our opinion, these keys can be safely classified as controls, which is what they are in essence. They are needed to move the cursor. They are responsible for direction. Thus, among the control keys there are related ones Home, End, PgUp, PgDown. These keys are used, for example, to move around it, as well as to .
5. Number pad - NumPad. A separate block with numbers arranged like on a calculator. These keys are auxiliary keys; some keyboards do not have them because they duplicate the numbers located in the top row of the alphanumeric block. An additional numeric keypad is used when working with numbers, arithmetic operations, For example. It is much easier for a person who does not know the ten-finger dialing method to use numbers there. But in general this is not effective, and, according to some, we recommend mastering the use of numbers in the top row of the main keyboard.

Well, now, let's look at the use of some basic combinations using mainly a group of control keys.

Enter

And we’ll start with the fact that the most important key is Enter. It allows you to send data from forms, text fields, the browser address bar, in general, in all those places where you need to enter any data. This works always and everywhere, not only on website pages, but throughout your entire operating system and even outside it... But the Enter key is replaced by various buttons designed for entering data using the mouse - next to the address bar of your browser there is a “Go” button ", on web page forms these are buttons like “Login”, “Search”, etc. So, if you still use the “mouse” analogues of the Enter key, I strongly recommend that you start using it. In fact, such a data entry operation will shorten you by only a second or two, but how many times is this operation performed during operation? That’s what I’m talking about - everything is made up of the smallest details, and in the art of navigation this small detail is one of the main ones.

Tab

Next, the Tab (tabulate) key is very useful for us - this key allows you to move the input focus from one object to the next, in the order of top-to-bottom and left-to-right. The clearest example of its help is the use of this key when entering your username and password into the form for logging into your email(I assume you already use email, although even if not, I will tell you about it in another article).

Let's say you opened a page for your service Email. Instead of dragging and clicking the mouse in the field to enter a username (login), press only the key Tablittle finger of the left hand, and you will understand how much faster it is. This happens because the field for entering a name (login) is almost always the very first field in the structure of any web page where an authorization form is provided. The same can be said about search engine pages; when you open a search engine page, the first thing you do is click Tab, and you will invariably end up in a field for entering a query to a search engine, but this is what you need. It may seem incredibly inconvenient the first few times, but believe me, these few times are worth it. In general, the super-fast algorithm for logging into a site is as follows: immediately after loading the web page you need, you click Tab, enter your login, click again Tab(get used to it press it with your little finger), enter your password, click Enter. By the way, I will say that Enter should also be pressed with the little finger of your right hand.,

This is interesting! The Tab and Enter keys are made specially large so that you can easily hit them with your little finger.

It will be uncomfortable at first, but this discomfort will go away in a couple of days. But you can already compare the time it takes to log in somewhere, and you yourself will feel that this procedure now happens simply at lightning speed, compared to how you entered the site before, when using only the mouse for navigation.

Shift+Tab

You might say, “The Tab key is nice, but I still have to grab the mouse if I make a mistake in one of the fields, or if I miss it while typing, and I need to go back to the previous field, above or to the left.” . But I will answer you that this is always and everywhere provided, in such cases the Tab described above comes to the rescue Shift key. That is, here we use not only the single Tab key, but the so-called combination, or key combination usually designated as Shift+Tab. This designation<клавиша 1>+<клавиша 2>, always means that in this case you need to press key 1 first, and while holding it down, press key 2. This action As you get used to the keyboard, it becomes similar to pressing two keys at the same time, because the time between pressing two keys gradually decreases with experience. That is, for use Shift+Tab To return to the previous input field, you need to hold Shift and press Tab.

Shift is also a key designed for little fingers. Or rather, the keys, because on standard keyboard there are definitely two of them. This is done in order to use them regardless of which key you need to press along with it. The standard technique, which the first keyboard developers counted on, is Shift, you need to press the little finger of the hand that is free from pressing other keys. This means that the most correct and ergonomic way to press a command Shift+Tab will press and hold right Shift the little finger of the right hand, and click on Tab with the little finger of the left hand.

The key to transfer input focus in the address bar.

The address bar is an indispensable and necessary element of any browser. It is with its help that we are able to transfer the required website address to the browser so that the latter displays its contents to us. The address bar is located at the top of your browser window; it automatically displays the address (url) of what the browser displays in the main window. So, in order to effectively use this function, there must be a hotkey that allows you to transfer input focus to this very line. The standard keys for this are:

• F6 V Firefox browsers and IE (internet explorer)
• F8 for Opera browser

By the way, in Opera you can change this value to any other key, say the same F6. Besides, F6 serves for this not only in the browser, but also in the standard Explorer of any operating system Windows family, because it uses the same engine both for the IE browser and for the Explorer OS shell itself. Directly in the system you can use the address bar to navigate throughout file system Your computer. Let's say you are in the C:Program FilesInternet Explorer directory, and in order to instantly move to the root of the C: drive of your system, just click the key F6, type “C:” and press Enter. This takes tens of times less time than the same action using the mouse.

By the way, you may have noticed that when you transfer focus to the address bar using hotkey, the value that is currently in the line is automatically highlighted. This is done so that immediately after transferring focus you can type the desired address without being distracted by clearing the address bar field, as you would have to do with a mouse. Another useful thing is that when you start typing an address, a list of already visited addresses drops down if you want to use this function in the browser, and all possible navigation options if you are navigating through the file system. You just need to select the desired address and click Enter. A number of function keys are quite far from the main keyboard, so you can press these keys as you please. Most best option— if you are not yet accustomed to using the function keys, then I recommend pressing F6 with the middle finger of your right hand. It is most convenient to press F8 with the ring finger of your right hand.

F5 - page refresh

Any browser has a refresh function for the current web page. In the browser toolbar, the button to call this function usually looks like two arrows forming a ring. This process involves a forced request of the current page from the server in order to download possible content changes, because while you are reading the page, it is physically located only on your computer, and during this time on the server this page could have changed. This may be necessary, for example, when checking email or reading forums, because the content there actually changes quite often. So, when the page is refreshed, the browser will load the changes that have occurred. This is what the F5 key is for. Most It is convenient to press this key with the index finger of either hand, in fact, it doesn’t matter which hand you use – which one will be more convenient for you.

True, there is another opportunity to update the page from the keyboard. Maybe someone will find it more convenient to use a combination Ctrl+R. Sometimes pressing it is more convenient than reaching for the F5 key. The correct way to press it is with the right little finger on ctrl and the left middle finger on R, this is the recommended placement of the fingers. Although for those who do not know the ten-finger typing method, it will be more convenient to press the combination completely with the left hand - the left little finger on the left ctrl and the left index on R.

Navigation - forward/backward

Any browser has a function for flipping through viewed web pages. This feature is available using the left and right arrow buttons on your browser toolbar. It is used to return to previously or later viewed pages. Let's say, being on some page “a”, you clicked on a link and went to page “b”, there you clicked on the link again and found yourself on page “c”. And suddenly you need to find yourself on page “b” again, but you don’t know the address of that page. This is why the “back” function exists. By clicking “back” once, you will find yourself exactly on page “b”. What if you double click? That's right, you will find yourself on page “a”. And so you can scroll through until you find yourself on the very first page from which you started surfing. But now you have seen what you wanted to see on page “a”, and you again need page “c”. No problem - the “Forward” function is provided for this. Being on page “a”, you need to double-click on “forward”, and you will find yourself exactly on page “c”. Just? Elementary. Comfortable? You'll understand in a couple of days.

Well, we’ve sorted out the function itself, now we need to find hotkeys for it, which, in fact, are discussed in this article. These keys are also standard and work in almost all the most famous browsers, and again, they work when navigating through a file. Windows system via standard Explorer. These are the keys Alt+left- back and alt+right- forward. In addition, to turn pages back, the key is also standard in any browser. Backspace, but I do not recommend getting used to it, because it is less advisable to use it, I say this based on my own experience. The backspace key should always and everywhere be pressed with the little finger of the right hand. The combinations Alt + right and Alt + left are most correctly pressed as follows: Left Alt - with the ring finger of the left hand, and while holding it, with the little finger of the right hand, click the arrows to the left or to the right. “But it’s hard!” - you say. Yes, it’s hard at first. But it will be very easy a little later.

Hand position

There are also a couple more convenient options for pressing these combinations, which I use myself. The first of them is purely “navigational” - this is a special position of the hands, which I will probably talk about in another article. And the option is that the three fingers of the right hand are on the arrows, and, accordingly, press the index finger to the left, and the ring finger to the right. Left Alt is held with the left thumb. The remaining fingers in this position are located very conveniently on other control keys, but more on that another time.

The second option, let’s say we have a mouse in our right hand, with which we scroll the page. In order to flip the page back and forth without taking your hand off the mouse, you need holding the right Alt with the little finger of your left hand, scroll left or right with the index finger of your left hand. Just? Like diffusion. There is another option - with your left hand busy, scroll as follows: the thumb of the right hand on the right Alt, and with the little finger of the right hand we scroll through using the arrows.