Keyboards can initially seem daunting. There are many many keys and also many shortcuts, tricks to make your experience more efficient.
Keyboard Basics
Note that Macs (which are from Apple and have the apple logo/picture on the back have command keys (cmd) and Windows computers (and any other PCs) have control keys (ctrl.
- Combinations: this is when you press keys simultaneously, making sure to press and hold each key until you have all keys pressed. Then, release.
- Alphanumeric/typing: includes letter (A-Z), number (0-9), punctuation (.,?!), and symbol (`~@#$%^’<>/) keys, much like a traditional typewriter
- Control keys: used alone or in combination with other keys to perform certain actions. Examples: ctrl (control)/command, alt/option, esc (escape).
- Function keys: F1-F12, functionality differs from program to program. You can use them alone or simultaneously click on function (fn) and one of function keys (F1-F12).
- Navigation keys: used for moving around in documents or web pages and editing text. Examples include arrow keys, Home (shortcut: fn left), End (shortcut: fn right), Page Up (shortcut: fn up), Page Down (shortcut: fn down)
- Shift: press in combination with letter to type it uppercase or with other key to type symbol on the upper half of a key.
- Caps lock: press once to type all letters uppercase, press again to turn off.
- Tab: Moves cursor (appearing/disappearing vertical line that indicates where you are typing) several spaces forward, move to next text box on form.
- Enter: Moves cursor to beginning of next line.
- Spacebar: move cursor one space forward.
- Backspace on Windows (delete on Mac): erase/remove character before cursor or selected text
- Delete on Windows (fn delete on Mac): erase/remove character after cursor or selected text
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Copy:Ctrl/Command c
- Cut:Ctrl/Command x
- Find:Ctrl/Command f
- Save:Ctrl/Command s
- Print:Ctrl/Command p
- Undo:Ctrl/Command z
- Redo:Ctrl/Command z
- Close program:Ctrl/Command w