Utilizing Your Keyboard’s Features by Understanding Keyboard Layout

Keyboards unlike its predecessor, the typewriter, had reasons why it is invented for the modern age. Main reason is that of course it supports connectivity to the computer unlike the typewriter. Moreover, due to its compact design and portability, designers decided to pack the keyboards with more useful features to ease the navigation and computer interaction by users. Manufacturers realized that consumers are increasingly becoming aware of faster alternatives of doing things, same with using the computer through input devices such as keyboards.

The Function Keys

As the name suggests, function keys are designed to have specific functions built into each of them. One keypress for a function key is enough to execute a very useful command like ‘Help’. The function keys are generally located on the upper portion of the keyboard, directly above the number keys, beside the ‘ESC’ (escape) key. Although every application or game differ in their use of the function keys, they usually have similar uses on most function keys as I will enumerate below:

F1 – For desktop applications, this key generally launches the ‘help’ window or the ‘Manual’. It goes the same for games but sometimes it is also used to display the shortcut key mapping of the game such as in the game ‘Delta Force’.

F3 – Typically used to launch the ‘Search’ bar, so that the user can find for a specific word in a page, such as in browsers.

F5 - Typically used in games, a short cut key to save a game state, also known as ‘Quick Save’.

F6 – Still used in games, the opposite of F5. F6 is used to load a game state, also known as ‘Load Quick Saved Game’.

F8 – Globally used to activate Dual Monitor or LCD Projector if supported by the hardware and operating system. 

All else varies widely from application to application.

System Keys

The ‘Ctrl‘ or Control key for the PC, or Command key for the Mac, the ‘Enter’ or carriage return key, the ‘Alt’ or Alternate key, and the ‘ESC’ (escape key) are part of the system keys. What they do is that they are used to execute extended commands for a given key. For example,’Ctrl’ + C, which is used to copy to buffer the highlighted text or file. ‘Ctrl’+ V to paste whatever is stored in the buffer, ‘Ctrl’+X which is cut which is similar to copy and paste but the source is deleted.

The ‘ESC‘ or escape key is used mostly to exit applications or show the exit menu. It is also used to cancel a currently running command or pending command.

The ‘Enter’ key in turn is used to execute commands or launch an application. It also serves as carriage return in text editors.

The ‘Alt‘ key is also used to execute certain functions. The ‘Tab’ key is used to enter long spaces in a text editor. But if used simultaneously with ‘Alt’, it switches the active window to the second active window and vice versa. ‘Alt’ key is also used to enter special characters unavailable in the keyboard by using with it a special sequence of numeric keys such as ‘Alt’ + 0 + 1 + 5 + 3(Note that the numbers must be inputted from the numeric keypad), the result is ™(Trademark). Give it a try! 

Text Editor Keys

‘Tab’, Space Bar, ‘Shift’, ‘Backspace’, ‘Home’, ‘End’, ‘Page Down’, ‘Page Up’, ‘Insert’, and ‘Delete‘ keys belong to the Text Editor Keys. These keys are generally useful for word processing softwares.

As you already know, the Tab key inputs multiple spaces.

The ‘Shift’ key forces the uppercase letters of a pressed lowercase letter.

‘Home’ forces the cursor in the text editor and places it before the first character in the current line.

‘End’ performs the opposite, forcing the cursor after the last character in the current line.

‘Backspace’ deletes the first character before the cursor.

‘Delete’ performs the opposite, deletes the first character after the cursor.

‘Page Up’ scrolls the page upwards, while ‘Page Down‘ scrolls the page downwards.

Ctrl + Mouse Scroll Wheel
Zoom in or out. It changes the % in the zoom drop down menu. 

Ctrl + C 
Copy. Places the selected/highlighted copy on the clipboard. Works on almost every desktop application, even on the OS environment itself.

Ctrl + X 
Cut. Removes the selected/highlighted copy and places it on the clipboard. Works on almost every desktop application too.

Ctrl + V 
Paste. Inserts the copy from the clipboard or buffer into wherever your cursor is placed. Works for almost any type of data.

Ctrl + Z 
Undo last command. Works in desktop publishing applications too. Some applications support multi-level undo commands of up to 20 backtracks or more.

Ctrl + Y 
Redo last command. 

Ctrl + O 
Open. Brings up a browse dialog and allows you to select a file to open. 

Ctrl + P 
Opens the Print window. 

Ctrl + N 
Creates a new blank document. 

Ctrl + A 
Selects all the text and items in the page. 

Ctrl + S 
Saves the file. 

Ctrl + F 
Brings up the Find and Replace window. 

Ctrl + B 
Makes your text bold. 

Ctrl + I 
Makes your text italic. 

Ctrl + U 
Makes the text underlined. 

In Internet Browsers

Ctrl + F
Displays a Find on the page dialog box and allows you to search content on the page you are viewing in your browser. This is a nice feature if you are searching for a specific reference on the page. 

Ctrl + N 
Opens a new window in Internet Explorer. 

Ctrl + W 
Closes the currently open Internet Explorer window. 

Backspace 
Go Back to the previous page. 

Shift + Click 
While clicking on a hyperlink on a web page, opens that link in a new browser window. A very convenient short cut than right clicking the hyperlink and clicking ‘open in new window’ or tab.

Space Bar 
Scroll Downward. 

Space Bar + Shift 
Scroll Upward. You can also use the Page Down or Page Up keys. 

End 
Go to End of page. 

Home 
Go to Top of page. 

Used in Combination with the Start key or Windows logo key

Start key + E 
Opens an instance of Windows Explorer, centered on “My Computer.” 

Start key + F 
Opens the “Find Files or Folders” dialog box. 

Start key + Ctrl + F 
Opens the “Find Computer” dialog box. 

Start key + M 
Minimizes all open windows. 

Start key + Shift + M 
Undo the “minimize all” function (re-open all current windows). 

Start key + R 
Opens the “Run” dialog box. 

Start key + Pause 
Opens the system properties panel.

Directional Keys

The directional keys or the arrow keys located to the right of the type writer keys, or below the ‘Home’, ‘Delete’ keys are equally useful. They are used to navigate the cursor in a text editor or whatever interface the cursor is in. Also useful in games to navigate in 3-dimensional space. 

Operating System Specific Keys

The ‘Windows’ key or the one beside the left ‘Alt’ and left ‘Ctrl’ keys, where the windows logo is present, is useful for keyboards connected to Windows computer. It is used to show the ‘Start’ Menu. Other operating systems also have their own sets of endorsed keyboards mostly perform the same function.

Numeric Keys

On the far-right of the keyboard is the numeric keypad unavailable in laptops. They perform like a calculator integrated into a standard keyboard.

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