Words: 609
I know. But when I see a really long list on a website that I have to sort through and remember up to 2 or 3 shortcuts at a time I become easily frustrated, and it’s because the list seems so externalities. Reorders. Com/2011108/11 ‘anatomy-of-a-keyboard/ daunting. It’s not easy to remember shortcuts if you don’t use them religiously every day like CTR(or CNN)+c and CTR{CNN+v’). The problem lies in knowing the function of the keys you are using.
It was difficult to find any websites that really gave the anatomy of a keyboard so I created these diagrams depending on your weapon of choice (PC or Mac) and short understandable explanations of what important keys on your keyboard actually do. Gaining the foundation in knowing what the basic key functions mean will offer an easier route to remembering all the standard keyboard haircuts. Different shortcuts can be utilized for depending on what you are doing on browsing the internet, there are always shortcuts.
Rule of thumb is if your keyboard can function within your program, there are most likely shortcuts to be utilized. I have listed some basic shortcuts after each diagram and I’ll cover more advanced shortcuts in a later post. I’ll begin with modifier keys (yellow shaded areas on both Mac and Windows keyboard diagrams). When these modifier keys combine with another character key you are utilizing shortcuts. Modifier key definitions: Mac: Command is used as the first key in most Mac shortcuts. This key is equivalent to the control key on a PC. 0 Option/Alt enters diacritics (you know, these guys; Ґ CE).
Command-C: Copy the selected data to the Clipboard Command-F: Open a Finder window Command-I: Italicize the selected text or toggle italic text on or off Command-J: Scroll to a selection Command-N: Create a new document in the forefront application Command-P: Display the Print dialog Shift-command-P Command-Q: Quit the forefront application Command-S: Save the active document Command-Tab: Move forward to the next most recently used application in a list of open applications Command-U: Underline the selected text or turn underlining on or off Command-Z: Undo previous command (some applications allow for multiple
Undoes) Control Control-command-C: Copy the formatting settings of the selected item and store on the Clipboard Control-EJect: Show shutdown dialog Control-IF: Move focus to the active (or next) window Control-V: Move down one page FIFO: Tile or until all open windows in the currently active application Fl 1: Hide or show all open windows IF: Tile or until all open windows Option Option-command-C: Copy the style of the selected text Option-command-D: Show or hide the Dock Shift Shift-command-3: Capture the screen to a file Shift-command-4: Capture a selection to a file Shift-command-C: Display the Colors window
Shift-command-S: Display the Save As dialog Shift-command-Tab: Move backward through a list of open applications (sorted by recent use) Shift-command-Z: Redo previous command (some applications allow for multiple Redoes) Shift-control-Command-3: Capture the screen to the Clipboard Shift- Control-command-4: Capture a selection to the Clipboard Shift-Control-IF: Move focus to the previously active window Shift-Tab: Navigate through controls in a reverse direction Windows: Alt Enters diacritics.
A Windows key that is also called the Alternate key is used in combination with the numeric keypad for entering special characters; may also be seed in combination with the Control key for entering keyboard shortcuts. Control a Windows key used for entering keyboard shortcuts such as CTR+S for saving a file or CTR+P for printing a document. Shift used for capitalizing letters and entering different types of symbols.