Keyboard keys. Assigning computer keyboard keys

The article will consider the modern layout of the computer keyboard and its purpose, a description of the keys and photos will be given.

The keyboard has gone through a number of modifications from 1984 to our time. She purchased additional elements to make working at a computer easier for beginners and more comfortable for professionals.

Any user is now available equipment for his creative ambitions.

Computer keyboard - photo, description and device

The size of the keyboard is affected by the number of duplicate keys. For example, for convenience, some manufacturers supply the device with a separate digital dial.

Most hackers and programmers ignore the use of the mouse for basic work. For such users, the distance between the keys is very important, which affects the size of the keyboard.

The layout of the keys on a personal computer is different from a laptop. Because of this, users connect an external device without losing mobility.

"Hot keys" - the most useful combinations

To speed up the work in the programs, there are quick key combinations. They are also called "hot" keys. Conventionally, they are divided into groups.

Clipboard:

• "Shift" + Insert - paste the fragment copied to the clipboard;
• "control" + Insert - copying the fragment to the clipboard;
• "Shift" + Del - cutting a fragment and placing it in the buffer with the possibility of pasting.

Font editing:

• "control" + "and" - highlighting the text "bold";
• "control" + "w" - italic writing;
• "control" + "g" - underline.

Text alignment:

• "control" + "d" - on the left edge of the document;
• "control" + "y" - centering;
• "control" + "k" - on the right side of the document;
• "control" + "o" - even distribution of text between fields.

Hidden combinations of the operating system now allow you to configure your computer without opening the settings:

• Windows + "+" : open the action center;
• Windows + "I": get access to Windows settings;
• Windows + "s": launch the Cortana program;
• Windows + "with": put Cortana in listening mode.

Key assignment on the keyboard

Let's take a closer look at the functions of the keys.

Letters

The letters on any keyboard are arranged according to the QWERTY principle, since this was the layout on typewriters. Programmers from Microsoft decided there was nothing left to change, so that the transition from printing to electronics would be familiar even to typists.

This approach turned out to be reasonable. Users of typewriters did not think about how to put this or that character. For example, a square bracket or an exclamation point.

It is only necessary to follow and switch the keyboard layout in time. The hint from the operating system is in the lower right corner (near the date and time).

Numbers and signs

Between the letter "Ё" and the "Backspace" key there are numeric keys from one to zero. By clicking on them, the user can type dates in the text or perform arithmetic operations.

To put punctuation marks and other symbols indicated on the buttons with numbers, you should hold down the "Shift" key (the side does not matter) and the corresponding number.

Below is shown, which icon is located on which digit:

1. – «!»;
2. - "quotation marks" (Russian) or "@" (English);
3. - “number” (Russian) or “lattice” (English);
4. - "dollar" (English) or ";" (Russian);
5. - "percent";
6. - “colon” ​​(Russian) or “tick” (English);
7. - "question mark" (Russian) or "&" (English);
8. - multiplication sign
9. – «(»;
10. - she is the key "0" is responsible for the sign ")";
11. - does not have a number, but a "hyphen" is drawn. If you press "Shift" + this button, you get the sign "underscore "_"
12. the last button before “Backspase” is “+”, and along with “Shift” there will be an “=” icon.

The following punctuation marks can be inserted using the letter keyboard keys:

F1-F12

The twelve keys on the top are called function keys. They allow you to work with the operating system without using a mouse.

In some cases, you can do without auxiliary programs:

• F1 - calls up help;
• F2 - renames the selected file or folder;
• F3 - opens the search panel;
• F4 - opens the history of address requests of a computer or browser;
• F5 - update the working window;
• F6 - highlights the tabs of the working window;
• F7 - launch the spelling and punctuation system;
• F8 - more often used for custom system boot mode;
• F9 - in some programs, launches the measuring toolbar;
• F10 - opens access to the menu of the active program;
• F11 - switch to full screen mode;
• F12 - open the menu for saving the document.

Esc

The meaning of the key in translation from English Escape is to avoid. Abort an ongoing computer command or cancel.

Win

On the keyboard, instead of the abbreviation, the icon of the operating system is applied. By default, Windows opens the start menu.

If combined with the "B" key, then windows can be minimized. The transition is carried out by a combination of Windows + Tab, and Windows + "A" - the search command on the computer.

fn

This key is only available on laptops. Designed to switch control modes settings and function keys.

Shift

Switches case between uppercase and lowercase letters in text. The combination Shift + End allows you to select a line in the text, the combination Shift + Home cancels the action.

Text decoration buttons

Special keys will be presented here that help edit the text typed by the user.

Special keys

backspace

The purpose of this keyboard command is to cleanly delete the character to the left of the cursor. It is good to use in a text editor when a typo occurs. When combined with the "alternative" ("alt") key, cancels the last action in the program.

In the file manager, switches to the parent folder. In the photographic view manager, returns to the previous photo.

Space

The key separates words in the document text. Indents between characters. Can be used as a "Delete" key when replacement is enabled. In this case, the information to the right of the cursor is erased.

The key is intended for entering a command, confirming the selected action, displaying the result of a mathematical function on the screen.

caps lock

Has an indicator light on some keyboards. When pressed once, it turns on the mode of constant typing in capital letters.

In the vocabulary of users there is an expression “do not capitalize” (do not write large) - this is a request to disable this feature (remove capital letters).

Tabs are used in text editors to create the first indent (red line). When you combine the key with Alt, you can switch between program windows. If the corresponding option is enabled in the system, then the scrolling will take place in the beautiful “aero” mode.

Useful when the mouse is disabled or suddenly malfunctions. Allows you to move the cursor from one line of the context menu to another.

Additional keys

Insert - the key, even in combinations, is designed to insert or replace a fragment. In text editors, it allows you to manipulate information in the clipboard.

Home - in texts, it moves the cursor to the beginning of the line, allowing the user to edit without using the mouse.

Page Up - move from the current location to the page above.

Page Down - Scroll down the page.

Arrows - the direction of the keys indicates in which direction the cursor will move. When combined with the Windows key, moves the active window to the right or left. If you press the direction up or down, the window will expand.

Pause - designed to stop the media player for a while. Pressing again will continue playback.

"Num Lock" (NumLock) is used to disable the numeric keypad.

"Printscreen" key to capture the screen as a screenshot.

Q&A rubric

• How to make a capital letter on the keyboard?

Using two keys: "CapsLock" or "Shift" + a key with a letter.

• How to put a period and a comma on the keyboard?

A period at the end of a line can be put with the key located to the left of the right "shift". The second method is suitable for the English layout - you should press the key with the Russian letter "U" (for the comma "B"). An example is described in the table above.

You can put a comma by simply pressing Del.

• How to put the upper comma on the keyboard?

The so-called apostrophe on the computer is set by switching the layout to English and pressing the "E" key. An example is described in the table above.

Knowing all the combinations, you can become a real master of your computer. Even if the computer mouse is not working, the work will not be suspended. And the so-called "hot keys" must be remembered even by a schoolboy, as the main assistants in typing and editing text.

Not every user knows what all the keys on a PC keyboard are for. But among them there are many necessary and not used buttons. To learn how to use them more efficiently, you should know the purpose of the keyboard keys and be able to use them at the right time.

Having started using a computer for the first time, a novice user does not think about what additional keys are for, and then completely forgets about them, using only those that allow typing. But additional buttons and their combinations can save time and, in some cases, money.

All keys are divided into 7 groups, each of which allows you to speed up the work on the computer and make the process more efficient. Thanks to the use of additional buttons, the user quickly types text, writes a report, or simply switches between windows.

Depending on the functions, the keys are divided into groups:

1. Function keys (F1-F12) are designed to perform special tasks and, when pressed again, cancel the called action. For example, F1 is pressed to bring up the help of the program whose window is active at the time of pressing. In games, the key performs the function that is assigned to it in the settings.

2. Alphanumeric are needed to enter numbers, keys, punctuation marks and other characters used when working on a PC.

3. Control keys, which include HOME, END, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, DELETE and INSERT.

4. Cursor keys are used to move the cursor while working in text-editing programs, in a browser, or when selecting files on a computer.

5. Control keys (modifiers) (Alt, Ctrl, Win, Caps Lock, Fn), used most often in combination with each other or with other keys on the keyboard.

6. Numeric keys are needed in order to quickly enter numbers, so they are often used when compiling reports or working in a calculator.

7. Keys for editing (deleting information) - Backspace, Delete.

The location of the keys on different keyboards may vary, but they are all located in approximately the same places relative to each other. Additional keys can also be built in to mute the sound, increase or decrease the volume, and quickly jump to the mailbox.

Let's take a closer look at the purpose of the computer keyboard keys with their full description.

Each key can perform one or more functions:

• Spacebar located at the bottom of the keyboard and is the largest. When typing, it makes a space between words, and when a piece of text is selected, it replaces it with a space, which speeds up work in a text editor. In the Internet browser, it performs the function of scrolling down.
• Esc when pressed, cancels the last action, closes or minimizes open windows.
• Print Screen creates a screenshot that is pasted into text and image editors. The resulting image is called a "screenshot". The key is also used to print the image from the screen.
• scroll lock is needed to enable the mode in which you can scroll the page up and down with the cursor keys. But it does not work on all computers.
• Pause/Break suspends the process in progress, for example, when you boot your computer, you can pause and view system information, but like the previous described key, it does not work on all devices.
• Insert activates the mode in which characters are entered over the typed. After pressing, it prints over the entered characters, which at this moment begin to be erased. To cancel the action, press the key again.
• Delete is indicated on the keyboard as Del and is needed to delete entered characters in a text editor or selected files. If the action is performed in a text input field, it is deleted to the right of the cursor.
• Home this is the key that jumps to the beginning of the filled line. If the cursor is at the end of a sentence in a text editor, pressing the specified button will move it before the first letter in the line. If the click occurs on an empty line, nothing happens. In the browser, rewinds the page to the beginning (up).
• end moves the cursor to the end of the line. In the browser, rewinds the page to the very bottom.
• Page Up flips the page up. In some media players, pressing the key will play the previous file in the folder.
• Page Down scrolls the page down, and in the players includes the media file that is next in the playback queue.
• Backspace is used to delete characters to the left of the cursor in a text editor or in a character entry field.
• Tab used to insert a tab character equal to 8 spaces (forms a paragraph, for example in Word). Also used in combination with other keys.
• cap lock toggles uppercase letters to lowercase letters and vice versa.
• Shift when pressed simultaneously with any letter, it makes it capital. If Caps Lock is enabled, it will be lowercase.
• alt used in several keyboard shortcuts. Together with Shift, it changes the layout to English, if you press Tab simultaneously with it, it will switch to the program window that was open before.
• Num Lock turns on the mode in which additional number keys work.
• Enter needed to move to the next line in a text editor, as well as to enter information and confirm actions in many programs.
• Windows is used to open the menu that is called when you click the Start button with the mouse.
• Context located near the right key and calls the context menu, which differs depending on the program used.
• The cursor keys move the cursor and allow you to scroll through pages in the browser.

Hotkeys speed up the work at the computer, causing one or another action. In the described combinations, the keys are pressed in the order in which they are written. Using button combinations, it is easy to speed up the process of calling a particular function.

Windows + Pause/break - Opens a window that displays information about the computer.
Windows + L is a combination that causes the computer to lock. It helps to quickly change the user account.
Windows + D - Minimizes all windows. To open them, the keys are pressed repeatedly.
Windows + Space - the combination is designed to show the desktop.
Windows + E - needed to go to "my computer".
Windows + R - Opens the Run window.
Windows + Tab - Switches between windows of running programs.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc - Opens the task manager.
Win + F - opens a search window for the computer's file system.
Ctrl + F - activates the search function in a document or program.
Alt + F4 is a keyboard shortcut that closes the active window. If the desktop is active, allows you to restart or shut down the computer when pressed again.
Ctrl + - Zooms in or out depending on which way the mouse wheel scrolls.
Alt + Print Screen - the combination creates a screenshot of the window of the program that is active at that moment.

Hot keys when working with text and files

Ctrl + A - Selects all characters in a text editor or files in an open folder.
Ctrl + C - copies the selection or files.
Ctrl + V - Pastes text or files contained in the clipboard.
Ctrl + Z - the combination is needed to undo the last action.
Ctrl + P - Opens the print window.
Ctrl + N - opens a new window of the program that is currently running.
Ctrl + S - saves the typed text or project.
Shift + Delete - the combination completely deletes files without placing them in the trash. Be careful and careful when using this keyboard shortcut!

Typing constantly on one keyboard is difficult to get used to another if you have to use several computers. In an electronics store, it is difficult to choose a specific model if you do not know what types of devices exist.

Depending on the buttons, all keyboards are divided into 3 types:

• Compact - are devices that do not have additional number keys. These keyboards are comfortable on a small computer desk and are less expensive.
• Standard or full-size have all the described keys.
• Multimedia have additional buttons designed to control the playback of media files and control sound. Also on such devices there is often a key for turning on the calculator and other programs. It is possible to reassign keys to your own needs. Multimedia keyboards often have hubs for USB devices.

To find out which keyboard is more comfortable, try pressing several keys and compare the sensations. Some devices click too loudly during use or are pressed more hard. When pressed, it becomes clear to what depth the buttons are immersed.

In order not to get tired of the noise of the keyboard, for constant work, you need to choose models with softer keys. Standard devices have a long stride, while laptops have a short stride. This also needs to be taken into account.

A multimedia keyboard with additional buttons and connectors significantly increases the degree of comfort when working at a computer, so for long-term work it is worth choosing just such models.

Important! For comfortable work, it is worth buying white keyboards. If English and Russian letters differ in color, this allows you to quickly switch from one language to another.

Regardless of which keyboard is chosen for work, it is important to create a comfortable environment. To do this, the hands must be located in a comfortable position. Do not forget about posture. Choosing the right keyboard and following the basic rules of working at a computer will allow you to enjoy the process.

Friends! I hope this article was useful to you, and now you know the purpose of the computer keyboard keys and will use them as efficiently as possible.

Description of all keys to make life easier for computer users.

For a hint, click on the key you are interested in.

Detailed description of keyboard keys

F1-F12 - the functions assigned to these keys depend on the properties of the particular program currently running, and in some cases on the properties of the operating system. It is a common convention for most programs that the F1 key brings up the help system, where you can find help about other keys.

F1 - Call "Help" Windows. When pressed from the window of any program - call the help of this 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 list of the address bar in the "My Computer" window or in File Explorer).

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

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

F7 - Spell check (in Word, Excel).

F8 - When booting the OS - select the boot mode. Enable rich text selection in Word. Selection of a fragment from the initial to the final position of the cursor occurs without holding down the Shift key. A second press of the F8 key selects 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 to press the Shift+F8 key combination. You can disable the mode with the Esc key.

F9 - In some programs, update selected fields.

F10 - Call the window menu.

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

F12 - Go to the selection of file saving options (File - Save As).

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

Tab - Enter tab stops when typing. Move focus through elements. For example, moving between the desktop, the Start button, the Quick Launch bar, the taskbar, and the system tray. Moving through the elements (including links) of an open document. Alt+Tab - switching between windows.

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

The Ctrl+Shift or Alt+Shift shortcuts are commonly used to switch keyboard layouts.

Capslock - upper case (fixed switch). Used when typing 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, then to call a specific command, you can press the key with the letter that is underlined in this 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 - call the context menu for the selected object (equivalent to clicking the right mouse button).

Enter - Confirmation of the choice. Same as double clicking on an object. Pressing the currently active button in the dialog. Often - clicking on the "default" button in the dialog. When entering commands from the keyboard - completion of command input and transition to its execution. When typing - jump to a new paragraph.

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

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

Up, Down, Right and Left Arrows - Allows you to move through the menu items. Move the input cursor to the corresponding side by one position. The action of these keys in many programs can be modified using the service keys, primarily SHIFT and CTRL.

Home - move the cursor to the beginning of the current line of the document or to the beginning of the list of files.

End - move the cursor to the end of the current line of the document or to the end of the list of files.

PageUp/PageDown - move the cursor one page up or down. The concept of "page" usually refers to a fragment of the document, 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 inside the existing text, then in the insert mode, new characters are entered without replacing existing characters (the text seems to be moved apart). In replace mode, new characters replace the text that was previously in the input position.

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

ScrLk (Scroll Lock) - refers to the service keys. Its short decoding is scroll blocking. Designed for such a mode of displaying on the screen, 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, it works in Excel. This is very handy when editing large tables.

Pause/Break - pauses the computer (in DOS it worked everywhere, in modern OS - only during computer boot).

Numlock - Changes the numeric keypad mode. When enabled, it puts the digital block into the numeric input mode; when disabled, the additional keyboard can be used to control the cursor.

Additional numeric keypad.

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

When Num Lock is off, the keys on the optional numeric keypad will work as cursor keys. They show small arrows showing the direction of the cursor movement on the screen. (The key with the number 5, which the arrow did not get, does nothing, but only fights with low self-esteem.) In addition, the keys with the words "Home", "End", "PgUp" and "PgDn" control the cursor.

I hope you find it useful!

Info from Ergo Solo

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 assignment of keys on almost all modifications of products of this type are organized according to the same principle. Which one?

Keyboard structure

Modern computer keyboards contain 101 or 102 buttons, which are divided into several groups. These are function keys, alphabetic, numeric, service, control, as well as the so-called modifiers. Consider the purpose of each type.

Function keys

There are 12 buttons of this type in total. They have been included in the assignment of keys for a very long time, their description is 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 (as a rule), at the very top of the keyboard. Let's study their features.

The assignment of function keys is largely driven by tradition among computer and software manufacturers, rather than by any rigid standards. There are some kind of generally accepted principles for associating the buttons of this group with certain actions. But it cannot be ruled out that individual software vendors will prefer to assign function keys to the assignment 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 the OS help system. Most programs that run on Windows also require help to be activated by pressing F1.

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

The F3 button in Windows brings up the OS search engine, 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 for the desired word or phrase.

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

The F5 button allows you to update 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 Windows file manager, but does not display the history.

The assignment 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 for assigning keys can be used.

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

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

Control keys

These, as a rule, include 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 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. The English computer keyboard usually includes pure letter buttons. That is, apart from them, nothing is usually depicted on the keys. Russian usually allows the simultaneous use of some letter buttons and as "carriers" of punctuation marks. If you press them without a combination 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 for by a program or a computer game (the second option is more common). In this sense, letter keys can sometimes be "control keys".

Numeric keys

They, depending on the configuration of a particular keyboard model, can be located on top of the letter block, and in some cases they can be supplemented by 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 block of keys is especially convenient to use in calculations. There are also various auxiliary buttons for multiplication, division, subtraction, addition operations, 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 simultaneously pressing. These are CTRL, ALT, and also SHIFT. Some experts also refer to the INSERT, SCROLL LOCK, and NUM LOCK buttons as modifiers. Other experts distinguish these four keys in a separate group - the so-called "mode" buttons.

Consider the most common actions for which you can use these keys. The computer keyboard is designed so that the user can enter data not only with single button presses, but also in combination. The functions of many "modifiers" are performed precisely because of this possibility.

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

Equally popular are keyboard shortcuts with CTRL. 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. You can quickly paste a "copy" by pressing CTRL + V. If instead of "C" we substitute "X", then the selected data will be "cut" from the original place, 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 it because the latter give the user the ability to perform some action very quickly, which, if using, say, a mouse, would take longer. We have already given some examples that reflect the purpose of hot keys: for example, copying text using a combination of CTRL, C, X and V is usually faster than in the variant with calling the context menu with the mouse.

Often combinations of "modifiers" are used with each other. For example, if the user has the "Russian" computer keyboard enabled, the layout can be changed to "English" by pressing the combination of ALT and SHIFT. And vice versa.

Service keys

There are quite a few of them on keyboards. Specialists usually refer to them as the ESC, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, PRTSC, PAUSE, DEL, BACKSPACE, HOME, END, WIN, ENTER, TAB buttons, as well as SPACE, or, in Russian, a space. There is an opinion that, in the broad sense of the word, control keys and "modifiers" are also "utility", and therefore it would be more expedient to classify buttons in a different way. 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 utility key is ENTER. She 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 any action in an already running one), as well as translating text to a new line. Keyboards that have a separate numeric button area (on the right side) usually have an extra ENTER key.

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

The purpose of the PRTSC key is interesting. With it, you can make so-called "screenshots" - graphic captures of the contents of the screen at a particular point in time. To save an image in a separate file, you need to run some image processing program, for example, Paint or Photoshop, then "paste" it into the editable area (as an option, using the combination of CTRL and V), and then save it to a file of a convenient format .

Rare but needed

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 using the control arrows. So, for example, so that when you press the "right" or "left" buttons, the active window moves in the corresponding direction. The PAUSE key can be useful if you are running a program or process on your PC that has a pause feature. For example, before Windows boots up, various system information is displayed on the PC screen. If the user is interested in reading it, but he does not have time to do so because the computer quickly switches to Windows boot, then he can "slow down" the process by pressing the PAUSE key. Unless, of course, this allows you to make a software interface - its algorithms are laid down by the manufacturer of the computer or motherboard. To continue the course of the program, it is usually enough to press any button on the keyboard.

New and useful

Over time, in the course of technological progress, the computer keyboard is constantly being improved and modernized. The purpose of the keys, 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 the generally accepted standards.

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

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

Actually, the appearance of both buttons in question, as it is believed, was due to the entry into the world market of the Windows operating system.

WIN key

The WIN key, in principle, can be attributed to "hot", 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, produced with the mouse. Note that if you press WIN alone, then, as a rule, the Start menu opens.

Consider useful "hot" combinations using the WIN key.

The combination WIN + D allows you to minimize all open application windows (or, conversely, maximize).

WIN and R are useful in terms of bringing up a quick launch window for programs (into which you can enter the name of the main file, after which the application will start).

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

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

Nuances of standardization

As we noted above, it is rather a set of rules dictated by traditions rather than international standards. However, computer and software manufacturers, one way or another, try not to experiment much with associating buttons with new functions that are not suitable for other market solutions.

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

Windows standards on other systems

Moreover, even in operating systems other than Windows (eg Linux), the range of key assignments is generally very similar to the above. In many competing operating systems, the computer keyboard originally oriented to Windows - the assignment of keys, its description - reflect the same capabilities that are present in the OS from Microsoft. It even touches the WIN key sometimes. Despite the fact that it is typical for Windows, its functions in other operating systems are in some cases very similar to the original spectrum of assignments. Not to mention the "modifiers" that the computer keyboard contains. The layout between languages ​​\u200b\u200busing the combination of ALT and SHIFT changes not only in Windows.

And what is needed for? You already know. Now we need to talk about the purpose of the keyboard keys. After all, the keyboard, figuratively speaking, is an intermediary between you and the computer, a tool for interacting with a smart assistant. By pressing the keys, you send commands to the computer to be executed.

Hence the conclusion: when you know the purpose and key combinations, working on a computer becomes easier and more enjoyable.

Key assignment:

— service key stops or undoes the last action. For example, if a web page takes a long time to load, you can press ESC to stop the download.

F1—F12. reserved for specialized functions in programs. Therefore, the execution of the function in different programs may differ. For example, the F5 key in the Microsoft Word text editor performs the Find and Replace function, and in the Total Commander file manager, the same key performs the Copy function. But we can say with certainty that the key F1 opens file in all programs Reference.

Tab used to create indents ( Red line) in word processing programs. Also, if you are filling out tables or forms, you can use the Tab key to move to the next field.

- performs the function of changing the case (CAPITAL LETTERS). When you press this key, the indicator above the numeric keypad lights up, further typing will be done in capital letters. Pressing this key again will disable the mode. Capital letters”, the indicator above the numeric keypad goes off.

Shift- function keys are used in conjunction with other keys. As you can see, the keyboard has two shift keys, left and right. The purpose of these keys is exactly the same, and their location on the keyboard is due to the convenience of typing. blind printing method.

Now I will explain, say, when you are typing text and you need to put an exclamation mark, it is most convenient to hold the shift key with the little finger of your right hand, and press the 1 key with the little finger of your left hand. The shift key is also involved in many key combinations, for example, entering a capital letter, punctuation mark, execution of specialized functions of the program, and so on.

Control (Ctrl), Alternate (Alt) Control keys are designed to work in combination with other keys. Typically, you hold down the Ctrl key, Alt key, and then press another key to perform a specific task. For example, in many programs, the combination ctrl+s- save the file.

The main part of the keyboard includes alphanumeric key set (letters and numbers) and space.

Enter- confirmation of the action. For example, while on the internet, you can enter a website address and then press the Enter key to go to the website. It is also used to start a new line in text editors. Enter on the numeric keypad has the same purpose and is often used when performing mathematical calculations, say in a calculator application to get a result.

- in a text editor, erases the characters to the left of the cursor. And in the browser allows you to return to the previous page.

Delete(Del) in a text editor, erases the characters to the right of the cursor. Performs the delete function in file managers.

— enable/disable the "insert-replace" mode. The key is practically not used, but it can play a cruel joke. If you accidentally press this key while working in a text editor, you will switch it from "insert" mode to "override" mode. After that, if you make a mistake in a word, you will want to correct it. After correcting the error, you will find that the character to the right of the cursor has disappeared! You will try to enter it again, but the next character to the right of the cursor will disappear. So it will be until you press the insert key again. Not knowing about this key, some people, due to one typo, retyped the entire remaining text.

Cursor keys

home- moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line.

end- Moves the cursor to the end of the current line.

Page Up/Page Down- paginate the document up or down.

The arrow keys are used for many different purposes, including cursor movement, document scrolling, or control in the game.

Auxiliary keys

Print Screen takes a screenshot - the so-called "screenshot", which can be edited or saved using a graphics processing program (graphic editor).

scroll lock vertical scrolling, rarely used today.

Pause/Break performs a pause function, often used in combination with the Win key.

Win- serves to call the Start menu, and is also used in combination with other keys to call functions of the Windows operating system.

The key calls up the context menu (equivalent to pressing the right mouse button).

Enables/disables the numeric keypad. After turning on, the indicator lights up. When the numeric keypad is disabled, the keys perform the functions of the keys labeled on them.

Keyboard shortcuts

A key combination is when you hold down one or two keys and briefly press a third. For example, Ctrl+S, where the plus indicates a key combination. That is, you press and hold the Ctrl key, and then briefly press the S key. The plus in this notation is used to indicate a key combination and is not pressed in its execution.

When working with files and documents:

Ctrl+N– create a new file;

Ctrl+O- open a document;

Ctrl+A- select all;

Shift+Home– select the line to the left of the cursor;

ctrl+end– select the line to the right of the cursor;

ctrl+c– copy the selected text or file to the clipboard;

Ctrl+X - cut the selected text or file;

ctrl+v– paste the contents of the clipboard;

Ctrl+Del– delete the word behind the cursor;

Ctrl+Backspace– delete the word before the cursor;

ctrl+home– move the cursor to the beginning of the document;

ctrl+end– move the cursor to the end of the document;

ctrl+z– undo the last action;

ctrl+p- seal;

When using a browser:

ctrl+D- add a bookmark in the browser;

Ctrl+Shift+T- open a closed tab in the browser;

ctrl+t- open a new tab;

Ctrl+L- select the contents of the address bar;

When running on Windows:

Ctrl + Shift + Esc– terminate hung processes;

Shift+Ctrl+Alt- call the task manager;

Alt+Tab– quick transition between program windows;

Alt+F4- quickly close the window;

Alt + PrintScreen- take a screenshot of the active window;

Win+Pause/Break is a property of the system;

Win+E- open the explorer;

win+D- minimize all windows;

Win+F- search for files on the computer;

win+L– user change;

Win+F1- reference;

Win+Tab– switches windows in a circle.

And there are many such key combinations, and in different programs these combinations often differ from each other, but you will easily remember them if you often work with a software product.