In computing, a keyboard shortcut is a sequence or combination of keystrokes on a computer keyboard which invokes commands in software.
Contents
- Comparison of keyboard shortcuts
- General shortcuts
- Text editing
- Command line shortcuts
- Accessibility
- References
Most keyboard shortcuts require the user to press a single key or a sequence of keys one after the other. Other keyboard shortcuts require pressing and holding several keys simultaneously (indicated in the tables below by this sign: +). Keyboard shortcuts may depend on the keyboard layout (localization).
Comparison of keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are a common aspect of most modern operating systems and associated software applications. Their use is pervasive enough that some users consider them an important element of their routine interactions with a computer. Whether used as a matter of personal preference or for adaptive technology, the pervasiveness of common conventions enables the comparison of keyboard shortcuts across different systems. The following sections detail some of these comparisons in widely used operating systems.
General shortcuts
A note regarding KDE's shortcuts is that they can be changed and the below list contains the defaults. Some of the combinations are not true for localized versions of operating systems. For example, in a non-English version of Windows, the Edit menu is not always bound to the "E" shortcut. Furthermore, many shortcuts (such as CTRL-Z, ALT-E, etc.) are just common conventions and are not handled by the operating system. Whether such commands are implemented (or not) depends on how an actual application program (such as an editor) is written. Not all applications follow (all of) these conventions.
Text editing
Many of these commands may be combined with ⇧ Shift to select a region of text.
Command line shortcuts
Below is a list of common keyboard shortcuts that are used in a command line environment.