Special Keys on the Keyboard

Certain keys on your keyboard serve special functions when your computer is running MS-DOS or application programs. The special keys are described in the table below.

Special key functions

Key

 

Purpose

Tab

It

Moves the cursor one tab to the right in normal

Tab

-+I

mode and one tab to the left in Shift mode.

 

 

 

Caps

Lock

Changes the letter keys from lower- to

 

 

uppercase; changes back to lowercase when

 

 

pressed again. The numeric/symbol keys on the

 

 

top row of the keyboard and the symbol keys in

 

 

the main part of the keyboard are not affected.

 

 

 

Shift

 

Produces uppercase characters or the top

 

 

symbols on the keys when used with the main

 

 

character keys. Produces lowercase

 

 

characters when the Caps Lock function is on.

 

 

 

Ctrl

 

Works with other keys to perform special

 

 

(control) functions, such as editing operations

 

 

in MS-DOS and various application programs.

 

 

 

Alt

 

Works with other keys to enter alternate

 

 

character codes or functions.

 

 

tBackspace

Moves the cursor back one space, deleting

 

 

the character to the left of the cursor.

 

 

J Enter

Ends a line of keyboard input or executes a

 

 

command.

 

 

Insert (Ins)

Turns the Insert function on and off.

 

 

Delete (Del)

Deletes the character marked by the cursor.

 

 

Home, End

Control cursor location.

Page UP (PgUp)

 

Page Down (PgDn)

 

T-t&+

 

 

 

 

3-2 Using Your Computer