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CATEGORIES OF KEYS ON THE KEYBOARD
The keys on the keyboard are arranged into the following categories:
Number Keys
Alphabet Keys
Numeric Keypad
• Alphabet Keys: These are the keys for typing the alphabets from A to Z (though not in alphabetical order), which are
present in such an order that it speeds up the typing process. These keys are used to type text consisting of words,
sentences, or paragraphs.
• Number Keys: These are the keys for typing numbers from 0 to 9. These keys are present in two different places on
the keyboard-one above the alphabet keys and the other on the extreme right side of the keyboard as a numeric
keypad, which looks similar to a calculator.
• Special Character Keys: The keys such as the Spacebar key, Caps Lock key, Backspace key, Shift key, Enter key, Symbol
keys (like comma, semicolon, brackets, period) and Tab key are called the special character keys.
• Control Keys: These keys are used alone or in combination with other keys to perform certain actions. The most
frequently used control keys are Ctrl, Alt, the Windows logo key and Esc.
• Function Keys: These keys are used to perform specialised functions in different programs. There are a total of 12
function keys which are labeled as F1, F2 and so on till F12. These keys are present at the top of the keyboard.
• Navigation Keys: These keys are used for moving around text-based data. The navigation keys consist of the four
directional Arrow keys, Home, End, Page up and Page down.
• Toggle Keys: These keys are used to toggle between the ON or OFF state of the key. The keys are: Caps Lock, Num
Lock and Scroll Lock.
• Combination Keys: These keys are used in combination with the other keys to perform specific functions in an
application. These are Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Function keys and Windows key.
• Special Keys: These keys are used to perform additional functions on a computer. These are the Windows key,
Pause/Break and PrtScr (print screen).
IMPORTANT KEYS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
Some of the important keys on the keyboard used for some basic functions in different software are explained below:
• Enter: There are two Enter keys on the PC keyboard and laptop Keyboard; one is above the right Shift key and the
other on the bottom right of the numeric keypad. Some of the important functions performed by the Enter key are:
w Send a cursor to a new line
w Create a blank line.
w Start a new paragraph
w Submit a form
w Activate a selected option.
w Complete a process like open a URL entered in the address bar of a browser window.
• PrtScr: It is a special key present on the keyboard. Alone or in combination with the Windows key or the Fn Key, it
is used to copy the image of the current screen onto the clipboard from where it can be pasted elsewhere in any
application software.
168 Trackpad Information Technology-IX

