Shortcut Key

A key or combination of keys that a user can press to perform an action that is available from a menu.

When To Use

Guidelines

	If a choice in a menu has a shortcut key assignment, display it next to that choice in the menu.
	Left-align shortcut keys to the right of the choices in a menu.
	Allow a user to hide or display shortcut keys. For example, provide in a properties view of an object a check box choice labeled Display shortcut keys.
	Ship products with shortcut keys not displayed as the default.
	Include all shortcut key assignments in keys help.
	Allow a user to change shortcut key assignments.
	If a user can change shortcut key assignments, display the new assignments in menus and list the new assignments in keys help.
	When a user turns off the display of shortcut keys in menus, continue to provide access to the choices that are displayed in the menus using shortcut keys.
	When displaying shortcut keys, use a plus sign (+) between the key names to indicate that a user must press two or more keys at the same time. For example, use Alt+F4 for the Close choice.
	Perform the function assigned to a shortcut key only if it is assigned within the active window.
	If short menus are displayed, do not perform functions assigned to choices displayed only in full menus.
	Perform the identical function, whether a user presses the shortcut key or selects the associated choice.
	If a shortcut key uses an alphabetic character, apply the choice if a user presses either the uppercase or lowercase character.
	Identify shortcut keys by their actual key-top engravings.
	Do not assign more than one shortcut key to the same function.
	Assign the same shortcut key for the same choice in all windows that provide that choice.
	Use the Ctrl key as part of product-specific shortcut key assignments.
	Avoid using the Alt key as part of the shortcut key assignment. Alt should be used for mnemonic access only.
	Assign shortcut keys as in Figure 1:

Figure 1 Shortcut Key Assignments
Function	Shortcut key
Activate context-sensitive Help Mode	Shift+F1
Activate or inactivate menu bar mode	Alt
Access Start button in taskbar	Ctrl+Esc (WIndows95)
Cancel	Esc
Capture active window image to the Clipboard	Alt+Print Screen
Capture desktop image to the Clipboard	Print Screen
Clear	Delete (unless a Delete choice is also provided)
Close Primary Window	Alt+F4
Close child window (MDI)	Ctrl+F4
Copy	Ctrl+C (Also Support, but do not display Ctrl+Insert)
Cut	Ctrl+X (Also Support, but do not display Shift+Delete)
Display contextual Help window	F1
Display pop-up menu	Shift+F10
Display next primary window (or application)	Alt+Tab
Display next window	Alt+Esc
Display next child window (MDI)	Ctrl+F6
Display next tabbed page or child window (MDI)	Ctrl+Tab
Display pop-up menu the for window	Alt+Spacebar
Display pop-up menu for the active child window (MDI)	Alt+Hyphen
Display property sheet for current selection	Alt+Enter
Open	Crtl+O
Paste	Ctrl+V (Also Support, but do not display Shift+Insert)
Print	Ctrl+P
Save	Ctrl+S
Select all	Ctrl+A (Also Support, but do not display Ctrl+/)
Select (same as mouse button 1 click)	Spacebar
Switch to next window within application (Between modeless secondary windows and their primary window)	Alt+F6
Window list (in the system menu)	Ctrl+Esc

Essential Related Topics

Supplemental Related Topics

	Provide the predefined shortcut key assignment for each predefined choice in a menu.
	Provide a unique shortcut key assignment for each frequently-used choice in a menu.