The enthusiasm or reluctance to buy a computer sometimes depends on the type of keyboard. Apart from the combinations and penalties involved in finding shortcuts, your typing speed could also be affected by the structure of your keyboard, if it seems unusual to you. In this article, we take a look at the different keys on a keyboard and their organizations before taking a detailed look at the different types of keyboard.
Keyboard keys
A keyboard has 16 key categories:
- Alphabet letters ;
- Special characters ;
- Punctuation ;
- Numeric keypad ;
- Enter keys ;
- Delete keys ;
- Modifier keys ;
- Move buttons ;
- Exhaust keys ;
- Function keys ;
- Shortcut keys ;
- Tab keys ;
- Windows keys ;
- Context menu keys ;
- Insert or rewrite mode ;
- Others.
Organization of keys
- Input keys : made up of the 26 letters of the alphabet (A….. Z), punctuation marks, symbols and numbers included.
- Function keys : in particular, these are the F1 to F12 keys at the top of your keyboard. They allow you to perform specific tasks in no time. The function of each key differs from program to program.
F1 : redirects you to the help center of all programs.
F2 : Allows you to rename a folder or file you have selected.
F3 : opens a search function in the open program.
F4 : the “Alt+F4” combination closes an active window.
F5 : Refreshes or refreshes an open page in the web browser.
F6 : on the navigation tabs, this key is used to move the cursor and redirects you to the tab where you stop.
F7 : opens the grammar and spelling correction setting in programs like Microsoft word.
F8 : in Windows, F8 starts booting in safe mode.
F9 : checks for new emails in Outlook and updates the selected blocks in Word.
F10 : the “Shift+F10” combination activates the contextual menu.
F11 : activates or deactivates the display in full-screen mode of internet browsers.
F12 : saves a document in Microsoft Word.
Which function keys do you often use? Are you used to make a heart or a thumbs-up on your keyboard?
- Control keys The "Ctrl", "Alt", "Esc" and "Start" keys, or the key with the Windows logo, are frequently used control keys. They are used to copy and paster with the keyboard.
- Navigation keys Navigation keys: these keys are used not only for editing text, but also for moving around documents and web tabs. Navigation keys are directional keys, including "Start", "End", "Previous Page", "Next Page", "Delete" and "Insert".
- Numeric keypad : for a standard keyboard, entering numbers seems more convenient, since these keys are grouped together on the far left in a single block, like a calculator, and are made up of the digits 0 to 9. Otherwise, you need to use the combination (Caps lock+digits) to enter numbers.
How many types of keyboard are there?
Whatever the brand of your computer or tablet, whether your device is under windows, linux, mac or other operating systems; it is not insignificant to know what type of keyboard you are using. Officially, there are 3 types of keyboards:
- QWERTY
- QWERTZ
- QWERTY
Mainly, the position of the keys W, Q, Z and A differentiates these three types of keyboards.
QWERTY
The name of each keyboard type is drawn from the first six letters of its highest alphabetical row. Before the advent of computers, the QWERTY keyboard made its name in America, in 1868, with the appearance of the very first typewriter designed by the Remington company, called the Typewriter.
QWERTZ
Also known as the "Swiss keyboard", this layout can be adjusted to give priority to accented Latin letters (é, à, è), as well as to the German umlaut (ö, ä, ü). To do this, use the following combination: Alt + Shift or Win + Shift under Windows.
QWERTY
A little history: the AZERTY layout was invented in France in the last decade of the 19th century. This type of keyboard embodies the letter order of the old French typewriters. As a result, it is mainly used in France, Belgium and certain French-speaking countries.
The keys on a keyboard open the door to a world of digital communication and navigation, enabling thoughts and commands to be transcribed into actions and text on the screen. Are you ready to master this essential interface, to maximize your efficiency and creativity in the digital space ?
