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Actions with the keyboard

Some keys on the keyboard can be used to perform actions, in contrast to keys that only enter a character on the screen. Some are necessary while others can be very useful to save time.
Here are these keys :

Enter : In a context where you type text, Enter makes a line break, that means that it creates a new paragraph. In other general contexts, Enter is a synonym of "Proceed", for example if you type this key when you fill out a form, that will send the form.

Tab : This key is two keys below the Esc key. In a form it can be used to jump to the next box without using the mouse! In a context where you type text, it can allow you to make equal spaces, meaning that all lines of text that you type will be aligned vertically.

Backspace : In a context where you type text, press it to delete one or more characters to the left. Otherwise, it can sometime let you go back, for example, when browsing the Internet, to return to the previous page.

Del or Delete : This allows you to delete a character like the backspace key, but it deletes a characters at the right instead of the left. In many other contexts, it can remove an item. For example, if you click on a document and you press this button, the file will be deleted.

PrtnScreen : This key is used to make a screenshot (a picture of what you have displayed on your screen). You can use it for that purpose with an image editing software. It does not exist on computer keyboards Apple / Mac.

Arrows They allow you to move, for example in a text where you want to go back to the third line in order to enter some additional text. You could use the mouse to this, but it is often faster with arrows. They also allow to scroll up or down in a page.

CTRL : This key allows you to complete a multitude of actions that you would do with the mouse when it is combined with a letter. For example, CTRL and C means "Copy". CTRL and V means "Paste". CTRL and Z often means "Undo the last action". "CTRL and A stands for "Select All".

Super : Microsoft Windows even managed to add its image on a key on the keyboard, which is a grotesque if you ask us. That key is nevertheless useful. Like CTRL, it can serve as shortcuts to various actions in combination with other keys.

I think it would be an exaggeration to further explain the other keys because we predict the gradual disappearance of much of these keys as they are rarely used in modern computing that condense everything to an extreme simplification. Those already described are already little known. However, you can have fun to explore them and see their utility.

Gadget keys

Many so called "modern" keyboards also include all kinds of buttons that can allow you to do additional tasks such as opening your email, raise or lower the volume, etc.. These tasks could be accomplished without a keyboard but there are some cases where it might be nice to have functions at hand, it is only a matter of preference.