I put together a glossary of common shortcuts used by a wide range of programs. This is not supposed to be a complete list but rather a good set of guidelines for software developers who are trying to add shortcuts to their applications.
Many of these shortcuts have been made popular by office while others have been adopted by Adobe, Macromedia, Intuit and others.
General Editing Applications
- CTRL+A - Select All text or all objects
- CTRL+B - Bold the currently selected text
- CTRL+C - Copy the currently selected text or object
- CTRL+D - Add the current site to favorites, open fonts dialog in text
applications - CTRL+E - Centers the currently selected text
- CTRL+F - Opens the Find window to search or find text, Forward email
- CTRL+G - Open the Goto window to go to a line of text or a section
- CTRL+H - Opens the Replace window allowing you to search and replace, Hide tools
- CTRL+I - Italicize the currently selected text
- CTRL+J - Justify the currently selected text
- CTRL+K - Creates a hyperlink using the currently selected text
- CTRL+L - Left justified the currently selected text
- CTRL+M - Increases the indenting in the current text (similar to tab)
- CTRL+N - Creates a new document
- CTRL+O - Allows you to open a file
- CTRL+P - Print the current document
- CTRL+Q - Remove all indenting
- CTRL+R - Align text to the right, Reply to email
- CTRL+S - Save the current document
- CTRL+T - blank as far as I know
- CTRL+U - Underline current text
- CTRL+V - Paste clipboard text
- CTRL+W - Close current document
- CTRL+X - Cut currently selected text
- CTRL+Y - Redo an undo-step
- CTRL+Z - Undo last step
- CTRL+Space - Removes formatting in editing application, Complete word with auto-complete options
- CTRL+Left Arrow - Move the insertion point left one word
- CTRL+Right Arrow - Move the insertion point right one word
- CTRL+UP Arrow - Move the insertion point up one paragraph
- CTRL+Down Arrow - Move the insertion point down one paragraph
- CTRL+TAB - Moves through the tabs in the current dialog box
- CTRL+TAB+Shift - Moves backwards through the tabs in the current dialog box
- CTRL+Enter - Used in email programs to send the email
- CTRL+F4 - Close current document
- CTRL+F10 - Maximize current document
- CTRL+F12 - Open a document (same as CTRL+O)
- SHIFT+Enter - Creates a new text line without placing a paragraph between the lines
Common Menu Shortcuts
- ALT+A - Opens the Table, Actions or Favorites menu
- ALT+D - Puts the cursor in the address bar for a browser, opens the data menu in excel
- ALT+E - Opens the Edit Menu
- ALT+F - Opens the File Menu
- Alt+G - Opens the Go Menu
- Alt+H - Opens the Help Menu
- ALT+I - Opens the Insert Menu
- ALT+O - Opens the Format Menu
- ALT+S - Opens the Select Menu
- ALT+T - Opens the Tools Menu
- ALT+V - Opens the View Menu
- ALT+W - Opens the Window Menu
- ALT+Enter - Show properties on currently selected object, fullscreen for command based windows
- ALT+F4 - Closes the application
- ALT+Left Arrow - Moves back if using a browser interface
- ALT+Right Arrow - Moves forward if using a browser interface
- ALT+Down Arrow/Up Arrow- Opens a drop down or auto-complete listbox if it has focus
Operating Specific shortcuts
- Windows Key - Opens start menu
- windows Key+Break - System Properties
- Windows Key+D - Shows the desktop window
- Windows Key+E - Opens explorer
- Windows Key+F - Opens system search
- Windows Key+F+Shift - Opens system search for computers
- Windows Key+L - Locks the system with current password
- Windows Key+M - Minimizes all windows
- Windows Key+M+Shift - Restores minimized windows
- Windows Key+R - Opens the run dialog
- Windows Key+U - Opens the utility manager for accessibility tools
- Windows Key+F1 - Opens system help
- ALT+TAB - Cycles windows
- ALT+SHIFT+TAB - Cycles windows backwards
- CTRL+SHIFT+ESC - Opens the task manager
- CTRL+ESC - Opens the start menu
- CTRL+ALT+ESC - Cycles all dialogs
- ALT+Space - Opens the windows menu to move, resizes or minimize for the current window
- ALT+ESC - Cycle through windows and dialog boxes
- ALT+ESC+SHIFT - Cycle backwards through windows and dialog boxes
Single key shortcuts used in graphics applications
- Delete - Deletes the currently selected item or text
- Delete+SHIFT - Permentantly deletes the item, bypass the recycle bin if
applicable - Tab - Moves through available controls on the page
- Tab+Shift - Moves backwards through available controls
- Shift - If held for 8 seconds turns on FilterKeys
- Shift - If pressed 5 times in a row turns on StickeyKeys
- NumLock - If held for 5 seconds turns on ToggleKeys
- A - Arrow or selection tool
- B - Brush / Pencil tool
- C - Crop tool
- E - Erase brush
- F - Fullscreen
- G - Gradient / Fill tool
- H - Hand drag / rotate
- I - Eyedrop
- J - Heal / Patch / Color
- K - Cutting tool or slice tool
- L - Lasso selection tool
- M - marquee rectangular selection tool
- N - Note tool
- O - Dodge / Burn tool
- P - Pen path tool for drawing vector paths
- Q - quick Mask tool
- R - Blur brush
- S - Stamp tool
- T - Text
- U - Shape (square/triangle/circle)
- V - Move object tool
- W - Wand selection tool
- X - Swap colors between foreground and background
- Y - Undo brush
- Z - Zoom in
- Alt+Z Zoom out
- + - zoom in
- - - zoom out
- 0-9 - Changes transparency in 10% increments
- Esc - Cancels the current action
- Ctrl+L rotate left
- Ctrl+K rotate right
- Shift when used with most tools contains drawing to 45 degree increments
- ALT when used with many tools will make the tool expand from the center out rather then from the top left corner (Shapes, selections, etc)
Function Keys
- F1 - Help
- F1+Shift - Displays the 'What's this' information if available
- F2 - Rename the selected folder/object
- F3 - Find in the document
- F4 - Puts focus in the primary dropdown on the screen and opens the dropdown (address bar in browser for example)
- F5 - Refresh document or window, run program, run slideshow
- F6 - Cycle through window panels
- F7 - Run spellcheck
- F10 - Puts keyboard focus on the Menu
- F10+Shift - Same as right clicking on the selected object
- F11 - Full screen, Slideshow
- F12 - Displays Save As Dialog Box
Click Modifiers
- Shift + Click - Opens the link in a new windows in a browser
- Ctrl + Click - Opens the link in a new tab in a browser
- Alt + Click - Downloads the target link and saves it as a file
- Ctrl + Drag - Makes a copy of the item being dragged
- Alt + Drag - Makes a link to the item being dragged
- Right Mouse Drag - Allow me to choose Link/Copy/Move