The keyboard is a standard input device used for typing the text (Alphabets, Numbers, Symbols) and the set of typewriter-like keys enables you to enter the data into a computer.
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A computer keyboard is similar to old electronic typewriter keyboards and also contains additional keys. A standard keyboard has 101 keys.
Nowadays, everyone can easily see the keyboard in their schools, home, colleges, and other places. Keyboards are one of the important input devices for a computer to input data.
Without the help of a keyboard, it’s difficult to input data in the form of text easily in the computer for a non-technical background people in the era of technology.
Now let’s see some of the important things related to the keyboard and see the brief of the keys on the keyboard.
The standard layout of letters, numbers, and punctuation is known as a QWERTY keyboard because the first six keys on the top row of the keyboard letters spell QWERTY.
Description of keys on the keyboard
The description of important keys of a keyboard is as follows:
Alphabet Keys (ABC…XYZ)
A keyboard has 26 alphabet keys from A to Z. These keys help in typing the data in the form of alphabets from A – Z.
Uses: Generally, used for typing words, sentences, etc.
Numeric Keys
These keys are used for typing the numbers. They are marked with the digits from 0 to 9.
You can see it above the set of alphabet keys on a keyboard. And you can also use the numeric keypad placed on the right side of the keyboard to type numbers.
Uses: Generally, used for typing numbers in the calculator, filling forms, and searching online, etc.
Functional Keys (F1-F12)
The function keys are used for special functions. They are marked from F1-F12. They are placed on top of the keyboard above the set of numerical keys.
Uses: F1: Help, F5: Refresh
Cursor Control keys
The cursor is a blinking symbol that appears on the screen. The cursor controls keys are used to move the cursor in any one of the four directions such as up, down, left, or right.
The arrow marks on the keys indicate the direction in which the cursor will move when the specific cursor keys are pressed.
Uses: Generally, used in moving the cursor in up, down, left, right direction and in playing games to move the character in different direction mention in the game by game developers.
Enter Key
This key is used to send the request to the CPU, once the task is completed. Enter key is also used to move the cursor to the beginning of the next line.
Uses: Generally, used in software like MSOffice, notepad, to move the cursor to the beginning of the next line and in software many software used for executing the processes.
Spacebar Key on keyboard
Physically, this is the longest key on the keyboard. It is used to insert blank spaces between two words or letters or numbers or symbols.
Uses: As you see above it is generally used to insert blank spaces between two words or letters or symbols or numbers in software like a notepad, MSOffice, etc.
Backspace Key
This key is used to remove one character at a time lo the left of its current position of the cursor.
Uses: It is also broadly used, in software like notepad, MS office, etc.
Delete Key
Del or delete key is used to erase the typed contents on the right side of its current position of the cursor.
Uses: It is also broadly used, in software like notepad, MS office, etc. to erase the typed contents on the right side of its current position of the cursor.
Shift Key
There are two shit keys on a keyboard-one on the left side and one on the right side. And it’s the second-largest key on the keyboard.
This key is used in combination with other keys.
Uses: Some keys, like numeric keys have special symbols printed on their upper portion. The shift key is used to print these symbols.
And you can also type alphabet keys in lower-upper upper-lower when you pressed the shift key while typing text from alphabet keys.
And you can also use the num pad on the right side of the keyboard as cursor keys while pressing shift keys simultaneously.
Caps Lock Key
This key is used to type the alphabets either in capital letters or in small letters.
Uses: When the caps lock key is pressed on all the letters which we type will appear in upper case.
When the caps lock is pressed off, all the letters we type will appear in lower case.
Escape Key
Esc is the short form of Escape key. It is situated in top-left corner of the keyboard.
Uses: It allows the user to abort, cancel, or close an operation in many software on a computer.
Symbol keys
Symbol keys are situated in many areas on the keyboard. These are used to type symbols like ., ‘, {, ], <, and ?, etc.
Uses: Used in software like MSWord, notepad etc. to type symbols.
Tab key
Tab key is only one in the left side of the keyboard.
Uses: Generaly, used for switching between menu in the different type of software. And also used to perform the task of 4 times of spacebar key easily.
Ctrl and Alt Keys
These keys are used with other keys to perform different types of tasks on the computer. And it makes some tasks shortcuts to perform these tasks easily.
Uses:
- ctrl + shift + esc = open task manager
- Ctrl + A = Selects all
- Ctrl + X = Cut selected one
- Ctrl + C = Copy selected one
- Ctrl + V = Paste selected one
- Ctrl + Alt + Del = go outside home
- Ctrl + shift + esc = open task bar
- Alt + F = File menu options in the current running application
- Alt + E = Edits options in the current running application
- Alt + Tab = Switch between the open applications in your windows
If you want to know more about computer shortcut keys you can simply check out our article on computer shortcut keys by click here.