Shifted characters and other modal keypresses

Shifted characters and other modal keypresses

Shifted Characters

Shifted characters are the characters that typed when you press a SHIFT key and another key simulataneously. In most cases, you can simply type in the shifted character. If you need a lower case f, you type in an f. If you need an upper case F, just type in the shifted character F.

A less obvious but legal way to enter shifted characters into keystroke sequences is with the SHF label. Notice that on most keyboard keys, there is a character printed at the bottom of the key, as well a character printed at the top of the key. The bottom character is typed when the key is pressed by itself. The top character is typed when the key and the SHIFT key are pressed simultaneously.

To use the SHF label, you must remember to type the unshifted character after the label:

SHF some_key

A space must be typed between the SHF label and the keyboard character that follows.

Modal keys

Technically, the SHIFT key is a modal key. What a particular key types depends on whether the SHIFT key is pressed or not (the SHIFT key changes the mode of of the key being used). There are two other modal keys on your keyboard: ALT and CONTROL. As with the SHIFT key, the ALT and CONTROL can cause alternative characters or commands to be typed to your computer. In many word processors and text editors, typing an unshifted f will type an f, typing a SHIFT f will type an F, typing ALT f will call up a file menu and typing CONTROL f will call up a word search utility. Combinations of modal keys are used in many applications, too, so that you might find keyboard commands like CONTROL ALT f or ALT SHIFT x.

In keystroke sequences, the modal keys ALT and CONTROL have the labels:

ALT is used for ALT
CNTRL is used for CONTROL

To enter a modal key or a group of modal keys, type the modal key labels one after the other, followed by the "normal" keyboard character. The following examples are all legal:

SHF 5 ALT E ALT SHF e CNTRL S CNTRL ALT W CNTRL ALT SHF b

Note that a space must be typed between each entry.

Click on the Next button (the right arrow button below) for more information on keystroke sequences.