Input Devices

1. KEYBOARDIn computing, a computer keyboard is a typewriter-style device which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as a mechanical lever or electronic switch. Following the decline of punch cards and paper tape, interaction via teleprinter-style keyboards became the main input device for computers.

A keyboard typically has characters engraved or printed on the keys and each press of a key typically corresponds to a single written symbol. However, to produce some symbols requires pressing and holding several keys simultaneously or in sequence. While most keyboard keys produce letters, numbers or signs (characters), other keys or simultaneous key presses can produce actions or execute computer commands.

• F1 [Display Help]

• F2 [Rename the selected item]

• F3 [Search for a file or folder]

• F4 [Display the address bar list in File Explorer]

• F5 [Refresh the active window]

• F6 [Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop]

• F10 [Activate the Menu bar in the active app]

• ALT + F4 [Close the active item, or exit the active app]

• ALT + ESC [Cycle through items in the order in which they were opened]

• ALT + Underlined Letter in menus and dialog box options [Perform the command for that letter]

• ALT + ENTER [Display properties for the selected item]

• ALT + SPACEBAR [Open the shortcut menu for the active window]

• ALT + LEFT ARROW [Back]

• ALT + RIGHT ARROW [Forward]

• ALT + PAGE UP [Move up one screen]

• ALT + PAGE DOWN [Move down one screen]

• ALT + TAB [Switch between open apps (except desktop apps)]

• CTRL + F4 [Close the active document (in apps that allow you to have multiple documents open simultaneously)

• CTRL + A [Select all items in a document or window]

• CTRL + C or CTRL + INSERT [Copy the selected item]

• CTRL + D / DELETE [DELETE the selected item and move it to the Recycle Bin]

• CTRL + R or F5 [Refresh the active window]

• CTRL + V or SHIFT + INSERT [Paste the selected item]

• CTRL + X [Cut the selected item]

• CTRL + Y [Redo an action]

• CTRL + Z [Undo an action]

• CTRL + + or CTRL + – [Zoom in or out of a large NUMBER of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen]

• CTRL + mouse scroll wheel [Change the size of desktop icons or zoom in or out of a large NUMBER of items, like apps pinned to the Start screen]

• CTRL + RIGHT ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the next word]

• CTRL + LEFT ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word]

• CTRL + DOWN ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the next paragraph]

• CTRL + UP ARROW [Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous paragraph]

• CTRL + ALT + TAB [Use the arrow keys to switch between all open apps]

• CTRL + ARROW + SPACEBAR [Select multiple individual items in a window or on the desktop]

• CTRL + SHIFT + ARROW [Select a block of text]

• CTRL + ESC [Open the Start screen]

• CTRL + SHIFT + ESC [Open Task Manager]

• CTRL + SHIFT [Switch the keyboard layout when multiple keyboard layouts are available]

• CTRL + SPACEBAR [Turn the Chinese input method editor (IME) on or off]

• SHIFT + F10 [Display the shortcut menu for the selected item]

• SHIFT + ARROW [Select more than one item in a window or on the desktop, or select text within a document]

• SHIFT + DELETE [Delete the selected item without moving it to the Recycle Bin first]

• RIGHT ARROW [Open the next menu to the right, or open a submenu]

• LEFT ARROW [Open the next menu to the left, or close a submenu]

• ESC [Stop or leave the current task]

2. COMPUTER MOUSE

A computer mouse is a pointing device (hand control) that detects two-dimensionalmotion relative to a surface. This motion is typically translated into the motion of apointer on a display, which allows a smooth control of the graphical user interface.

Physically, a mouse consists of an object held in one's hand, with one or more buttons. Mice often also feature other elements, such as touch surfaces and "wheels", which enable additional control and dimensional input.

Different ways of operating the mouse cause specific things to happen in the GUI:

• Click: pressing and releasing a button.

• (left) Single-click: clicking the main button.

• (left) Double-click: clicking the button two times in quick succession counts as a different gesture than two separate single clicks

• (left) Triple-click: clicking the button three times in quick succession.

• Right-click: clicking the secondary button, or clicking with two fingers. (This brings a menu with different options depending on the site/app)

• Middle-click: clicking the tertiary button.

• Drag and drop: pressing and holding a button, then moving the mouse without releasing. (Using the command "drag with the right mouse button" instead of just "drag" when one instructs a user to drag an object while holding the right mouse button down instead of the more commonly used left mouse button.)

• Mouse button chording (a.k.a. Rocker navigation).

• Combination of right-click then left-click.

• Combination of left-click then right-click or keyboard letter.

• Combination of left or right-click and the mouse wheel.

• Clicking while holding down a modifier key.

• Moving the pointer a long distance: When a practical limit of mouse movement is reached, one lifts up the mouse, brings it to the opposite edge of the working area while it is held above the surface, and then replaces it down onto the working surface. This is often not necessary, because acceleration software detects fast movement, and moves the pointer significantly faster in proportion than for slow mouse motion.

• Multi-touch: this method is similar to a multi-touch trackpad on a laptop with support for tap input for multiple fingers, the most famous example being the Apple Magic Mouse

3. SCANNER

In computing, an image scanner—often abbreviated to just scanner, although the term is ambiguous out of context (barcode scanner, CAT scanner, etc.)—is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. Commonly used in offices are variations of the desktop flatbed scanner where the document is placed on a glass window for scanning. Hand-held scanners, where the device is moved by hand, have evolved from text scanning "wands" to 3D scanners used for industrial design, reverse engineering, test and measurement, orthotics, gaming and other applications. Mechanically driven scanners that move the document are typically used for large-format documents, where a flatbed design would be impractical.

4. BARCODE READER/SCANNER

A barcode reader (or barcode scanner) is an electronic device that can read and output printed barcodes to a computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor translating optical impulses into electrical ones. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers contain decoder circuitry analyzing the barcode's image data provided by the sensor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port.

5. TOUCHPAD

A touchpad or trackpad is a pointing device featuring atactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on the operating system that is outputted to the screen. Touchpads are a common feature of laptop computers, and are also used as a substitute for a mouse where desk space is scarce. Because they vary in size, they can also be found on personal digital assistants (PDAs) and some portable media players. Wireless touchpads are also available as detached accessories.

6. TOUCHSCREEN

A touchscreen is an input device normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. A user can give input or control the information processing system through simple or multi-touch gestures by touching the screen with a special stylus and/or one or more fingers. Some touchscreens use ordinary or specially coated gloves to work while others use a special stylus/pen only. The user can use the touchscreen to react to what is displayed and to control how it is displayed; for example, zooming to increase the text size.