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`On the Net, Web Browser Keyboard and Navigation Shortcuts
`
`On The Net
`
`Web Browser Keyboard and Navigation
`Shortcuts
`
`ONLINE, May 1998
`
`
`
`Greg R. Notess
`Reference Librarian
`Montana State
`University
`
`Each new version of a Web browser brings its new share of features. The
`The mouse ... is not always the
`most heralded browsers are typically the biggest memory hogs, and
`quickest way to navigate on the
`occasionally the least useful. At the same time, other new features may
`Web.
`be less feted in the Internet press, but can be far more useful for everyday
`roaming on the Web. While some may have the time to read every sentence of the new documentation and
`explore the changes under each menu and new icon, most of us don't seek out these hidden gems. To help, this
`column summarizes some of the most useful keyboard and navigation shortcuts available with the latest Web
`browsers.
`
`While Netscape's Communicator and Navigator version 4, running on Windows 95, is the focus of this article,
`many of these tricks and shortcuts described also work on Internet Explorer. Most work just the same under
`Windows 3.1. Mac users should use the apple key rather than the <Ctrl> key.
`
`People choose their own favorite way of moving around within software. Graphic icon buttons, word icon
`buttons, drop-down menus, and keyboard shortcuts often all provide a way to accomplish the same function. On
`the Web with a graphical browser, most of us are familiar with moving around entirely with the mouse. The
`keyboard shortcuts described here may not appeal to everyone, but knowing what is available at least gives us an
`option for alternate ways to navigate, and offers a choice for the most effective shortcuts. Try them all, then
`memorize the ones that fit best into your particular style of Web use.
`
`KEYSTROKE SHORTCUTS
`
`The mouse is a primitive, but rather useful pointing device. However, it is not
`always the quickest way to navigate on the Web. Many standard browser
`functions available by mouse clicks also have keyboard alternatives. These can
`become essential for moving around the Web when the mouse freezes, but
`some can even speed up regular Web browsing.
`
`Navigation Keys
`
`The Back and Forward buttons are essential for easily navigating the
`intertwining strands of the World Wide Web, but it is not necessary to click
`them. Hold down the <Alt> key and press the left (for back) or right (for
`forward) arrow key to achieve the same result. These can be used even before
`a page has fully loaded. After a bit of practice, the <Alt>-arrow key
`combination can become much faster for moving about within a Web site than
`
`Browser Keystroke Shortcuts
`<Ctrl>
`Back
`<�>
`<Ctrl>
`<�>
`<Esc>
`<Ctrl><r>
`<Ctrl><f>
`<Ctrl><g>
`<Ctrl><o>
`<Ctrl><h>
`<Ctrl><u>
`
`Forward
`Stop
`Reload
`Find
`Find Again
`Open
`History
`View Source
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`The Stop button also has a keyboard shortcut: the Escape key. Simply press
`<Esc> to stop the remainder of the page from loading.
`
`On the Net, Web Browser Keyboard and Navigation Shortcuts
`2/9/2021
`Page
`always hunting for the mouse, positioning the cursor over the proper button,
`Information
`and clicking.
`Save
`Mail
`Print
`Close
`Quit
`Copy
`Paste
`Select All
`
`If a page is stopped too soon, does not load properly, or contains frequently
`updated information, the Reload button is an essential tool. It even rates two
`keyboard shortcuts. A simple reload is available with <Ctrl><r>. However,
`depending on the browser's settings, this may just reload the same page from
`the cache. To force the browser to go back out to the remote server and reload
`the page from there, hold down <shift> and click the reload button. This is
`known as a "super reload."
`
`<Ctrl><i>
`
`<Ctrl><s>
`<Ctrl><m>
`<Ctrl><p>
`<Ctrl><w>
`<Ctrl><q>
`<Ctrl><c>
`<Ctrl><v>
`<Ctrl><a>
`
`For navigation within a page, using the mouse to move the scroll bars is only one way of moving around. The
`arrows and the <Page Down> and <Page Up> keys can make quick work of intrapage navigation. If these do not
`seem to work, be sure to either click somewhere on the page or use the <Tab> key to move onto the page from
`the toolbars.
`
`For long pages, the ability to search a page for a specific word is available with the Find button. This button
`disappears from the toolbar with Netscape 4, but the keyboard shortcut of <Ctrl><f> still remains. Pressing
`<Ctrl><f> brings up the search box. The box contains a Find Again button, but once the box is closed, <Ctrl>
`<g> will jump to the next occurrence of the term within the page without even displaying the Find box.
`
`Two keystroke options are available for jumping to a new page. <Ctrl><o> brings up the Open box for entering
`a new URL. Alternatively, and with a bit more work, repeatedly pressing the <Tab> key will eventually bring the
`cursor to the location box at the top of the screen. Once there, enter a new URL. In Netscape 3, <Ctrl><u> must
`be used instead of <Ctrl><o>. For pages previously visited, pressing <Ctrl><h> brings up the history folder, and
`specific pages can be chosen from that list.
`
`FORM FILLING
`
`Multipart forms can be quite tedious to fill out if you have to click on each box before entering data. Fortunately,
`there are easy keyboard shortcuts to use when filling out a form. The <Tab> key is the easiest and most essential.
`To move from one data entry box on a form to the next, simply press the <Tab> key. <Tab> again to get to the
`next. <Shift><Tab> moves the cursor back to the previous box.
`
`What about forms with check boxes and radio buttons? All of these can be managed as well. Continue to use the
`<Tab> key to move to the buttons or select boxes. Then use the space bar to select or deselect specific options.
`<Tab> into drop-down boxes and use the arrow keys to select an item. Even the Submit button can be reached
`with the <Tab> key and then "clicked" by pressing the space bar, unless it is a graphic, which may require the
`mouse.
`
`The <Tab> key can eventually take you out of the form. It also moves from hyperlink to hyperlink on a Web
`page and even to the location box, as mentioned earlier. Thus, the <Tab> key can be used for filling out forms as
`well as navigating within a Web page. When using <Tab> to move to a specific link, pressing the <Enter> key
`will work the same as clicking on the link and will open the new page.
`
`INFORMATION AND OTHER SHORTCUTS
`
`Other keystroke combinations provide more detailed information about Web pages. With Netscape 4, a new
`shortcut was introduced to view the HTML source code for a page: <Ctrl><u>. Remember this is the same key
`combination that brought up the Open URL box in Netscape 3. This shortcut is most useful for Web developers
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`On the Net, Web Browser Keyboard and Navigation Shortcuts
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`who frequently want to check out the HTML tricks used at other sites. It is also helpful when some of the text
`fails to display on the screen. It may become visible in the source code.
`
`A similar command is the Page Information shortcut. <Ctrl><i> brings up information about the page currently
`being displayed, including the date it was last modified, page structure, file size, URL, security, and other
`miscellaneous information.
`
`For the keyboard-oriented, there are plenty of other shortcuts, including many standard ones. Use <Ctrl><s> to
`save a page as a local file. <Ctrl><m> can be used to email a page. <Ctrl><w> closes the current, open window,
`whether it is a browser window, a bookmark window, or the mailer. <Ctrl><q>, for quit, will close down all the
`windows and exit the program. The dangerous aspect of <Ctrl><q> is its proximity to other keyboard shortcuts.
`A slip of the finger when aiming for a w, a, or s can easily result in killing the whole program if it ends up on q.
`
`In terms of selection and moving operations, standard Windows key combinations work quite well. <Ctrl><c>
`copies marked text to the clipboard. To Paste, <Ctrl><v> does the job. The less common <Ctrl><a>, Select All,
`marks the entire page. As in many other Windows applications, <Ctrl><p> for Print, brings up the Print Options
`box.
`
`Knowing some of these keystroke shortcuts can be invaluable in an online presentation when the technology
`starts to fail. If the mouse pointer disappears on the projection unit, locks up, or responds slowly, using the
`keyboard may be the only option. Even when all the hardware is working properly, you may find that a few of
`these keyboard shortcuts become favorite additions to your personal arsenal of Web surfing tricks.
`
`BOOKMARK SHORTCUTS
`
`Bookmarks (or Favorites as Internet Explorer names them) are an
`The personalized toolbar can be
`important tool in quick navigation to frequently visited sites. While the
`... used on public Internet
`keyboard shortcut of <Ctrl><b> is a quick way to bring up the Edit
`computers to provide easy
`Bookmark window, there are plenty of other non-keyboard shortcuts
`access to selected sites.
`introduced in the fourth version of Netscape. The Personal Toolbar folder
`provides a user-customizable toolbar for very quick access to the most frequently used bookmarks. This feature
`may not be obvious, especially to those who installed version 4 over a previous version with a pre-existing
`bookmark list. On a new installation, the Personal Toolbar folder is the top folder in the bookmark file and
`contains a number of Netscape-chosen bookmarks. The individual bookmarks and sub-folders in this Personal
`Toolbar folder then show up as the third toolbar at the top of the browser. In Internet Explorer, a similar
`customizable toolbar is labeled Links.
`
`Both toolbars can contain any links you choose-and you can delete the prepackaged ones. The only limitation is
`the space available on the bar, but since folders can be placed there as well, a good number of bookmarks can be
`easily reached from the toolbar, as seen in the nearby screen. In Netscape, from the Edit Bookmarks menu, any
`folder can be designated as the Personal Toolbar folder. Just select the desired folder and choose View/Set as
`Toolbar Folder or right-click the mouse and choose Set as Toolbar Folder. This is especially useful if you are
`dealing with a preexisting set of bookmarks that has no Personal Toolbar folder.
`
`Did you ever wonder what that funny little icon was to the left of the URL in the location box? It is supposed to
`look like a page with a green bookmark on top. (Internet Explorer has a functionally similar icon in the same
`place, but it has a blue "e" floating above a page.) Its purpose is that once you find a page to bookmark, just drag
`the icon to the section of your bookmark list where you want it to appear. It can also be dragged directly onto the
`Personal Toolbar or into a folder on the Personal Toolbar. If you are still using the Add Bookmark feature that
`simply puts the bookmark at the end of the list, try dragging the icon to a more appropriate place in your
`bookmark organization.
`
`This dragging principle works on more than just the icon to the left of the URL. Most links on a Web page can
`also be dragged into a specific section of the bookmark list, onto the customizable toolbar, or onto the desktop in
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`Windows 95.
`
`DATA ENTRY SHORTCUTS
`
`On the Net, Web Browser Keyboard and Navigation Shortcuts
`
`Version 4 of the Web browsers introduced automatic completion. With automatic completion, after a URL such
`as http://www.name.edu/library/catalog.html has been entered into the Location box, the next time something
`similar is keystroked, the site, and then the full URL may appear. For example, entering just www.na would
`bring up http://www.name.edu/. Start adding the URL after the host name and http://www.name.edu/ library/ or
`http://www.name.edu/ library/catalog.html will appear.
`
`This feature is often an effective way to find partially-remembered URLs or to quickly enter a long one you've
`used recently. While the History list can also provide the same assistance, it is not always as convenient. On the
`negative side, when many pages have been visited on a site, the browser may complete a URL for a different
`page. If you are not watching carefully, you can end up at the wrong location. Note that the automatically
`completed portion is also automatically selected, so if the program completes a different URL, just keep on
`entering the correct one, delete the incorrect addition with the <Delete> key, or edit it to force it to point to the
`correct location.
`
`Another data entry shortcut may not always save time. With version 3 of the browsers it was possible to enter a
`company name and the browser would not only add the http:// but the www. and the .com as well. While this
`trick still works, it often results in a longer time to load the page, since the browser first checks just the name
`against the Domain Name server and then tries again with the added www. and .com. It is usually more efficient
`to simply enter www.companyname.com than just using companyname.
`
`Most of the shortcuts described here do not save a great deal of time. They will not make a multimegabyte file
`download faster or speed the transfer of a graphics-intensive Web page. On the other hand, when you are trying
`to drill quickly through multiple layers of a site or you're looking for a previously seen page, these suggestions
`can decrease the time spent on basic navigation, form entry, and bookmarking.
`
`When you're helping a user, teaching a hands-on class, or giving an online presentation, many of these tricks can
`be invaluable in getting quickly to the appropriate screen. The personalized toolbar can be an important
`navigation tool for the individual searcher and can be equally well used on public Internet computers, to provide
`easy access to selected sites. While few people will want to use all these shortcuts, try some of them to see
`which will be most useful in your particular work environment. And if you know of other useful Web navigation
`shortcuts, drop me a note.
`
`Communications to the author should be addressed to Greg R. Notess, Montana State University Libraries,
`Bozeman, MT 59717-0332; 406/994-6563; greg at notess.com or http://notess.com.
`
`Copyright © 1998, Greg Notess, Inc. All rights reserved.
`
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