Keyboard manipulation

This topic describes the keyboard accessibility of GUIs.

Subtopics

Related information

Related sample code

Overview

It is important to provide consistent keyboard access across the product, and it should be emphasized that all GUI function must be accessible from the keyboard. In light of this requirement, the following list provides a mapping of keystrokes-to-action for common widget types. Any widgets constructed for use in the IBM Director product must have keyboard access. Keystrokes chosen to manipulate this widget will be expected to be intuitive to the user based on related components in Keyboard navigation key assignments.

An example of a widget that was constructed for use in IBM Director is the marquee panel, located in the lower part of the main console just above the status bar. As a user cycles through the main console’s controls using either <Tab>/<Ctrl><Tab> (forwards) or <Shift><Tab> / <Ctrl><Shift><Tab> (backwards), it was a natural for the marquee panel to follow suit. When the focus is on the marquee panel and its ticker tape is active, the marquee panel responds to the <Shift><F10> key sequence. In the list in Keyboard navigation key assignments under “Popup Menu”, the <Shift><F10> key sequence activates a popup menu.

Keyboard navigation key assignments

 

Button

Navigate forward

<Tab>

Navigate backward

<Shift><Tab>

Activate Default

<Enter>

Activate Default

<Ctrl><Enter>

Activate Any

<Spacebar>

Activate Any

<Alt><char> char = accelerator key, if defined

 

Check box

Navigate forward

<Tab>

Navigate backward

<Shift><Tab>

Navigate within group

Arrow Keys

Check/Uncheck

<Spacebar>

 

Check Box Menu Item

Navigate in

Arrow keys

Navigate out

Arrow keys

Check item and retract menu

<Enter>

Uncheck item and retract menu

<Enter>

 

Combo Box

Navigate out forward

<Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Shift><Tab>

Post menu

<Alt><Down>

Post menu

<Down>

Retract menu

<Esc >

Retract menu

<Alt><Up>

Toggle menu up

<Alt><Up>

Toggle menu down

<Alt><Down>

Activate menu item

<Enter>

Move up

<Up>

Move down

<Down>

 

Dialog

Retract dialog

<Esc>

Activate the default button (if defined)

<Enter>

 

Editor Pane

Move to next HTML link

<Ctrl><T>,

Move to prev HTML link

<Ctrl><Shift><T>

Move out of focusable elements that accept a Tab

<Ctrl><Tab>

Move out of focusable elements that accept a Tab

<Ctrl><Shift><Tab>

Activate an HTML link

<Ctrl><Space>

Navigate in

<Tab>

Navigate in

<Ctrl><Tab>

Navigate out backwards

<Ctrl><Shift><Tab>

Move up one line

<Up>

Move down one line

<Down>

Move left one component or char

<Left>

Move right one component or char

<Right>

Move up one vertical block

<PgUp>

Move down one vertical block

<PgDn>

Move to beginning of line

<Home>

Move to end of line

<End>

Move to previous word

<Ctrl><Left>

Move to next word

<Ctrl><Right>

Move to end of data

<Ctrl><End>

Select All

<Ctrl><A>

Extend down one line

<Shift><Down>

Extend selection up one line

<Shift><Up>

Extend selection right one component or char

<Shift><Right>

Extend selection left one component or char

<Shift><Left>

Extend selection to end of line

<Shift><End>

Extend selection to start of line

<Shift><Home>

Extend selection to end of data

<Ctrl><Shift><End>

Extend selection to start of data

<Ctrl><Shift><Home>

Extend selection down one vertical block

<Shift><PgDn>

Extend selection up one vertical block

<Shift><PgUp>

Extend selection to previous word

<Ctrl><Shift><Left>

Extend selection to next word

<Ctrl><Shift><Right>

Extend selection left one block

<Ctrl><Shift><PgUp>

Extend selection right one block

<Ctrl><Shift><PgDn>

Note: for more information on how to navigate/move and make selections, see Text Area

 

Frame

Navigate out

<Alt><Esc>

Activate the default button (if defined)

<Enter>

 

List

Navigate out forward

<Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Shift><Tab>

Activate selection

<Enter>

Move within list

<Up> / <Down>

Move to beginning of list

<Home>

Move to end of list

<End>

Select all entries

<Ctrl><A>

Select/deselect

<Spacebar>

Range select

<Shift><Spacebar>

Extend selection up

<Shift><Up>

Extend selection down

<Shift><Down>

Extend selection to top

<Shift><Home>

Extend selection to end

<Shift><End>

Block extend up

<Shift><PgUp>

Block extend down

<Shift><PgDn>

 

Marquee Panel

Navigate forward

<Tab>

Navigate backward

<Shift><Tab>

 

Menu

Post menu

<Enter>

Post submenu

<Right>

Move to next item (wrap to top)

<Down>

Move to previous item (wrap to bottom)

<Up>

Retract menu

<Esc>

Retract submenu

<Left>

Activate default or selected item

<Enter>

 

Menu Bar

Jump to menubar

<F10>

Navigate out

<Esc>

Navigate between items within menu

Arrow keys

Select next item

<Right>

Select previous item

<Left>

Select default or selected item

<Enter>

Post menu

<Enter>

Post menu

<Spacebar>

Post menu

<Alt><Char> accelerator key, if defined

Un-post menu

<Esc>

 

Menu Item

Navigate in

Arrow keys

Navigate out

Arrow keys

Activate item

<Enter>

Activate item

<Spacebar>

Activate item

<Alt><Char> accelerator key, if defined

Post submenu

<Right>

Retract submenu

<Left>

Retract submenu

<Esc>

 

Option Pane

Retract dialog

<Esc>

Activate the default button (if defined)

<Enter>

 

Password Field

Refer to Text Field.

 

Popup Menu

Post menu

<Shift><F10>

Post submenu

<Right>

Close submenu

<Left>

Retract menu

<Esc>

Move within menu

<Up> / <Down>

Activate entry

<Enter>

Activate entry

<Spacebar>

 

Radio Button

Navigate forward

<Tab>

Navigate backward

<Shift><Tab>

Navigate within group

Arrow Keys  NOTE: Navigating to a radio button selects it.                       

Check/Uncheck

<Spacebar>

 

Radio Button Menu Item

Navigate in

Arrow keys

Navigate out

Arrow keys

Check/Uncheck item and retract menu

<Enter>

 

Scroll Pane

Navigate out forward

<Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Shift><Tab>

Move up

<Up>

Move down

<Down>

Move left

<Left>

Move right

<Right>

Move to start of data

<Ctrl><Home>

Move to end of data

<Ctrl><End>

Block move up

<PgUp>

Block move down

<PgDn>

Block move right

<Ctrl><PgDn>

Block move left

<Ctrl><PgUp>

 

Slider

Navigate out forward

<Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Shift><Tab>

Increase value

<Up> / <Right>

Decrease value

<Left> / <Down>

Minimum value

<Home>

Maximum value

<End>

Block increase

<PgUp>

 

Split Pane

Navigate out forward

<Tab>

Navigate out forward

<Ctrl><Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Shift><Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Ctrl><Shift><Tab>

Move between panes

<F6>

Move to splitter bar

<F8>

Resize pane vertical

<Up> / <Down>

Resize pane horizontal

<Left> / <Right>

Resize to min/max

<Home> / <End>

 

Tabbed Pane

Navigate in

<Tab> 

Navigate out

<Ctrl><Tab>

Move to Tab left/right

<Left> / <Right>

Move to Tab above/below

<Up> / <Down>

Move from Tab to page

<Ctrl><Down>

Move from page to Tab

<Ctrl><Up>

Move from page to prev page

<Ctrl><PgUp>

Move from page to next page

<Ctrl><PgDn>

 

Table

Navigate out forward

<Ctrl><Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Ctrl><Shift><Tab>

Move to next cell

<Tab>

Move to next cell

<Right>

Move to previous cell

<Shift><Tab>

Move to previous cell

<Left>

Wrap to next row

<Tab>

Wrap to previous row

<Shift><Tab>

Move to first cell in row

<Home>

Move to last cell in row

<End>

Move to first row in Table

<Ctrl><Home>

Move to last row in Table

<Ctrl><End>

Select all cells

<Ctrl><A>

Deselect current selection

<Up> / <Down>

Deselect current selection

<Pgup> / <Pgdn>

Extend selection one row

<Shift><Up> / <Shift><Down>

Deselect current selection

<Ctrl><Home> / <Ctrl><End>

Edit Cell

<F2>

Restore Cell Content

<Esc>

 

Text Area

Navigate in

<Tab>

Navigate in

<Shift><Tab>

Navigate out forward

<Ctrl><Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Ctrl><Shift><Tab>

Move up/down one line

<Up> / <Down>

Move left/right one char

<Left> /  <Right>

Move to start/end of line

<Home> / <End>

Move to prev word

<Ctrl><Left>

Move to next word

<Ctrl><Right>

Move to start of text area

<Ctrl><Home>

Move to end of text area

<Ctrl><End>

Block move up/down

<PgUp> / <PgDn>

Block move left

<Ctrl><PgUp>

Block move right

<Ctrl><PgDn>

Block extend up

<Shift><PgUp>

Block extend down

<Shift><PgDn>

Block extend left

<Ctrl><Shift><PgUp>

Block extend right

<Ctrl><Shift><PgDn>

Select all

<Ctrl><A>

Deselect all

Arrow keys

Extend selection

<Shift><Up> / <Shift><Down>

Extend selection left/right

<Shift><Left> / <Shift><Right>

Extend selection to startof line

<Shift><Home>

Extend selection to end of line

<Shift><End>

Extend selection to start

<Ctrl><Shift><Home

Extend selection to end of text area

<Ctrl><Shift><End>

Extend selection to prev word

<Ctrl><Shift><Left>

Extend selection to next word

<Ctrl><Shift><Right>

Copy selection

<Ctrl><C>

Cut selection

<Ctrl><X>

Paste Selected Text

<Ctrl><V>

Delete next character

<Delete>

Delete previous character

<Backspace>

Insert line break

<Enter>

Insert Tab

<Tab>

 

Text Field

Navigate out forward

<Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Shift><Tab>

Move to prev/next char

<Left> / <Right>

Move to prev/next word

<Ctrl><Left> / <Ctrl><Right>

Move to start/end of field

<Home> / <End>

Submit entry

<Enter>

Select all

<Ctrl><A>

Deselect all

Arrow keys

Extend selection left/right

<Shift><Left> / <Shift><Right>

Extend selection to start/end

<Shift><Home> / <Shift><End>

Extend selection to prev word

<Ctrl><Shift><Left>

Extend selection to next word

<Ctrl><Shift><Right>

Copy selection

<Ctrl><C>

Cut selection

<Ctrl><X>

Paste from clipboard

<Ctrl><V>

Delete next character

<Delete>

Delete previous character

<Backspace>

 

Text Pane

Navigate in

<Tab>

Navigate in

<Shift><Tab>

Navigate out

<Ctrl><Tab>

Navigate out backwards

<Shift><Ctrl><Tab>

Move up/down a line

<Up> / <Down>

Move left/right a component or char

<Left> / <Right>

Move up/down one vertical block

<PgUp> / <PgDn>

Move to start/end of line

<Home> / <End>

Move to previous word

<Ctrl><Left>

Move to next word

<Ctrl><Right>

Move to start of data

<Ctrl><Home>

Move to end of data

<Ctrl><End>

Move left one block

<Ctrl><PgUp>

Move right one block

<Ctrl><PgDn>

Select All

<Ctrl><A>

Extend selection up one line

<Shift><Up>

Extend selection down one line

<Shift><Down>

Extend selection to beginning of line

<Shift><Home>

Extend selection to end of line

<Shift><End>

Extend selection to beginning of data

<Ctrl><Shift><Home>

Extend selection to end of data

<Ctrl><Shift><End>

Extend selection left one char

<Shift><Left>

Extend selection right one char

<Shift><Right>

Extend selection up one vertical block

<Shift><PgUp>

Extend selection down one vertical block

<Shift><PgDn>

Extend selection left one block

<Ctrl><Shift><PgUp>

Extend selection right one block

<Ctrl><Shift><PgDn>

Extend selection left one word

<Ctrl><Shift><Left>

Extend selection right one word

<Ctrl><Shift><Right>

 

Toggle Button

Navigate forward

<Tab>

Navigate backward

<Shift><Tab>

Navigate within group

Arrow Keys

Check/Uncheck

<Spacebar>

 

Toolbar

Navigate out forward

<Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Shift><Tab>

Navigate within

Arrow Keys

Activate item

<Space>

 

Tool Tip

Post tip

<Ctrl><F1>

Retract tip

<Esc>

Retract tip

<Ctrl><F1>

 

Tree

Navigate out forward

<Ctrl><Tab>

Navigate out backward

<Ctrl><Shift><Tab>

Expand entry

<Right>

Collapse entry

<Left>

Toggle expand/collapse for entry

<Enter>

Move up/down one entry

<Up> / <Down>

Move to first entry

<Home>

Move to last visible entry

<End>

Block move vertical

<PgUp> / <PgDn>

Block move left

<Ctrl><PgUp>

Block move right

<Ctrl><PgDn>

Block extend vertical

<Shift><PgUp> / <Shift><PgDn>

Select all

<Ctrl><A>

Select all

<Ctrl><Slash>

Deselect all

<Ctrl><BackSlash>

Range-select

<Shift><Spacebar>

Extend selection up

<Shift><Up>

Extend selection down

<Shift><Down>

Extend selection to start of data

<Shift><Home>

Extend selection to end of data

<Shift><End>

Extend selection up one block

<Ctrl><Shift><PgUp>

Extend selection down one block

<Ctrl>Shift><PgDn>

Scroll right

<Ctrl><Right>

Scroll left

<Ctrl><Left>