Key combinations that allow you to perform various operations on a computer were invented even before the invention of the graphical interface. With its appearance, the user is accustomed to perform all actions with the mouse, but nevertheless, the "hot keys" are preserved. In this article we will tell you which buttons to press to copy and paste not only text fragments, but also entire files.
Modifier keys
On the keyboard, in addition to the alphanumeric row, there are so-called modifier keys. Some of them, such as Shift, are used every day, and some may never be pressed for the entire duration of the keyboard.
The standard set of modifiers includes:
- Alt - on the keyboards of “poppies” it is called Option;
- Control - often abbreviation Ctrl;
- Shift, right and left;
- the “window” key, or the Windows logo (on the “poppies” it is replaced by the Command key).
Four of these modifiers are present on any keyboard and are used in all operating systems. As can be seen from the above, they differ slightly in names, but their functionality does not change from this. Knowing what the buttons on the keyboard are for, you can copy and paste any data much faster than using only one mouse.
Keyboard shortcuts
The methodology for using and assigning hotkeys differs in different operating systems, and as a result, they do not always coincide. However, file operations common to all are caused by similar combinations. In our material, we will give combinations for the three most used operating systems.
What buttons to copy and paste into the Windows operating system? Windows keyboards are the most common, as is the operating system itself. The copying process in it is performed by the key combination “Control + C”, and the insertion is done by “Control + V”. The letter buttons are located in the bottom row, not far from the Ctrl key, and the operation with their help is easy.
Speaking about which buttons to copy and paste in the Linux family of OS, it should be noted that in the hotkeys for managing windows this system is very different from Windows, but the paste and copy operations are performed the same way. There are no special keyboards for this OS, so the user will not need to relearn.
Now about which buttons to copy and paste in MacOS. This family of operating systems has its own keyboard. There is no Windows key on it; it is replaced by its own, called Command. The keyboard shortcut for copying is “Command + C”, and for pasting - “Command + V”.
Which buttons to copy and paste in office suites
Copying and pasting in all versions of text and table processors, regardless of their developer, coincides with that in the operating system. Within the same document, you can quickly move the same type of text fragments, without losing time on re-typing. However, in the case of working with different documents, this option may lead to formatting failure in the text. Therefore, the best way to transfer text between different documents will still be to use the context menu, rather than hot keys.
In general, knowledge of keyboard combinations with which the most common file operations are performed will always come in handy or, at least, will not be superfluous.