If you know a few secrets, you can usually control any computer program, including a web browser, faster with keyboard commands than with mouse commands because the mouse requires you to make fine judgment calls about cursor placement, but keyboard commands are always the same and the keys stay in the same place. With just a little practice, you will quickly find you can enter and invoke multiple browser commands with the old-fashioned keyboard faster than with any other method, often faster than the program can react. Now that’s fast.
Not all web browser commands have equivalent keyboard commands, but most of the common commands do. Some of the most well-known and useful commands are listed below:
|
Keyboard Command |
Description |
Internet |
Mozilla Firefox / Netscape |
|
<Alt><LeftArrow> |
Page back. |
X |
X |
|
<Alt><RightArrow> |
Page forward. |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-[ |
Decrease text font |
X |
|
|
<Ctrl>-] |
Enlarge text font |
X |
|
|
<Ctrl>-a |
Select all of a page, form, or field. |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-b |
Edit bookmarks |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-c |
Copy the selected text. |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-d |
Add bookmark |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-f |
Find a text string. |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-h |
Open history file |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-i |
Page info. |
X |
|
|
<Ctrl>-n |
New window |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-r |
Reload / Refresh |
X |
X |
|
<Ctrl>-v |
Paste. |
X |
X |
|
<Esc> |
Stop page load. |
X |
X |