Scroll lock

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Scroll lock is a key (with an associated status light) on most modern computer keyboards. The behavior of the key depends on the particular software in use.

The Scroll Lock key is a remnant from the original IBM PC keyboard. In the original design, Scroll Lock was intended to modify the behavior of the arrow keys. When the scroll lock mode was on, the arrow keys would scroll the contents of a text window instead of moving the cursor. In this usage, Scroll Lock is a modifier key like Alt and Shift (which modify the function of other keys) and, more specifically, a toggling lock key like Num Lock or Caps Lock, which have a state that persists after the key is released. Today, this particular use of Scroll Lock is rare. Only a few modern programs still honor this behavior, such as Microsoft Excel (in the behavior of arrows — when Scroll Lock is on, the selection does not move), Lotus Notes and Forté Agent. In modern GUI environments, scrolling is usually accomplished using newer means such as scrollbars or scroll wheels. Therefore Scroll Lock can be regarded as a defunct feature in almost all modern programs and operating systems.

Contents 1 Other uses 2 Criticism 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Other uses

In Linux virtual consoles, the Scroll Lock key is used to pause screen output. This behaviour emulates the Hold Screen key or similar flow control mechanisms on computer terminals. Because of this emulation, the term scroll lock is sometimes used to generically refer to a screen pausing behaviour. This usage could potentially cause confusion since screen pausing behaviour is not intrinsically a part of the Scroll Lock key. In DOS, the Pause key pauses the screen output.

In the Opera web browser the Scroll Lock key plays an important role in voice recognition. KVM switches often use the Scroll Lock key with a number as a hot key to activate a softswitch for changing between channels. Similarly, the KVM-like software solution Synergy uses scroll lock to keep the keyboard and mouse control within the current screen. In the multilingual text editor iLeap, Scroll Lock key is used as a toggle switch to change between two languages.

In FreeBSD, and other BSD descendants, Scroll Lock still functions similarly to IBM's original design.

Apple keyboards do not have a Scroll Lock key, except for some ADB-keyboards to i.e. Macintosh II.

On Dell laptops the Scroll Lock key becomes the Fn key when an external keyboard is used. The original behavior can be enabled in the BIOS.

Individual applications may assign any function to this key as an added convenience hotkey.

[edit] Criticism

The Scroll Lock key is often considered to be one of the more useless keys on the modern keyboard. To this date, the vast majority of computer-users have a lack of a conception of the proper usage of this key.

[edit] See also

• SysRq
• Break key
• Scrolling

[edit] External links

• Straightdope article about the Scroll lock key