Esc key

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For other uses, see ESC.
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A computer keyboard. The Esc key is in the top-left corner.
A computer keyboard. The Esc key is in the top-left corner.

The Esc key is a key labeled Esc or Escape that is used to generate the ASCII Escape character (Control-[, ASCII code 27 in decimal), the character code traditionally used to initiate an escape sequence. As most computer users no longer are concerned with the details of controlling their computer's peripherals, the task for which the escape sequences were originally designed, the escape key was appropriated by application programmers, most often to mean Stop. This use continues today in Microsoft Windows's use of escape as a shortcut in dialog boxes for No, Quit, Exit, Cancel, or Abort.

A common application today of the Esc key is as a shortcut key for the Stop button in many web browsers.

On machines running Microsoft Windows, prior to the implementation of the Windows key on keyboards, the typical practice for invoking the "start" button was to hold down the control key and press escape. This process still works in Windows XP and Windows Vista.

In Mac OS X, one common use for the Esc key, used in combination with the Command key, is switching to Front Row. Additionally, it's indicated as a circle with an arrow through it (U+238B, ⎋) as defined in ISO 9995.


IBM/Windows keyboard (US layout)
v • d • e
Esc F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12 PrtSc ScrLk Pause
Tilde Exclamation mark At sign Number sign Dollar sign Percent sign Caret Ampersand Asterisk Bracket Bracket Underscore Plus and minus signs Backspace Grave accent 1 (number) 2 (number) 3 (number) 4 (number) 5 (number) 6 (number) 7 (number) 8 (number) 9 (number) 0 (number) Hyphen Equals sign Backspace Tab key Q W E R T Y U I O P Bracket Bracket Vertical bar Tab key Q W E R T Y U I O P Bracket Bracket Backslash Caps lock A S D F G H J K L Colon (punctuation) Quotation mark Enter key Caps lock A S D F G H J K L Semicolon Apostrophe Enter key Shift key Z X C V B N M Bracket Bracket Question mark Shift key Shift key Z X C V B N M Comma (punctuation) Full stop Slash (punctuation) Shift key Control key Windows key Alt key Space bar AltGr key Windows key Menu key Control key
Ins Home PgUp NumLk / * -
Del End PgDn 7 8 9 +
4 5 6
↑ 1 2 3 Ent
← ↓ → 0 .
v • d • e
Keyboard keys
Dead keys
Modifier keys
Control · Shift · Alt/Option (Apple) · AltGr · Command/Meta (Apple/MIT/Sun keyboards) · Windows · Super · Hyper · Fn (compact keyboards)
Lock keys
Navigation
Editing
Misc.
System request/Print screen · Break/Pause · Escape · Menu · Numeric keypad · Function · Power management (Power, Sleep, Wake) · Language input · Any key · Macro key