Shift key

The shift key is a modifier key on a keyboard, used to type capital letters and other alternate "upper" characters. There are typically two shift keys, on the left and right sides of the row below the home row. The shift key's name originated from the typewriter, where one had to press and hold the button to shift up the case stamp to change to capital letters; the shift key was first used in the Remington No. 2 Type-Writer of 1878; the No. 1 model was capital-only.^[1]

On an English keyboard, characters that typically require the use of the shift key include the parentheses, the question mark, the exclamation point, and the colon.

When the caps lock key is engaged, the shift key can be used to type lowercase letters on many systems, but not Mac OS X.

On computer keyboards, as opposed to typewriter keyboards, the shift key can have many more uses:

• It is sometimes used to modify the function keys. Modern Microsoft Windows keyboards typically have only 12 function keys; Shift+F1 must be used to type F13, Shift+F2 for F14, etc.
• It can modify various control and alt keys. For example, if Alt-tab is used to cycle through open windows, Shift-Alt-tab cycles in the reverse order.
• Holding shift while in a word processor will anchor the insertion point, such that moving the pointer and clicking the mouse to a new point will select the range of text in between.
• Holding shift while drawing with the mouse in graphics programs generally confines the shape to a straight line, usually vertically or horizontally, or to draw squares and circles using the rectangle and ellipse tools, respectively.
• The shift key can also be used to modify the mouse behavior on a computer. For example, holding shift while clicking on a link in a web browser might cause the page to open in a new window, or to be downloaded.
• In some Web browsers, holding shift while scrolling will scan through previously viewed Web pages.
• In Mac OS X, holding <kbd class="keyboard-key" style="border: 1px solid; border-color: #ddd #bbb #bbb #ddd; border-bottom-width: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px; background-color: #f9f9f9; padding: 1px 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.85em; white-space: nowrap;">shift</kbd> while performing certain actions, such as minimising a window or enabling/disabling Dashboard or Exposé, makes the animation occur in slow motion. For some animations, holding <kbd class="keyboard-key" style="border: 1px solid; border-color: #ddd #bbb #bbb #ddd; border-bottom-width: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px; background-color: #f9f9f9; padding: 1px 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.85em; white-space: nowrap;">control</kbd> will make the animation move just slightly slower, and holding <kbd class="keyboard-key" style="border: 1px solid; border-color: #ddd #bbb #bbb #ddd; border-bottom-width: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px; background-color: #f9f9f9; padding: 1px 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.85em; white-space: nowrap;">control</kbd>+<kbd class="keyboard-key" style="border: 1px solid; border-color: #ddd #bbb #bbb #ddd; border-bottom-width: 2px; -moz-border-radius: 3px; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px; background-color: #f9f9f9; padding: 1px 3px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.85em; white-space: nowrap;">shift</kbd> will result in an extremely slow motion animation.

On some keyboards, if both shift keys are held down simultaneously only some letters can be typed. For example, on the Dell keyboard Model RT7D20 only 16 letters can be typed. This phenomenon is known as "masking" and is a fundamental limitation of the way the keyboard electronics are designed.^[2]

On some Apple keyboards, the key is indicated by an outlined up-pointing arrow (U+21E7, ⇧), which is also used in menus to describe the shortcut key. On others, the word “shift”, or a combination of the two, is used.

Windows specific

The following is a list of actions involving the shift key for the Microsoft Windows operating system.

See also

• AltGr key
• Command key
• Option key
• StickyKeys

References