One essential skill as a coder is to know keyboard shortcuts. These are key combinations that do specific jobs. The most common are pretty universal in all software, and involve holding down the CTRL ("control") key while pushing other keys.

Try selecting some text on this page by clicking at the start of the text and, while holding down the mouse button, dragging the mouse.

Now, without clicking with the mouse (which would unselect the text), hold down the CTRL key and, with it still held down, press the c key. This will copy the text.

Now go to your code editor, and click somewhere you can paste the text (e.g. after the code). Hold down the CTRL key and, with it still held down, press the v key. This will paste the text.

Finally, hold down the CTRL key and, with it still held down, press the z key. This will undo your changes.

Other combinations that are useful are:

CTRL + a : select everything.

CTRL + x : cut from page (also copies the cut stuff).

CTRL + y : do again (this is rarer, but most software has it).

CTRL + s : save the file.

If you're on Windows, the following are also useful:

WINDOWS KEY + L : lock the PC.

WINDOWS KEY + r : prompt to run software.

WINDOWS KEY + SHIFT + s : copy part of the screen by dragging the mouse (the SHIFT key is a fat arrow usually found either end of the second line up on a keyboard).

Most software uses the same keys - it would be very poor software design to make CTRL + c "delete everything", because everyone assumes it will be "copy" without checking. Keeping software working as people expect is a key element of usability: designing software that is easy to use.

[Home > Part 1 > Back]