Keyboard Shortcuts

Many dialogs offer services that are frequently used or used repetitively, like those for Replace or Find. As users gain experience with the program, they appreciate the presence of keyboard shortcuts for these frequently used dialogs. There are usually enough keys to go around, and there is no reason why a given function should have just a single keyboard shortcut. A function like Find should be callable with a Ctrl+F keystroke, as well as with a special function key, like F2. Replace could be Ctrl+R and F3.

Users learn these shortcuts either from the Help system or from the menus. Usually, these shortcuts go unnoticed until they are desired. New users go directly to the menus, and it is only after they find themselves actively searching for faster ways to operate that they discover them. And they will then be grateful that you had the foresight to put those shortcuts in for them. It can really please the power-user crowd, and this crowd has a big influence over new users.

One feature particularly desirable to power users is a facility for customizing and configuring these shortcuts. Although this isn't something that all (or even most) users will take advantage of, power users will likely make heavy use of it because it allows them to tweak controls to best match their work styles, something power users are always interested in.