Assigning a shortcut key

When you access a menu from the keyboard using its access key, the menu opens, and you can see its contents. In contrast, a command's shortcut key executes the command directly without having to open and navigate the menu first. For example, CTRL+C is a well-known shortcut for copying something in Windows.

One command can have many shortcuts assigned to it, but each shortcut can only be assigned to one command. A command's first shortcut is displayed to its right if the command appears in a menu.

1. Click the Customize menu and click Customize Mode.
2. Click the Keyboard button on the customize dialog box.
3. Click the category containing the command you want to modify.
4. Click the command to which you want to add a keyboard shortcut.
5. Click in the Press new shortcut key text box and press the keys on the keyboard that you want to use for a shortcut.

   For example, for CTRL+Q, do not type CTRL;, press the CTRL key and the Q key at the same time.

   If those keys have been assigned to another command, that command's name will appear below.

6. Click Assign if the keys aren't currently assigned to another command.

   The new shortcut appears in the Current Key/s list.

   Note:

   If the shortcut key you typed for the selected command is currently assigned to a different command and you press the Assign button, the original command/key assignment will be overridden. When you use that shortcut key, your command will get executed instead of the command to which this shortcut was previously assigned.

7. Click Close on the Customize Keyboard dialog box.
8. Click Close on the Customize dialog box.

Note:

The list of commands can be filtered by entering a search string in the Show commands containing edit box. The search is case insensitive, and only commands with matching captions will be listed. The category list changes based on the matching commands. Note that the Menus and New Menu categories are always listed. To cancel filtering, leave the box empty and delete any blank space.