Java Desktop System Release 3 Accessibility Guide

3.1 Introduction to Keyboard Navigation

This section describes the essential keyboard shortcuts to enable you to navigate the desktop from the keyboard.

You can customize some of the keyboard shortcuts that are described in this chapter. The text indicates the shortcuts that you can customize. See 3.10 Customizing Your Keyboard Shortcuts for information about how to customize keyboard shortcuts.

3.1.1 Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

The following table lists the essential keyboard shortcuts that you can use to navigate the desktop. The keyboard shortcuts that you use to navigate specific elements and controls are described in the appropriate sections of this chapter.

Keys	Function
Tab	Give focus to the next element or control.
Shift + Tab	Reverse the navigation direction and give focus to the previous element or control. In general, the Shift key reverses the navigation direction.
Ctrl + Tab	Give focus to the next element or control, if the Tab key has a specific purpose in a control. For example, if you press Tab in a text box, the system inserts a tab space. To give focus to the previous element or control, press Shift + Ctrl + Tab.
arrow keys	Navigate within an element or control.
spacebar	Activate the element or control that has focus. For example, if the current control is a button, this action is the equivalent of clicking on the button with a mouse.
Esc	Close a window, menu, or drawer.
F7	Switch to caret navigation mode. Caret navigation mode enables you to use the keyboard to select text. For more information about caret navigation mode, see 3.8 Navigating Help Content in Caret Navigation Mode.

3.1.2 Global Keyboard Shortcuts

The following table lists the keyboard shortcuts that you can use from any part of the Java Desktop System.

Keys	Function
Ctrl + Esc	Open the Main Menu. You can customize this keyboard shortcut.
Windows logo /Diamond + R	Open the Run Application dialog. You can customize this keyboard shortcut.
Print Screen	Start the screenshot application and take a screenshot of the entire screen. You can customize this keyboard shortcut.
Alt + Print Screen	Start the screenshot application and take a screenshot of the window that currently has focus. You can customize this keyboard shortcut.
F1	If the focused element is an application window or dialog, this keyboard shortcut opens the Help for the application.
Ctrl + F1	If the focused element is a panel or application window, this keyboard shortcut switches the display of tooltips for the window or panel objects on and off.
Shift + F10	Open a popup menu for the element that has focus, if a popup menu exists.