The Computer Corner
By Charles Miller

Learn to read

This week, I offer a few hints for how to decode common type conventions.

The use of “type conventions” is how the writer of a computer book, or of this column, is able to communicate with the reader.

Type conventions will vary from book to book and from magazine to magazine, but are always similar. Frequently an explanation similar to this article will appear in the front of a computer book.

Some publications have the luxury of using special type styles or special graphics in order to more easily impart to the reader which keys to press or where to click their mouse.

Some have the ability to print in their articles a little picture of the [Enter] key complete with the little arrow. Here in Atención, since all the articles are set in standard type, I use commonly accepted type conventions:

Keys on the keyboard are presented here enclosed in brackets such as [Enter] or [Backspace].

Sometimes it is necessary to fudge a bit, as in [Up], [Down], [Right], and [Left] which on the keyboard actually are arrow keys, but you know what I mean.

When two or more keys are enclosed in the same bracket, such as [Shift F7] or [Shift+F7], this is called a combination keystroke. This means the first key should be pressed and held while pressing the second key. Using this example [Shift F7] means to press and hold the [Shift] key and while continuing to hold the [Shift] key down, press one time only on the [F7] key.

The names of menus and dialog boxes are usually enclosed in “double quotes” as the ones in this sentence. Only the name of the menu or dialog box appears between the quotes and sometimes this means that the sentence punctuation used in the article is not grammatically correct.

The slash key [/] is used to separate mouse clicks. When you see written: click on Start/Programs/Accessories, this means to click first on “Start”, then click on “Programs”, and next click on “Accessories”. The preceding sentence is an example of how the punctuation has been changed for technical purposes (the period ending the sentence is after the closing quote while the rules of grammar state that it should have been inside the quote).

Although I do not use a lot of these in Atención, you are likely to encounter several other conventions in different publications:

Braces frequently are used to show {optional} choices.

The caret character [^] is sometimes used as shorthand for the [Ctrl] key, especially in older literature. In other words “^C” is the same as [Ctrl C] or [Ctrl+C].

The vertical bar, also called a “pipe”, is sometimes used to separate commands such as Start | Programs | Accessories. On most keyboards, the “pipe” is located on the same key with the backslash [\].

An aside here is to note that what we today call the forward slash [/] key actually has some well-established history of being called a stroke, solidus, oblique dash, or virgule. The name “forward slash” was introduced only a few years ago, and simply to distinguish it from the backslash, which originated with the advent of computers and has no other name.


Finally, the word “click” always assumes the left mouse button while “right-click” is obviously the right mouse button.

Congratulations! Now you know the secret of how to read not only this column but also all those computer books out there.


Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-153-8528 or email FAQ@SMAguru.com.