CHEXRAY HELP FILE -- KEYS

This file will introduce some special keys and combinations of keys on the terminal keyboard. In most cases these special keys are of general utility, but some will only be useful during the execution of certain programs. Many of these are referred to in other help files. The most common are covered here.

<CR> ---The RETURN or ENTER key on the terminal. In general, it ends all commands or data entered on the terminal, telling the computer to act on them.

Some programs have questions which are followed by the "default" answer in square brackets, e.g. [Y], [N], [F], etc. <CR> will give you the indicated default.

<CTRL/key> ---Hold the CTRL key down and hit the specified key. --The CONTROL key gives new meanings to regular keys.

The most common combinations are given below.

<CTRL/C> This keystroke combination generally tells a program to terminate. It usually is used from within (i.e. during) an interactive program to abort that program. A message (CANCEL) may appear on the screen.

Note that <CTRL/C>is not operative inside the TeXsan window, but can be used in the mother window "underneath" the TeXsan window to cancel the program if nothing else works.

<CTRL/S> Freezes output to the terminal and holds the program ready to deliver more. No output is lost. Its effect is canceled by <CTRL/Q>.

<CTRL/Q> Cancels the effect of <CTRL/S> and restarts the delivery of output to the terminal. You can use these two keys again and again to help peruse output that otherwise might go by too quickly to read.

arrows (1) - cursor control keys -- The UNIX tcsh operating systems allow command line editing.

The UP arrow recalls the previous command to allow correction.  You can step backwards through the last 100 commands in UNIX by hitting the UP arrow repeatedly, and you can move back down the list with the DOWN arrow. The position of the cursor on a line can be controlled by the use of the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys. Together, they provide the ability to make corrections to what are sometimes very long commands, subject to mistakes in spelling and/or syntax.  Once a command is on the line, LEFT and RIGHT arrows move you through the command line currently displayed. Once corrected or modified, the ENTIRE line is resubmitted by hitting the RETURN key, regardless of where in the command the cursor is sitting.

arrows(2) --- When in the TeXsan Program, the arrow keys can also make small adjustments to sliders. If a slider is active (black outline) then using the left and right arrow keys will change the value of the slider by smaller increments than are normally achievable by the use of the mouse cursor.

<CTRL/U> Cancels out the portion of the current line between the cursor and the beginning of the line.

These are not the only keys on the keyboard, nor is the list of functions of these keys complete. Keep a close eye out in the other help files for new uses and meanings.