Basic Skills: Keyboarding
Vocabulary Terms
|
Term |
Definition |
|
Accuracy |
A measure of error in keyboarding |
| Backspace Key | The key used to back up and erase the character or space to the left of the cursor |
| Browser | A program used to browse the web, such as Internet Explorer |
| Caps Lock Key | The key pressed to turn everything you type into capital letters |
| Centering | Placing text so that half of the text is on each side of the center point |
| Click | To press and release a button on your mouse |
| Click and Drag | Holding down the left mouse button while moving the mouse/cursor |
| Cursor | A point of attention on the computer screen, often marked with a flashing line or block, text typed into to the computer will usually appear at the cursor |
| Delete Key | The key pressed to remove selected text or objects |
| Editing | Arranging, changing and correcting existing text; editing includes proofreading |
| Enter Key | The key pressed to begin a new line in a word processor, or to signal the computer that data has been typed in and completed (also called a return key) |
| Escape Key | A key that lets the user cancel the last operation and go back to the previous screen |
| File | A piece of information stored on a computer |
| Font | Appearance of printed characters; a font consists of the typeface name (such as Courier), the style (such as bold or italic), and size (such as 10 point) |
| Function Keys | On a computer keyboard, the keys that start with an "F" that are usually found on the top row - they are meant to perform user-defined tasks |
| Home Row Keys | The keys A, S, D, F, J, K, L, ; used in the QWERTY method of keyboarding |
| Line Spacing | Number of blank lines between lines of text; usually single spacing (SS, no blank lines), double spacing (DS, 1 blank line) or quadruple spacing (QS, 3 blank lines) |
| Keyboard | Arrangement of keys on a device attached to a computer or typewriter; also the act of keying or typing |
| Menu | List of options on a display screen from which operating features are selected |
| Monitor | The screen for viewing computer information |
| Mouse | A mouse can be both the physical object moved around to control a pointer on the screen, or the pointer itself |
| Numeric Keypad | Arrangement of figure keys and special keys, such as +, -, and =, on the right side of most keyboards; used for keying all number copy |
| Open | Display a document on the screen after it has been saved |
| Printer | A printer is a piece of hardware that will print computer information onto paper |
| Return | Moves the cursor to the left margin of the next line; inserted automatically (soft) when text exceeds the line length, inserted manually (hard) to force a new line to begin |
| Save | Storing a document and assigning a name to it |
| Shift Key | A key used to make capital letters and certain symbols when pressed in combination with another key |
| Space Bar | A long bar at the bottom of a keyboard used to create a blank space in text, moving to the right one space at a time |
| Tab | Causes the cursor to skip across the display screen to a place set by the tab settings, usually it is 5 spaces |
| WPM | Words per minute |