<sect1 id="key-bindings">
<sect1info>

<authorgroup>
<author>
<firstname>Mike</firstname>
<surname>McBride</surname>
</author>
<author>
<firstname>Jost</firstname>
<surname>Schenck</surname>
</author>
<!-- TRANS:ROLES_OF_TRANSLATORS -->
</authorgroup>

<date>2001-07-22</date>
<releaseinfo>2.20.00</releaseinfo>

<keywordset>
<keyword>KDE</keyword>
<keyword>KControl</keyword>
<keyword>key bindings</keyword>
<keyword>bindings</keyword>
<keyword>shortcuts</keyword>
</keywordset>
</sect1info>
<title>Key Bindings</title>

<sect2 id="key-bindings-intro"> 
<title>Introduction</title> 

<para>While most of the funtionality offered by &kde; can be accessed
using a simple <quote>point and click</quote> interface, many people
prefer using the keyboard for some tasks.  Pressing something like
<keycombo action="simul"> &Ctrl;<keycap>F</keycap></keycombo> is often
just faster than moving your hands off the keyboard to the mouse,
opening the <guimenu>Edit</guimenu> menu and selecting
<guimenuitem>Find</guimenuitem>.</para>

<para> As different people have different preferences about keyboard
shortcuts, &kde; offers full customization of so-called <quote>key
bindings</quote>. A key binding is a combination of an action with a key
or a combination of keys.</para>

</sect2>

<sect2 id="key-bindings-use">
<title>Use</title>

<para>In the key bindings control module you'll see a list of <quote>key
schemes</quote>, a list of key bindings in the currently selected scheme
and a frame where you can customize the currently selected key
binding. Also, you'll see a tab for <guilabel>Global
shortcuts</guilabel> and one for <guilabel>Application
shortcuts</guilabel>.</para>

<sect3 id="key-bindings-use-globapp">
<title>Global Shortcuts and Application Shortcuts</title>

<para><guilabel>Global shortcuts</guilabel> and <guilabel>application
shortcuts</guilabel> work just the same. Actually, in a certain way
application shortcuts are <quote>global</quote> as well. The only
difference is:</para>

<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para><quote>Global shortcuts</quote> are shortcuts for
actions that make sense even when no application is opened. These
shortcuts usually refer to actions like switching desktops, manipulating
windows etc.  </para></listitem> 
<listitem><para><quote>Application shortcuts</quote> refer to actions
that are often available in applications, such as Save, Print, Copy
etc.</para></listitem> 
</itemizedlist>

<para>Please note, that the application shortcuts configured here are
<emphasis>only</emphasis> the standard actions often found in
applications. Most applications will define their own actions as well,
for which you have to customize key bindings using the application's key
bindings dialog.</para>

</sect3>

<sect3 id="key-bindings-use-confkeys">
<title>Configuring Key Bindings</title>

<para>Configuring key bindings is pretty easy. In the middle of the key
bindings control module you'll find a list of available actions. If
there's a key binding configured for that action you'll find it right
next to it. Just select the action you want to configure.</para>

<para>After you've selected an action you'll notice that most of the
controls below the action list are enabled. There you can configure a
combination of keys or maybe no key binding at all for the selected
action.  </para>

<itemizedlist>
<listitem><para><guilabel>No key</guilabel>: the selected action will not
be associated with any key.</para></listitem>

<listitem><para><guilabel>Default key</guilabel>: the selected action
will be associated with &kde;'s default value. This is a good choice for
most actions, as &kde; comes with reasonable key bindings we have thought
about.  </para></listitem>

<listitem><para><guilabel>Custom key</guilabel>: if this option is
enabled, you can create a key combination for the selected action. Just
select any modifiers (&ie; &Shift;, &Ctrl;, or &Alt;) and then select a
key: just click on the key symbol and after that press the key you wan't
to assign to this key combination.</para></listitem>

</itemizedlist>

<para>As with all control modules, your changes won't take in effect
until you click <guibutton>OK</guibutton> or
<guibutton>Apply</guibutton>. Click <guibutton>Cancel</guibutton> to
discard all changes.</para>

</sect3>

<sect3 id="key-bindings-use-confschemes">
<title>Configuring Schemes</title>

<para>A key binding scheme is a set of key bindings that you can access
using its name. &kde; comes with one pre-defined key binding scheme
called <guilabel>KDE default for 3 modifiers</guilabel>. In addion to
that scheme, you'll always see a scheme named <guilabel>Current
scheme</guilabel> that stands for the set of key bindings you are using
right now (&ie; not the current settings you are playing with, but what
you've been using up to now). </para>

<para>When you are playing with the key bindings for the first time you
don't have to be afraid of changing the default bindings: &kde; won't
let you overwrite the defaults, so you can always switch back to the
factory presets. By choosing <guilabel>Current scheme</guilabel> you can
return to the set of key bindings you've been using up to now. However,
be careful not to select a scheme when you've made changes to the key
bindings you don't want to lose.</para>

<para>When you are satisfied with a set of key bindings you've created,
you may want to save them to a scheme of your own, so that you can still
experiment with the bindings and always return to a certain scheme. You
can always do this by clicking on the <guibutton>Add</guibutton> button.
You will be prompted for a name and then the new scheme will appear in
the key schemes listbox. You can remove your own schemes again by
selecting a scheme and clicking the <guibutton>Remove</guibutton>
button. Click the <guibutton>Save changes</guibutton> button to save any
changes you have made to the currently selected scheme. Note that you
can not remove or save changes to <guilabel>KDE default</guilabel> or to
<guilabel>Current scheme</guilabel>.</para>

<important><para>If you want to save your changes while a read-only
scheme is selected, you always have to add a new scheme first! If you
select one of your own schemes because you want to save the changes to
that one, the control module will switch to the key bindings of that
scheme, discarding your changes.</para></important> </sect3>

</sect2>


<sect2 id="key-bindings-author">
<title>Section Author</title>
<para>This section written by: Jost Schenck <email>jost@schenck.de</email>
</para> 

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</sect2> 
</sect1>

