Insert key
The Insert key (often abbreviated INS) is a key commonly found on computer keyboards.
It is primarily used to switch between the two text-entering modes on a personal computer or word processor. The first is overtype mode, in which the cursor, when typing, overwrites any text that is present on and after its current location. The other is insert mode, where the cursor inserts a character at its current position, forcing all characters past it one position further. On early text-based computing environments and terminals, when the cursor was in overtype mode, it was represented as a block that surrounded the entire letter to be overstruck; when in insert mode, the cursor consisted of the vertical bar that is highly common among modern applications.
Overtype mode can also be referred to as overscript mode, and is sometimes erroneously referred to as overstrike mode, which is a typography term.
This button is commonly referred to as being the most annoying button on the keyboard, but some would say that's Caps Lock.
Macintosh computers
On Apple Macintosh computers, the key is rebranded into a Help key. When pressed, the Help functionality of the application in use will be launched. However, when using command line applications, it retains its original functionality for compatibility reasons. On the latest keyboards from apple it has been replaced by a Fn key.
Application usage
Modern word processing applications, such as Microsoft Word, operate in insert mode by default, but can still be switched to overtype mode by pressing the Insert key. However, the cursor generally does not change into the letter-surrounding box seen on old text-based systems. Instead, an "OVR" indicator on the status bar is highlighted. However, OpenOffice.org and some text editors retain the original cursor change in addition to the indicator.
The Insert key, when pressed along with shift, can also be used to paste in Microsoft Windows.
| Esc | F1 | F2 | F3 | F4 | F5 | F6 | F7 | F8 | F9 | F10 | F11 | F12 | PtSc | ScLk | Brk | |||||||||
| <imagemap>
Image:KB United States.svg|450px desc none
rect 0 0 60 60
rect 0 61 90 120 Tab key rect 90 61 150 120 Q rect 150 61 210 120 W rect 210 61 270 120 E rect 270 61 330 120 R rect 330 61 390 120 T rect 390 61 450 120 Y rect 450 61 510 120 U rect 510 61 570 120 I rect 570 61 630 120 O rect 630 61 690 120 P rect 690 61 750 120 Bracket rect 750 61 810 120 Bracket rect 810 61 900 120 Vertical bar
rect 0 121 105 180 Caps lock rect 105 121 165 180 A rect 165 121 225 180 S rect 225 121 285 180 D rect 285 121 345 180 F rect 345 121 405 180 G rect 405 121 465 180 H rect 465 121 525 180 J rect 525 121 585 180 K rect 585 121 645 180 L rect 645 121 705 180 Semicolon rect 705 121 765 180 Apostrophe rect 765 121 900 180 Carriage return
rect 0 181 135 240 Shift key rect 135 181 195 240 Z rect 195 181 255 240 X rect 255 181 315 240 C rect 315 181 375 240 V rect 375 181 435 240 B rect 435 181 495 240 N rect 495 181 555 240 M rect 555 181 615 240 Comma (punctuation) rect 615 181 675 240 Full stop rect 675 181 735 240 Question mark rect 735 181 900 240 Shift key
rect 0 241 90 300 Control key rect 90 241 150 300 Windows key rect 150 241 240 300 Alt key rect 240 241 600 300 Space bar rect 600 241 690 300 AltGr key rect 690 241 750 300 Windows key rect 750 241 810 300 Menu key rect 810 241 900 300 Control key </imagemap> |
Ins | Home | PgUp | Num | / | * | - | |||||||||||||||||
| Del | End | PgDn | 7 | 8 | 9 | + | ||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↑ | 1 | 2 | 3 | Ent | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ← | ↓ | → | 0 | . | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Keyboard keys | |
|---|---|
| Dead keys | Compose |
| Modifier keys | Control · Shift · Alt/Option (Apple) · AltGr · Command/Meta (Apple/MIT/Sun keyboards) · Windows/Super · Fn (compact keyboards) |
| Lock keys | Scroll lock · Num lock · Caps lock |
| Navigation | Arrow · Page scrolling (Page up/Page down) · Home/End |
| Editing | Return/Enter · Backspace · Insert · Delete · Tab · Space bar |
| Misc. | SysRq/Print screen · Break/Pause · Escape · Menu · Numeric keypad · Function · Power management (Power, Sleep, Wake) · Language input · Any key |
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