Keyboard shortcuts confusing

[Charity]

Not sure where to put this so please excuse if wrong.

 

I am frustrated by programs which put a picture of the shortcut keys but do not explain what those little pictures mean.  My latest frustration is for  Status Toolbar.  I know what the flower means because it is 'command' but what is the backslash with the dash thingy?  Is there anywhere that shows shortcuts to ease my frustration?  Thank you.

[comment]

what is the backslash with the dash thingy?

 

Do you mean the ⌥ Option key?

[Mark Scott]

In addition to the Option-key symbol that comment mentioned, you should probably also know (if you don't already) the symbols for Shift (⇧) and Control (⌃).

 

I know what the flower means…

 

It seems funny to hear that you see it as a flower, not that I have a better description for it. From the early days of the Mac, I've always pictured it as a clover-leaf freeway interchange, although I can't justify how that would be a metaphor for "Command." It could also be a fan blade, especially one of those old-fashioned fans that invite children to stick there fingers in (get away from that fan—you'll cut your finger off!), or maybe even a propeller blade.

 

Anyone know what the real visual metaphor for the Command symbol is supposed to be?

 

Mark

 

P.S. Never mind. Per Wikipeida, the symbol was "derived in part from its use in Scandinavian countries to denote places of interest." So, there!

[LaRetta]

When I first got my Mac, I had to look it up and saved this locally for quick reference:  http://www.danrodney.com/mac/

 

And I had then looked it up via:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_key same link you gave!!

 

I think of it as clover leaf. 

Oh!  I like 'squiggly button' also!  ROF!

Edited January 6, 2015 by LaRetta

[Lee Smith]

Hi Mark,

 

Wow, you pretty much name them all.

 

I’ve own Macintoshes since 1988 and I have always referred to it as the Apple or Command Key.  

 

It’s always a good day when you learn something new. LOL

[Mark Scott]

When I first got my Mac, I had to look it up and saved this locally for quick reference:  http://www.danrodney.com/mac/

 

LaRetta — thanks for that link. I just bookmarked it and am sure there's stuff in there I need to learn. It's too easy to get stuck in habitual ways of doing things that you totally miss out on potentially faster shortcuts (new or old), so a refresher is always a good thing.

 

One thing I don't see in there is the four-finger sideways swipe to move between Spaces. (Unless, maybe that's not a default gesture, but rather one I configured in System Prefs. Can't remember for sure.) Anyway, I tend to set things up on my MacBook Pro with multiple open spaces, then distribute app windows among adjacent spaces. For example, I'll keep my main FileMaker document window open in one space (for testing in Browse mode or designing in Layout mode) and keep the Manage Scripts window (as well as any Edit Script windows) open in an adjacent space. Then, I'll also keep, say, OmniOutliner for note taking, and/or Sketch for icon work, open in yet another adjacent space or two. It's kind of like having a $10,000 multiple-monitor setup all inside my tidy MBP! I figure it doesn't take any more time or effort to navigate between spaces, via the four-finger trackpad swipe, than it would to swivel my head between multiple monitors, but it sure is easier on the pocketbook (and neck muscles).

 

Mark

[Mark Scott]

Lee,

 

You and I go back almost equally far with Macs. I didn't actually buy my first Mac until the early 90s (when I began to have just a bit of money to spend), but I was always lucky to have them readily available to me through school, work, and, in one case, a very "sharing" housemate. When the first Mac hit the stores in 1985, our campus library bought a bunch and made them available for general use. I still remember having to check out a floppy disk at the service window, which was needed to use the thing.

 

Mark

[Lee Smith]

Hi Mark,

 

It would look that way, huh.

 

I purchased my first computer ( IBM  clone) in 1983  in order to use FAST (Financial Statement Analysis program) at home on my bank’s loan customers. 

 

I created my first database on a IBM PC using DBM2, about the same time.  Everything was green screen and floppy disk drives back then.

 

Lee

[Charity]

This is exactly what I need, thanks guys.  I will bookmark these links.  I wish they would have included those symbols on the keyboard.  The clover leaf is there for the Command key but not Option nor Shift nor Control.  What, was ink too expensive to add the symbols to the keys?  

 

[Charity]

One thing I read which worries me, Comment, in the link you provided

 

However, the Option key in a Mac operating system functions differently from the Alt key under other Unix-like systems or Microsoft Windows. Most notably, it is not used to access menus or hotkeys, but is instead used as a modifier for other command codes,

 

So if FM is programmed to use Option, such as in Keystroke trigger or I can not think of all examples but how do I handle the difference between Mac and Windows whenever FM uses Option?  Should I always test the calculation or script like an if/else to account for current platform and do you know which places I would have to remember to test?

Also, the Option link holds a lot of other important Mac information so I plan on keeping all these links.

[comment]

Option is not a keystroke by itself (it does not produce a character).  When you use the Option key in conjunction with another key to produce a character - such as holding Option while pressing p - the Get(TriggerKeystroke) function will return the entered character itself ("π" in this case). It doesn't matter how or on what platform the character was produced. If you have a keyboard that can emit the "π" character without requiring you to hold the Option key, the result will still be exactly the same.

 

For the purposes of Get(ActiveModifierKeys), holding the Option key is exactly the same thing as holding the Alt key on Windows.

[Charity]

It took a bit to get all this.  I am going to start a list of things which are different between Mac and Windows.  This is the first one on my list and I am obliged.

[mikedr]

I've always thought the origin of the Command key logo was fascinating . . . . .

http://www.tested.com/tech/mac-os/461757-origin-apple-command-icon/