JavaHelp Shortcuts

The IDE uses the JavaHelpTM viewer to display the online help. Most of the features of the JavaHelp viewer are accessible from the keyboard. When you first open the help viewer, keyboard focus is on the Back button. The traversal order goes from the toolbar to the selected tab to the left content pane and then to the right pane.

Keyboard focus is not always clearly shown in the two panes of the help viewer window. If you cannot tell where the keyboard focus is, press Ctrl-F1. If the focus is on the Back, Forward, Print, or Page Setup button, the alternate text for the button is displayed. If keyboard focus is not on a button, press Ctrl-Tab and then press Ctrl-F1 again. Keep using this key sequence until the alternate text for one of these four buttons is displayed. You can use these buttons as the base for getting around in the help viewer.

The following table lists the keystrokes needed to navigate the help viewer.

Keys Action
Ctrl-Tab Shifts focus to the next component
Ctrl-Shift-Tab Shifts focus to the previous component
Up arrow Selects the previous item in the TOC or the index

Moves the splitter bar

Down arrow Selects the next item in the TOC or the index

Moves the splitter bar

Left arrow Shifts focus to the previous tab or the previous button

Closes a folder in the TOC or the index

Moves the splitter bar left

Right arrow Shifts focus to the next tab or the next button

Opens a folder in the TOC or the index

Moves the splitter bar right

Ctrl-left arrow Scrolls to the left
Ctrl-right arrow Scrolls to the right
Home Selects the first item in the TOC or the index
End Selects the last item in the TOC or the index
Page Up Scrolls up one page
Page Down Scrolls down one page
Ctrl-T Shifts focus to the next link in a topic
Ctrl-Shift-T Shifts focus to the previous link in a topic
Ctrl-spacebar Follows a link in a topic
Spacebar Activates a toolbar button (Back, Forward, Print, or Page Setup) that has focus
Ctrl-F1 Displays alternate text for a toolbar button
F6 Shifts focus between left and right panes
F8 Selects the splitter bar if focus is in the content pane or in the navigation pane
See also
Menu Shortcuts
Editor Shortcuts

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