Use the space bar to navigate drop-down menus

Nov 13, '02 08:54:34AM

Contributed by: bjast

Ever wonder how to access those dialog box drop-down menus from the keyboard? Use the tab key to rotate to the one you want and press the space bar. Voila, the menu drops down and the arrow keys move you up and down the order. To select an item, press return. To get out of the menu without selecting an item, press the escape key or command-period.

The space bar is also handy in the Preferences Sheets (at least those designed by Apple). Open the Finder or TextEdit preferences and use the tab key to rotate through the various check boxes and drop-down menus. When you find the one you want, press the space bar to select or deselect a check box or to access a drop-down menu.

[Editor's note: You might also want to check the Keyboard preferences panel and make sure "Any control" is enabled in the "For windows and dialogs, highlight:" section. This will make the tab key visit every item, instead of just text boxes and lists. You can also use the down arrow to activate the drop-down menus.]

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