View source for Template:Key press/doc

{{Documentation|fromWikipedia=true}}

This is the {{tl|key press}} template primarily designed to illustrate keys and keystrokes on a computer keyboard. With additional parameters, a single template can even illustrate a combination of multiple ''simultaneous'' keystrokes. A sequence of keystrokes, on the other hand, need to be demonstrated with separate templates.

Example
: {{tc|key press|A}} → {{key press|A}}
As lower-case alphabetic characters a–z do not appear on most keyboards, they should not be used as parameters.

===Keystroke combinations===
To illustrate keystroke combinations, just use extra parameters:
: {{tc|key press|Alt|P}} → {{key press|Alt|P}}
: {{tc|key press|Ctrl|Alt|Del}} → {{key press|Ctrl|Alt|Del}}

When you feed several key names to this template, it adds a "+" (or whatever the contents of the optional ''chain'' parameter) with no spaces around. This means it won't line wrap. But when you show key combinations for instance in a table that might cause items to be too wide. Instead manually build the key combination with spaces around the "+" so it can line wrap:
: {{tc|key press|Ctrl}} + {{tlc|key press|Alt}} + {{tlc|key press|Del}} → {{key press|Ctrl}} + {{key press|Alt}} + {{key press|Del}}
: {{tc|key press|Ctrl|Alt|Del|5=chain=&amp;#32;+&amp;#32;}} → {{key press|Ctrl|Alt|Del|chain=&#32;+&#32;}}

To illustrate sequences where all keys do not need to be pressed simultaneously, the plus signs can be omitted by setting ''chain=''. For example, in most Windows systems in North America and Western Europe, Alt codes can be used to insert the plus-minus sign (±) by holding down the {{key press|Alt}} key while typing <code>0177</code> with the numeric keypad:
: {{tc|key press|Alt|0}}{{tlc|key press|1|7|7|chain{{=}}}} → {{key press|Alt|0}}{{key press|1|7|7|chain=}}

An example of a use case where more than 5 might be used is explaining usage of a macro (keyboard shortcut) created by a third-party application:
: {{tc|Key press|Ctrl|Alt|Shift|Win|Menu|fn|L}} → {{Key press|Ctrl|Alt|Shift|Win|Menu|fn|L}}

===Wikilinks===
If there is an article about the key you can wikilink the key's name like any other wiki text. Like this:
* {{tc|key press|&#91;&#91;Alt key|Alt&#93;&#93;}} → {{key press|[[Alt key|Alt]]}}

If you are wikilinking the keys, please ensure that you are piping to the correct page (e.g. <code><nowiki>[[Alt key|Alt]]</nowiki></code> instead of <code><nowiki>[[Alt]]</nowiki></code>, which leads to a disambiguation page).

===Wiki markup characters===
Some wiki markup characters, like the pipe symbol, the semicolon and the equals sign, need to be entered using the {{tlx|!}}, {{tlx|;}} and {{tlx|{{=}}}} templates or as an HTML entity &amp;#124;, &amp;#59;, &amp;#61; respectively:
* {{tc|key press|{{tc|pipe}}}} → {{key press|{{pipe}}}}
* {{tc|key press|&amp;#124;}} → {{key press|&#124;}}
* {{tc|key press|{{tc|&#59;}}}} → {{key press|{{;}}}}
* {{tc|key press|&amp;#59;}} →  {{key press|&#59;}}
* {{tc|key press|{{tc|&#61;}}}} → {{key press|{{=}}}}
* {{tc|key press|&amp;#61;}} →  {{key press|&#61;}}

However, if the characters are marked as wikilinks, they can be entered as such:
* {{tc|key press|<nowiki>[[|]]</nowiki>}} → {{key press|}}
* {{tc|key press|<nowiki>[[;]]</nowiki>}} → {{key press|[[;]]}}
* {{tc|key press|<nowiki>[[=]]</nowiki>}} → {{key press|[[=]]}}

Most markup characters also have aliases:
* {{tc|key press|pipe}} → {{key press|pipe}}
* {{tc|key press|semicolon}} → {{key press|semicolon}}
* {{tc|key press|equals}} → {{key press|equals}}
* {{tc|key press|colon}} → {{key press|colon}}
* {{tc|key press|asterisk}} → {{key press|asterisk}}
* {{tc|key press|hash}} → {{key press|hash}}

===Key symbols===
Some key names have a fitting Unicode character. This template automatically adds such "icons" to the following key names among others. You may prefix <code>Left</code> or <code>Right</code> and it will be added alongside the fitting Unicode character.
* {{tc|key press|Shift}} → {{key press|Shift}}
* {{tc|key press|Tab}} → {{key press|Tab}}
* {{tc|key press|Enter}} → {{key press|Enter}}
* {{tc|key press|Option}} → {{key press|Option}}
* {{tc|key press|Opt}} → {{key press|Opt}}
* {{tc|key press|Command}} → {{key press|Command}}
* {{tc|key press|Cmd}} → {{key press|Cmd}}
* {{tc|key press|Caps Lock}} → {{key press|Caps Lock}}
* {{tc|key press|Up}} → {{key press|Up}}
* {{tc|key press|Down}} → {{key press|Down}}
* {{tc|key press|Left}} → {{key press|Left}}
* {{tc|key press|Right}} → {{key press|Right}}

[[File:AltGr Win Menu Ctrl key.jpg|thumb|200px|Windows key and Menu key]]
[[File:Ctl wndws alt.jpg|thumb|200px|Old-style Windows key]]
There are no characters for the Windows key and Menu key. So this template shows approximate characters for them, namely the {{sc2|SQUARED PLUS}} and {{sc2|STRICTLY EQUIVALENT TO}} from the Mathematical Operators Unicode block:
* {{tc|key press|Win}} → {{key press|Win}}
* {{tc|key press|Menu}} → {{key press|Menu}}

In some cases, the automatic recognition of tokens and consequently the addition of symbols may not be desired<!-- for example in Reverse Polish notation which must distinguish between plain normal Enter (without symbol) and Enter-with_automatic_duplication (with symbol) -->; in these cases the token recognition can be suppressed by HTML encoding the text, e.g. <code><nowiki>{{key press|&amp;#x45;nter}}</nowiki></code> will give {{key press|&#x45;nter}} (plain text) instead of {{key press|Enter}} (token).

====Video games====
Video game controllers often have specialized input labels that do not map easily. The following are mappings for various game consoles and input features.

=====Directional input=====
The following should only be used when the input sequence uses something other than the primary input or mixes input between directional devices.
* {{tc|key press|l-down}} → {{key press|l-down}}
* {{tc|key press|c-left}} → {{key press|c-left}}
* {{tc|key press|r-up}} → {{key press|r-up}}

Stick specific diagonals are also supported:
* {{tc|key press|l-nw}} → {{key press|l-nw}}
* {{tc|key press|c-se}} → {{key press|c-se}}
* {{tc|key press|r-ne}} → {{key press|r-ne}}

=====PlayStation=====
* {{tc|key press|ex}} → {{key press|ex}}
* {{tc|key press|circle}} → {{key press|circle}}
* {{tc|key press|triangle}} → {{key press|triangle}}
* {{tc|key press|square}} → {{key press|square}}
{{clear}}

===TemplateData===
<templatedata>
{
"description": "Illustrates keys and keystrokes on a computer keyboard. Keys can include: Ctrl, Alt, Del, Opt, Menu, Left etc. console keys: ex, circle, triangle, square, and left right and center analog sticks: l-down, c-left, r-ne. The names are case insensitive.",
"params": {
"1": {
"label": "First key",
"description": "First key",
"type": "string/line",
"required": true
},
"2": {
"label": "Second key",
"description": "Optional key press in combination as the first.",
"type": "string/line",
"required": false
},
"3": {
"label": "Third key",
"inherits": "2"
},
"4": {
"label": "Fourth key",
"inherits": "2"
},
"5": {
"label": "Fifth key",
"inherits": "2"
},
"6": {
"label": "Sixth key",
"inherits": "2"
},
"7": {
"label": "Seventh key",
"inherits": "2"
},
"8": {
"label": "Eighth key",
"inherits": "2"
},
"9": {
"label": "Ninth key",
"inherits": "2"
},
"10": {
"label": "Tenth key",
"inherits": "2"
},
"chain": {
"label": "Chaining character",
"description": "Character between chained key presses",
"default": "+",
"inherits": "2"
},
"chain first": {
"description": "Character between first and second key to press",
"inherits": "chain"
},
"chain second": {
"description": "Character between second and third key to press",
"inherits": "chain"
},
"chain third": {
"description": "Character between third and fourth key to press",
"inherits": "chain"
},
"chain fourth": {
"description": "Character between fourth and fifth key to press",
"inherits": "chain"
}
}
}
</templatedata>

<includeonly>[[Category:Typing-aid templates]]</includeonly><noinclude></noinclude>