Navigate the Ribbon Using Your Keyboard
Applies to: Office 2007
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Office 2007 provides your keyboard-savvy users with three new navigation methods.
- Key Tips
- Arrow Keys
- Tab Key
We will showcase these new methods using Word 2007, but first—a word about keyboard shortcuts:
Keyboard Shortcuts
While a few keyboard shortcuts have changed between previous versions of Office and Office 2007, the shortcut commands most users are familiar with—Cut (CTRL+X), Copy (CTRL+C), Undo (CTRL+Z) and Paste (CTRL+V)—remain intact in this version. (Please visit this Word Tip for a complete list of keyboard shortcut changes.)
Key Tips
While in any Office 2007 application, you can display key tips by pressing and releasing the ALT key. In our illustration below, you’ll notice key tips for all native Word functionality, as well as the dynamic assignment of key tips to 3rd party add-ins such as the Office Labs “Search Commands” Ribbon and our own DocXtools.
Above, the initial result provides Key Tips to the Office Button, to items on
the Quick Access toolbar and to each Tab along the top. Pressing the letter
associated with the Tab you want to visit, cascades Key Tips to all functionality
along that Ribbon (see illustration below).
Arrow Keys
It is also possible to navigate across each Tab using the Arrow keys. Again, press the ALT key to put focus on the Tabs. Instead of using the Key Tips, move to the right or left using the respective arrow key. Press the down arrow key to enter the Ribbon desired, or the up arrow key to go back to the Tabs. In this mode, the ENTER key behaves just like a mouse click. Once you have navigated to the proper location, use the ENTER key to select that option.
Tab Key
On a similar note the Tab Key works like the arrow keys. However Tab will move the focus in a cycle from left to right. Tab and Arrow Keys can be used interchangeably, as Arrow Keys help provide more range in some circumstances.
A Special Note about DocXtools
Because DocXtools uses the SDS Ribbon Designer, it is possible
to assign a specific Key Tip to our Tab. For example, you might prefer “T”
to the dynamically-assigned “C” shown above. See the DocXtools Customization
Guide for more details.
