Useful Shortcuts/Tips to Increase your Coding/Writing Speed

The base idea behind the tips below is to let both hands stay on the keyboard so you don’t have to switch between keyboard and mouse.

Move the Cursor

• Arrow Keys: Move in the text
• Ctrl + Left Arrow/Right Arrow: Move over words — use to move faster
• Pos1/End: Move to the line start/end
• Depends on text editor: Create a multiple cursors — use to type in multiple lines or at multiple positions at the same time (Visual Studio: Shift + Ctrl + Up Arrow/Down Arrow)

Select Text

• Use Shift to start a selection. Then move th cursor to set the end point for the selection
• Ctrl + A: Select everything

Copy/Paste Text

• Ctrl + C: Copy the selected text
• Ctrl + V: Paste the copied text
• Ctrl + X: Cut the selected text (Copy it and then delete it) — use to move text

Possible Combinations

You can combine these shortcuts to navigate and work very quickly. Here are some examples:

• Shift + Up Arrow/Down Arrow: Select multiple lines
• Shift + Left Arrow/Right Arrow: Select multiple letters
• Shift + Ctrl + Left Arrow/Right Arrow: Select multiple words
• Shift + Pos1/End: Select the line to the left/right

Other

• Backspace: Remove the letter in front of the cursor
• Delete: Remove the letter after the cursor
• Depends on text editor: Remove the whole line (Visual Studio: Shift + Delete)

Tips

• Move text: Select the text, cut the text, move the cursor, paste the text
• Replace text: Select the text, start typing the new text

When you know other useful shortcuts you can post them in the comments and then I will add them.