Keyboard is divided into three parts:
alphanumeric,
numeric,
functional.
Alphanumeric keyboard
This part is simalar to an old typewriter. Is is the main part of whole computer keyboard. To use upper case, a character must be used together with the SHIFT key (this is the key where the text SHIFT or arrow sign is displayed). Caps Lock changes all key to upper case version, and if SHIFT is used in this mode, then character is lower case. Each language usually has a different alphabet, therefore some keys have different meanings for different languages. For example, the German keyboard has a switched position of Y and Z in opposite to the English keyboard. We call this the QWERTZ keyboard. Some keyboard layouts also use a combination with the right ALT, which will use a third and fourth state for some keys. A key can type different characters: without shift, with shift, with right ALT and with right ALT and SHIFT.
Alphanumeric keyboard is divided into five rows:
numeric,
top alphabetical,
middle alphabetical,
bottom alphabetical,
funcional - there are keys: Spacebar, CTRL, ALT, Windows and Context menu).
Numeric keyboard
Numeric keyboard is placed separately in the right part of the whole computer keyboard. Main switch is in the top left position (Num Lock) changes between two states (numeric and funcional). See Num Lock indicator on your keyboard. Numberic keyboard is useful when users input numeric values only. It can be for example calculation, banking operations, etc.. The functional version of the numeric keyboard offers the Arrow, Home, End, PageUp and PageDown keys.
The numeric keyboard is divided into five rows:
signs,
top,
base,
middle,
bottom.
Functional keyboard
See groups of keys between alphanumeric and numeric keyboard. There are special keys: PrintScreen, Scroll Lock, Pause, Break, Insert, Delete, Home, End, PageUp, PageDown and arrows. Next functional part on a computer keybord is created by the keys: Esc (Escape) and F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F11, F12. Some keyboard models contain multimedial keys (Volum, Play, Stop, Next, Preview) or keys which can start any kind of application.