Are the days of "Scroll Lock" numbered?

[WithoutMotive]

I don't think I've EVER used Scroll Lock.

I've heard it's still used in Excel sometimes but otherwise, is there much use for it anymore?

 

EDIT: Just had a look [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scroll_lock]here[/ame] and found very few uses for it.

[Elky]

How random! 'I've never used scroll lock before but I'm going to create a post asking if its days are numbered'

 

For what it's worth, I've never used it either!

[WithoutMotive]

How random!

LOL... I was thinking how random it was myself.

 

I accidentally hit it instead of Print Screen and thought, "I've never used that key for ANY purpose. What a waste of key and LED.......... I should post this on various online forums"

[witch]

Or there is the SysRq key - never used that either

I like this: [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_request]System request - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

 

Especially where it says:

"System request (often abbreviated SysRq or Sys Req) is a key on keyboards for PCs that has no standard use"

 

??

[Michael]

Speaking of useless keys, what's the key above tab and below escape on the left hand side for?

[witch]

Maths and Physics notation, apparently

[powdarrmonkey]

It's called backtick, commonly used as a field specifier in sql and escape sequence in many shell systems.

 

Sql example:

SELECT `id`, `name` FROM user WHERE `name`='Fred';

 

Bash example:

for a in `ln *.txt`; do cat $a; done

Edited November 25, 2008 by powdarrmonkey

[SteveBentley]

The ` is used as an additional type of quote mark in MySQL - generally used when referring to table names IIRC.

[Michael]

You learn something new everyday

[Midget]

it's also used for accessing the console in most made for PC games (like half life)

[K.C.Leblanc]

I use the Scroll Luck button on a repairs bench setup. It's the quickest way round the KVM.

[JohnMason]

Pause|Break is just as useless these days, isn't it?

 

Then again, a keyboard without those three at the top would just look wrong.

[webman]

Pause|Break is just as useless these days, isn't it?

 

Use Pause to halt the computer on the BIOS/CMOS screen. Ideal for catching debug info before it moves onto loading the OS.

 

Then again, a keyboard without those three at the top would just look wrong.

 

They sure do!

[powdarrmonkey]

Win + Break displays the local system properties in Windows. In most Bash variants Ctrl+Break is the same as Ctrl+C, raising a SIGINT signal. Edited November 25, 2008 by powdarrmonkey
siging is not a valid unix signal (except for very large values of g)

[Little-Miss]

Win + Break... ooh i never new that one!

[elsiegee40]

Speaking of useless keys, what's the key above tab and below escape on the left hand side for?

 

In PL/1 (the rival to COBOL back in my days as a mainframe programmer)

 

¬ was used as NOT when coding

 

e.g.

IF VARIABLE ¬= VALUE

THEN ...

 

| was used as a logical OR

 

and

 

|| was concatentate

[JohnMason]

Wow, I stand humbled. Both of the pause|break uses are actually pretty handy at times.

[powdarrmonkey]

I had no idea you spoke PL/1!

[jumpinjamez]

Speaking of useless keys, what's the key above tab and below escape on the left hand side for?

 

 

Press Ctrl and this Key in excel to show formulas

[powdarrmonkey]

Use Pause to halt the computer on the BIOS/CMOS screen. Ideal for catching debug info before it moves onto loading the OS.

 

Or pausing the PXE screen when network booting, so you can read the GUID in comfort when prestaging an image.

[plexer]

Nope windows key + pause break is very very handy.

 

Ben

[Zimmer]

I don't think I've ever used Scroll Lock!

 

I must find a productive use for this neglected key!

[elsiegee40]

I had no idea you spoke PL/1!

 

 

It's age! Or, as I prefer to think of it, experience!

[K.C.Leblanc]

Pause|Break is just as useless these days, isn't it?

 

Then again, a keyboard without those three at the top would just look wrong.

 

Not if you're trying to read something from a POST.

[WithoutMotive]

Wow... I started this thread in reference to one key.

Now I've found loads of uses for others!

 

EduGeekers are my friends