[SteveRay]

I'm starting to think I'm the only person who uses Google Docs on a Mac.

In case that's not the case & I'm just being paranoid, I would like to know whether any others (should they exist) have figured out how to do the following using the keyboard (i.e., mouselessly) in that environment (together with Firefox):

? Move from current cursor position to beginning/end of line

? Select from current cursor position to beginning/end of line

This is in OS 10.4.11 and Firefox 2.0.0.16 on a MacBook (which might or might not be different than on a Mac desktop with an extended keyboard).

I have not found any way to do these two operations using the keyboard, although they are some of the most frequently-used operations one does in a 'document.'

Thanks. Replies appreciated.

[rab777hp]

The second one you can't do on a keyboard, but the first is simple, use the up and down arrows.

[SteveRay]

rab777hp said:

The second one you can't do on a keyboard, but the first is simple, use the up and down arrows.

Sorry but I don't follow you. The 'up' or down' arrows don't go to the beginning/end of the line on my MacBook. They go up and down the screen.

Assuming you may have actually meant instead to refer to 'selecting' text, if you try that with the 'up' and 'down' arrows, you'll find that they don't select to the beginning/end of line. What they do is select a 'line's worth' of text. So if your cursor is in the middle of the line and you press Shift-Down Arrow, you will select the remainder of the current line and the part of the next line that comes exactly to your cursor position on the line above (i.e., stopping one character to the left of it).

[rab777hp]

Sorry- I should have been more clear, I was referring to the first one, and I was thinking of something else and made a mistake, it's not the up-down arrows, but hold the apple key and press the side arrows, apple+left will go to the end of the line on the left side, and vice-versa.

[SteveRay]

rab777hp said:

hold the apple key and press the side arrows, apple+left will go to the end of the line on the left side, and vice-versa.

That does not happen on my MacBook. Which keyboard are you using?

[rab777hp]

Same- MacBook.

[SteveRay]

rab777hp said:

Same- MacBook.

Well that's plenty odd.

When I press Apple-Left Arrow -or- Apple-Right Arrow, nothing at all happens.

Again, I'm referring only to the use of those keystrokes in Google Docs.

For example, in the message editor I'm using to compose this reply those keystrokes do work, as they do in every other environment I can think of except Google Docs. In Google Docs, however, they have no effect.

* You have used them specifically in Google Docs, right?
If so, do you have any 'settings,' 'preferences,' etc. that you think may be affecting how those operations are handled in Google Docs?

Thanks.

[rab777hp]

Yes, this is in google docs, no, I do not have any special preferences, try to make a system wide shortcut in System Preferences, by going to the keyboard and mouse preference pane and to keyboard shortcuts, there should be one there all ready. If not, create one.

[SteveRay]

rab777hp said:

Yes, this is in google docs, no, I do not have any special preferences, try to make a system wide shortcut in System Preferences, by going to the keyboard and mouse preference pane and to keyboard shortcuts, there should be one there all ready. If not, create one.

I don't actually see how it could have anything to do with System Preferences, since the keystrokes don't work only in Google Docs.

You're using the MacBook's own keyboard (not another plugged-in kb) and you're able to successfully use those keystrokes in Google Docs with Firefox (not Safari), right?

I'm also not sure I even know how to set up a 'shortcut' for those operations. Aren't kb shortcuts primarily for such things as 'special characters'?

I mean, how do you define something like go to beginning/end of line or select from cursor to beginning/end of line as a kb shortcut (in OS 10.4.x)?

Thanks.

[rab777hp]

It's harder for me to do specifics, because I have Firefox 3 and 10.5.4. System preferences changed a lot from tiger to leopard.

[SteveRay]

rab777hp said:

It's harder for me to do specifics, because I have Firefox 3 and 10.5.4. System preferences changed a lot from tiger to leopard.

OK well thanks anyway.

What's the word on FF 3 on the Mac these days? I mean compared to 2.x.