Top 5 All-OS Developer Keyboard Shortcut Keys

This might not be the top 5 for all developers, but I'm fairly sure that most developers use at least 3 out of these 5 commands on a daily basis:

1. CTRL-S: Save

Always save your work and make a habit of saving repeatedly (press CTRL-S whenever you get a chance and try to get into the habit of pressing it at least once every 10 minutes).

2. ALT-TAB: Switch between applications

Everyone should know this one. This simply switches between current open applications

3. CTRL-C and CTRL-V: Copy and Paste

Whether you are a secretary, an accountant or a terrorist hacker, you probably use CTRL-C: to copy text, and CTRL-V: to paste said copied text. If you don't do this, start doing it today, as it will triple your productivity.

4. CTRL-A: Select A

The reason why this is important is not because many people use CTRL-A, but rather because most do not. Ever lost anything you wrote online? Or maybe even a word document? I've learnt to press CTRL-S (save) almost everytime my fingers pause to let my brain think, because it's crucial to save. But it's not always possible to do that online. Facebook is particularly bad. I've lost numerous messages because the browser freezes or something else happens leaving me without my original message. The solution: before you press send, press CTRL-A (select all), and then CTRL-C (copy). That way, if your browser crashes, you can just press CTRL-V (paste) in another window, notepad or even a new Facebook message and still have your message. The result: you didn't lose your message.

5. CTRL-TAB and CTRL-SHIFT-TAB

If you use a browser like Firefox with multiple tabs open, CTRL-TAB will allow you to toggle between them from front to back, and using CTRL-SHIFT-TAB, back to front. I wouldn't be able to browse without this feature. Only problem is that it doesn't always work on HTML pages with Flash Content.

Good luck learning these if you don't already know them. They can really make you more efficient and work much faster.