Most menus actions have a keyboard shortcut / accelerator displayed next to the item in the menu.
The regular key presses are processed by the currently focused item which is adorned according to the Look&Feel. A focused cell or grid is adorned by a red frame, the Log view is adorned by a blinking caret or highlighted text...
When the mouse moves over a cell, the cell gains focus as indicated by a red frame:
Typing a digit alone will set its value. This manual action will be listed in the log. In case of conflict, the cell will not change and an error message in the status bar describes the reason.
Typing a digit while pressing the shift key will remove the possibility from all selected cells. If some solver highlighted cells with a red background, the possibility is removed only from these cells.
When the mouse moves out of the grid, the whole grid gains focus as indicated by a big red frame:
Typing a digit alone will then highlight the cells which may have the possibility / candidate.
Typing a digit while pressing the shift key will remove the possibility from all selected cells. If some solver highlighted cells with a red background, the possibility is removed only from these cells.
When the mouse is clicked in the log or list of solvers, it will gain focus and process all regular key presses, including digits. If any cell or the grid was previously focused, it will loose focus and won't display a red frame any more.
Key | When a cell is focused | When the whole grid is focused |
# (digit 1 to 9) | Set Value | Highlight Possibility |
shift # (digit 1 to 9) | Remove Possibility from all selected cells | idem |
enter or return | Solve Naked Single | NA |
insert | Solve Naked Single | NA |
= (equals) | Show Combinations > Selected Cells | idem |
? (question mark) | Show Combinations for all cages with cell | NA |
context menu key | Show contextual popup menu | NA |
Note: Under Windows, typing a key in the numeric keypad is always mapped to the digit, whichever the state of the num lock key. This is never mapped to arrows, Page up, down... Dito when typing shift key in the numeric keypad.
Key | Move focused cell to |
left | Cell at left |
right | Cell at right |
up | Cell above |
down | Cell below |
tab | Cell in next block at right |
shift tab | Cell in next block at left |
page up | Cell in next block above |
page down | Cell in next block below |
home | Top-left most cell |
end | Bottom-right most cell |
ctrl home | Transfer focus to the whole grid |
Key | When a cell is focused | When the whole grid is focused |
# (digit 1 to 9) | NA (Set Value) | Highlight Possibility |
alt # (digit 1 to 9) | Highlight cages with mandatory inclusion | idem |
space | Select the cell, deselecting others | Highlight > Select None |
shift space | Toggle cell selection | NA |
shift arrow | Select rectangle between anchor and focused cells | NA |
B | Highlight Buddies | Highlight Common Buddies |
shift B | Highlight Common Buddies | idem |
alt B | Select block | NA |
shift alt B | Toggle block selection | NA |
alt C | Select column | NA |
shift alt C | Toggle column selection | NA |
alt D | Select diagonal | NA |
shift alt D | Toggle diagonal selection | NA |
alt E | Select extra group | NA |
shift alt E | Toggle extra group selection | NA |
alt G | Select sum cage | NA |
shift alt G | Toggle sum cage selection | NA |
alt R | Select row | NA |
shift alt R | Toggle row selection | NA |
alt W | Select windoku group | NA |
shift alt W | Toggle windoku group selection | NA |
Note: Under Windows, highlighting cages having a mandatory inclusion by typing a digit in the numeric keypad while pressing the alt key could not be supported since it is usually caught by Windows to produce characters by numeric code. You should then use the digit keys at the top of the alphabetic keyboard or the menu.
Key | When a cell is focused |
| (vertical bar) | Reverse (non) consecutive with cell at right |
! (exclamation mark) | Reverse (non) consecutive with cell at right |
_ (underscore) | Reverse (non) consecutive with cell below |
< | Less than cell at right |
> | Greater than cell at right |
^ (circumflex) | Less than cell below |
V (letter V) | Greater than cell below |
O (letter O) | Reverse (non) bossanova |
Note: These actions are enabled only in design working mode.
Key | Menu item |
ctrl A | Highlight > Select All |
C | Design > Killer & Sum > New Cage... |
shift C | Design > Square Wisdom > New Cage... |
ctrl C | Edit > Copy |
shift ctrl C | Edit > Copy Candidates |
alt ctrl C | Edit > Copy Image |
ctrl D | Solve > Deduce One Move |
shift ctrl D | Solve > Deduce All Moves |
F | Highlight > Mandatory Inclusions |
ctrl F | File > Fetch > Repeat last fetch |
ctrl G | Solve > Get a Clue |
shift ctrl G | Solve > Get a Big Clue |
H | Highlight > Hidden Singles |
shift H | Highlight > Hidden Subsets |
I | Highlight > Intersections |
ctrl I | Edit > Grid Infos... |
K | Highlight > Odd Combinations |
shift K | Highlight > Conflicting Combinations |
L | Highlight > Law of Leftovers |
ctrl L | Solve > Law of Leftovers |
ctrl M | Window > Minimize |
N | Highlight > Naked Singles |
shift N | Highlight > Naked Subsets |
ctrl N | Design > New Grid... |
shift ctrl N | Solve > All Naked Singles |
alt N | Highlight > Complex Naked Subsets |
alt ctrl N | File > New Window |
ctrl O | File > Open... |
alt ctrl O | File > Open in New Window... |
P | Highlight > Pointing Cells |
ctrl P | File > Print... |
shift ctrl P | File > Page Setup... |
R | Design > New Renban Group |
ctrl R | Solve > Recursively Solve |
shift ctrl R | Design > Generate Grid |
alt ctrl R | Design > Generate New Grid |
ctrl S | File > Save |
shift ctrl S | File > Save As... |
alt ctrl S | File > Save Image As... |
T | Highlight > Turbot Fishes |
shift T | Highlight > Grouped Turbot Fishes |
ctrl V | Edit > Paste |
shift ctrl V | Solve > Check Grid Validity |
W | Design > Killer & Sum > New Arrow Sum |
ctrl W | File > Close Window |
X | Highlight > Fishy Cycles |
shift X | Highlight > Generalized Fishy Cycles |
ctrl X | Edit > Cut |
alt X | Highlight > Grouped Fishy Cycles |
Y | Highlight > XY-Wings |
shift Y | Highlight > Y-Wings |
alt Y | Highlight > XY-Chains |
Z | Highlight > XYZ-Wings |
ctrl Z | Edit > Undo |
shift ctrl Z | Edit > Redo |
esc (escape) | Highlight > Select None |
space | Highlight > Select None (unless a cell is focused) |
alt = (equals) | Design > Killer & Sum > Enter Sum Cage |
- (minus) | Highlight > Innies |
ctrl - (minus) | Solve > Innies |
alt - (minus) | Design > Square Wisdom > Enter Difference Cage |
+ (plus) | Highlight > Outies |
ctrl + (plus) | Solve > Outies |
alt + (plus) | Design > Square Wisdom > Enter Sum Cage |
/ (slash) | Highlight > Outies minus innies |
ctrl / (slash) | Solve > Outies minus innies |
alt / (slash) | Design > Square Wisdom > Enter Quotient Cage |
shift / (slash) | Highlight > Split cage |
shift ctrl / (slash) | Solve > Split cage |
\ (back slash) | Highlight > Split cage |
ctrl \ (back slash) | Solve > Split cage |
* (asterisk) | Highlight > Overlaps |
ctrl * (asterisk) | Solve > Overlaps |
alt * (asterisk) | Design > Square Wisdom > Enter Product Cage |
ctrl help | Help > Show User Guide |
Notes:
Under Mac OS X, the command / Apple key replaces the control key.
Some keys are not available for some OS or keyboard layouts. For example Windows has no help key, Mac OS X has no insert key. The back slash key is not available for the french keyboard layout, which corresponding key is the grave accent.
Since I'm a Mac guy, I'm inclined not to use any F key. Nevertheless, you may bind F keys to whichever actions you like using Options > Preferences.
Copyright (C) 2006-2008 Jean-Christophe Godart. All rights reserved.