App Designer Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcuts Available Throughout App Designer

ActionKey or Keys
Run the active app.F5
Save the active app.Ctrl+S
Save the active app, allowing you to specify a new file name. (Save as)Ctrl+Shift+S
Open a previously saved app.Ctrl+O
Redo an undone modification, returning it to the changed state.Ctrl+Y or, in the design area only, Ctrl+Shift+Z
Undo a modification, returning it to the previous state.Ctrl+Z
Alternate between design and code view.

Shift + F7

If debugging is in progress, this shortcut does not change the view.

Quit App Designer.Ctrl+Q

Component Browser Shortcuts

These shortcuts are available in the Component Browser, in both code view and design view

ActionKey or Keys
Select multiple components.

Hold down the Ctrl key as you click each component that you want to include in the multiselection.

Deselect a component from multiselection.

Hold down the Ctrl key as you click each component that you want to remove from a multiselection.

Navigate from clicked component to the previous or next component listed in the code browser.

Up Arrow and Down Arrow

Edit code name of clicked component in the code browser.

F2 on Windows® and Linux®

Enter on Mac

Design View Shortcuts

These shortcuts are available from the App Designer design view only.

Add Component Shortcuts

ActionShortcut
Add component and associated label (if any) to canvas.Click the component and hold down the mouse key to drag the component from the Component Library on the left into the design area.
Add component only to canvas.Hold down the Ctrl key, click the component, and drag it from the Component Library on the left into the design area.

Component, Group, and Text Selection Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Move the selection to the next component, or container in the design area tab key navigation sequence. Tab
Move the selection to the previous component or container in the design area tab key navigation sequence.Shift+Tab
Selects all components on the canvas, with one exception. If any of the components are grouped, the group is selected, not the individual components within the grouping.Ctrl+A
Clear a component selection. Press again to reselect the component.Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click
In the property editor or in-place editing, select all text in a text input field.Ctrl+A
Select group containing a component.Alt + Click a component

Group and Ungroup Components Shortcuts

Select the components that you want to group, and then press Ctrl + G. All components to be grouped must have the same parent component.

ActionKey or Keys
Group selected components.Ctrl+G
Ungroup components in selected group.Ctrl+Shift+G

Component and Group Move Shortcuts

This table summarizes the keyboard shortcuts for moving selected components and groups.

ActionKey or Keys
Move down 1 pixel.Down Arrow
Move left 1 pixel.Left Arrow
Move right 1 pixel.Right Arrow
Move up 1 pixel.Up Arrow
Move down 10 pixels.Shift+Down Arrow
Move left 10 pixels.Shift+Left Arrow
Move right 10 pixels.Shift+Right Arrow
Move up 10 pixels.Shift+Up Arrow
Cancel an in-progress operation.Escape

Component Resize Shortcuts

ActionKey
Resize component while maintaining aspect ratio.Press and hold down the Shift key before you begin to drag the component resize handle.
Resize component while keeping center location unchanged.Press and hold down the Ctrl key before you begin to drag the component resize handle.
Resize component while maintaining aspect ratio and keeping center location unchanged.Press and hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys before you begin to drag the component resize handle.
Cancel an in-progress resize operation.Escape

Component Copy, Duplicate, and Delete Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Copy selected components and groups to the clipboard.Ctrl+C
Duplicate the selected components and groups (without copying them to the clipboard).Ctrl+D, or hold down the Ctrl key and drag the component.
Cut the selected components and groups from the design area onto the clipboard.Ctrl+X
Delete the selected components and groups from the design area.Backspace or Delete
Paste components and groups from the clipboard into the design area or a container component (panel, tab, or button group). Radio buttons and toggle buttons can only be pasted into radio button groups or toggle button groups, respectively.Ctrl+V

Design Area Grid Shortcuts

ActionKeys
Toggle grid on and off.Alt+G
Toggle snap to grid on and off.Alt+P
Increase grid interval by 5 pixels.Alt+Page Up
Decrease grid interval by 5 pixels.Alt+Page Down

Component Alignment Shortcuts

ActionKeys
Align selected components and groups on their left edges.Ctrl+Alt+1
Align selected components and groups on their horizontal centers.Ctrl+Alt+2
Align selected components and groups on their right edges.Ctrl+Alt+3
Align selected components and groups on their top edges.Ctrl+Alt+4
Align selected components and groups on their vertical middle.Ctrl+Alt+5
Align selected components and groups on their bottom edges.Ctrl+Alt+6

Change Font Characteristics Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Toggle the font weight of selected components and their children between normal and bold. Ctrl+B
Toggle the font angle of selected components and their children between normal and italic.Ctrl+I

Decrease the value of the FontSize property of the selected components and their children by one step.

Font size steps are: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 36, 48, 72.

Ctrl+[

Increase the value of the FontSize property of the selected components and their children by one step.

Font size steps are: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 36, 48, 72.

Ctrl+]

Menu Component Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Add a menu item below the current item. The new menu item appears at the end of the list.Enter
Add an item to the right of selected item.Shift+Enter
Delete the current item.Delete
Commit text changes and navigate to the next item.Any Arrow key
Select the first or last item at the level of the selected item.Home
End
Move the selected child menu item higher or lower in the list.Ctrl+Shift+Up Arrow
Ctrl+Shift+Down Arrow
Move the selected top-level menu item to the left or right.Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow
Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow
Move the selected item to the beginning or end of the list.Ctrl+Shift+Home
Ctrl+Shift+End

Tab Component Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Move the selected tab to the left or right.Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow
Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow
Move the selected tab to the beginning or end.Ctrl+Shift+Home
Ctrl+Shift+End

Code View Shortcuts

These shortcuts are available only from the App Designer code view, within the editor.

Code Indenting Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Smart indent selected code.Ctrl+I
Increase indent on current line of code or currently selected code.Ctrl+]
Decrease indent on current line of code or currently selected code.Ctrl+[

Cut, Copy, and Paste Code Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Cut selected code.Ctrl+X
Copy selected code. Ctrl+C
Paste selected code.Ctrl+V

Find Code Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Find.Ctrl+F
Find next.F3
Find previous.Shift+F3
Find selection.Ctrl+F3

Code Browser Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Delete callback.Delete
Rename callback.F2
Bring callback to focus and insert cursor.Ctrl+D

Other App Designer Code Editor Shortcuts

ActionKey or Keys
Add comment to selected code.Ctrl+R
Remove comment from selected code.Ctrl+T
Evaluate selection.F9
Open selection.Ctrl+D
Go to specified line number.Ctrl+G
Set or clear breakpoint.F12