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One of the slickest features of the Mac that hardly anyone ever uses are the F-keys or function keys that occupy the upper row of the keyboard.

These usually underutilized keys can actually streamline your computing substantially if you set them to perform tasks that would otherwise require a menu selection or several keystrokes.

Some Mac applications are programmed to make use of a few of the F-keys,. AppleWorks and certain other word processors and text editors assign the following functions:

F1 - Undo
F2 - Cut
F-3 - Copy
F4 - Paste

Personally, I wish there were more than the 15 F-keys on most standard keyboards, and I feel positively cramped when using a PowerBook or a first-generation of Apple USB keyboard which have only 12 F-keys respectively. Aside from the assignments noted above, I have most of my F-keys assigned to activate AppleScript macros in Tex Edit Plus to perform text editing and HTML markup tasks with a single keystroke. This is done by adding a "/" the F-key's name to an AppleScript in the Tex Edit Plus Scripts folder.

If you have a recent Mac, you can use the Mac OS Keyboard control panel to assign Finder functions to your F-keys as desired, such as configuring them to launch specified applications with a single keystroke. If you press an F-key in the Finder that hasn't been assigned, a dialog will appear asking you if you would like to set it up. If you click Open, the Hot Function Keys dialog box in the Keyboard control panel will open up. You can also access the Keyboard control panel from the Apple Menu. When the control panel opens, select "Function Keys."

In the Hot Function Keys dialog box, you can reassign a previously unassigned key, or set a key to which nothing is assigned. For example, if you would like an F-key to launch a particular program, just drag that program's application icon to an unassigned F-key field in the Hot Function Keys dialog box. Alternatively, you can click the button to left of the field, and then navigate through Finder dialogs to choose the desired program.

To change an F-key assignment, highlight the contents of its field and click Clear or Delete. You can of course assign anything you like to open with an F-key, not just applications.

If you want to use the F-keys as function keys, as I do with Tex Edit Plus, uncheck the Hot Function Key settings check box in the the Hot Function Keys dialog box. You will still be able to use the F-keys as Finder hot keys by holding down the function (fn) key on the keyboard (if your keyboard is equipped with one). Conversely, if the "Use F1 through F15 as Hot Function Keys" checkbox is checked, you can still use the F-keys as regular function keys by holding down the fn key.