Commonly used keyboard shortcuts in web apps

Question

I'm setting up keyboard shortcuts for a web app, and I'm wondering: What are the most commonly used keyboard shortcuts (in web applications)?

For example, Google's gmail and reader uses

j / k : previous/next
o / Enter: open/expand

which seems to have stuck, but they also use

p/n: previous / next message

...which to me seems a little awkward.

Are you using keyboard shortcuts in your web application? If so, what are they?

Answer 1

I think the biggest key is to not create hotkeys that would clash with the default behavior of common operating systems or web browsers.

This isn't a web app, but the a plugin I use for Visual Studio has the hotkey Alt + 3 to open a special window. Unfortunately, this is supposed to open the "watch" window by default.

This are the kinds of things that will drive your viewers mad...

Answer 2

What GMail uses are shortcuts inherited from a relatively old editor - vi / or it's newer variant - vim (www.vim.org). Those shortcuts came from an old keyboard design, which had on those keys also arrow keys, left, down, up, right ... see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:KB_Terminal_ADM3A.svg

While in GMail you can get a list of all shortcuts, by pressing "?".

It is a little hard to give more information, since you're not mentioning what kind of web app are youthinking of developing.

Answer 3

I think the spacebar is somewhat intuitive for start/stop. Many video players (like Youtube's and Vimeo's) use this. Anyone who has ever worked with audio or video editing apps will be used to that. You might also consider the spacebar for audio content (like a music player).

Answer 4

I know facebook has keyboard shortcuts for navigating pictures in a photo album. Its the right and left arrow key