Scroll button

Location of the button

The scroll key or scroll lock key can be found on every IBM PC-compatible computer keyboard . The word comes from "to scroll " and "lock" (English lock or lock). It is also labeled “Scrolling” on some keyboard models.

history

In the 1980s, when texts were still written on the PC under DOS and there was no mouse , the key was used to not move the cursor through the text when pressing the arrow keys , but instead the visible image section in the text to move up and down. This had the decisive advantage that you didn't have to go with the cursor to the end of the text to see what was there, but instead the cursor could stay where you last typed. Today there are mice with a scroll wheel and scroll bars that can also be controlled with the mouse. The role of the roller key has thus been superseded by the mouse. However, since some users continue to use programs that require the use of this key, it has remained on the keyboards.

The scroll lock key appeared for the first time on the keyboard of the first IBM PC . In the original operating instructions it says on page 5–20:

“This key is interpreted by appropriate application programs as indicating that the use of the cursor control keys should cause windowing over the text rather than cursor movement. Pressing the Scroll Lock key a second time reverses the action. The keyboard routine simply records the current shift state of the scroll lock key. It is the responsibility of the system or application program to perform the function. "

In German:

“This key is interpreted by suitable application programs in such a way that the use of the arrow control keys is intended to move over the text instead of moving the cursor. Pressing the Scroll Lock button a second time reverses the action. The keyboard routine only saves the current status of the scroll lock key. It is the responsibility of the system or application program to perform the function. "

Usage today

Function for software

Today the roller key is ignored by most programs , only a few modern programs still do something:

application	function
Microsoft Excel	The cursor keys move the visible table section instead of the cell selection . You can also use the Pos1, End, Page Up and Page Down (Home, End, Page Up, Page Down) buttons to call up other functions while pressing the scroll button. The top left cell is marked with the Home key when the scroll key is switched on The bottom right cell is marked with the End / End key Page up and Page down shift the visible section by the current number of visible lines
Microsoft Visio	When the scroll key is activated, the cursor keys move the image section and not, as usual, the marked element.
Libre Office Calc	The behavior of the control buttons changes similarly to Excel. Instead of selecting cells, the control buttons move the visible table section. The Page Up and Page Down keys move the visible section, but not the cell selection.
Lotus Notes	The cursor keys move the image section.
Console under various Unix derivatives (e.g. FreeBSD and Linux )	The output is stopped and the cursor keys or the “Page up / Page down” / “Page up / Page down” keys can be used to jump back to previous displays that have already been scrolled out.
FL Studio	Auto Scroll - Activates / deactivates the automatic scrolling for the Event Editor, the Piano roll, the Playlist and the Step Sequencer when the playback marker moves outside the visible window.
Teamviewer	In the remote desktop application, the scroll key is used to have all the shortcuts pressed on the keyboard act in the remote window instead of on your own PC.

The key combination Strg- Rollen( Ctrl- Scroll Lock) has the same effect as Strg- Untbr( Ctrl- Break). For example, in Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 and 6.0 , this combination stops the program currently running in the development environment. The reason for this is that the first PC keyboards did not have a separate key Pause/ Untbr, but used Strg- Rollenfor Untbrand Strg- Numfor Pause.

Function for hardware

With some KVM switches (computer switch) you can switch between the connected computers by pressing "Scroll Lock" twice (followed by a number or cursor key depending on the model). The key is used here precisely because of its infrequent use: Almost no program would react to such a key combination, so it can be reserved for the switch without damage.

variants

The designations differ depending on the keyboard manufacturer and language version: On German keyboards with 101 or more keys, for example, the scroll lock key is usually found with the label "Scroll" and a hollow down arrow between the Druck/ Print Screenand the Pausekey at the top of the Central block of the keyboard. Her condition is under Microsoft operating systems like the Caps Lock key and the key Num Lock mostly by a small LED shown. Linux consoles also use the LED in this way by default; however, it can also be used by programs for other purposes.

Buttons on a IBM / Windows - Keyboard ( German / Austrian occupation "T1")
Esc	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	F6	F7	F8	F9	F10	F11	F12	Print S-Dep	roll	pause break	Numeric keypad :

													Insert	Pos1	Image ↑	Num	/	*	-
													Dist	The End	Image ↓	7th	8th	9	+
																4th	5	6th	+
														↑		1	2	3	Enter
													←	↓	→	0		,	Enter