General Keyboard Shortcuts
Using the keyboard can significantly speed up your workflow, offering several benefits:
Increased precision and speed: Your fingers can move across the keyboard much more fluidly than with a mouse, allowing you to enter data and complete actions more quickly.
Reduced fatigue: Using a mouse requires constant movement of the arm and hand, which can cause long-term fatigue. The keyboard, however, allows you to maintain a more ergonomic position and reduce strain.
Improved productivity: The combination of speed and precision translates to greater efficiency in your work, allowing you to complete more tasks in less time.
Keyboard Shortcuts: By learning keyboard shortcuts for your most frequent tasks, you can save valuable time by avoiding the mouse and drop-down menus.
Tip
Keyboard shortcuts allow you to quickly access various areas and functions, simplifying navigation and increasing your productivity.
Tips for improving keyboard usage:
- Learn touch typing.
- Use keyboard shortcuts for your most frequent tasks.
- Practice regularly to increase your speed and accuracy.
With a bit of practice, using the keyboard can become a much more efficient way to work on a computer.
The following table describes keyboard shortcuts for navigating and accessing different elements on a page. Elements include actions, drop-down lists, searches, and more.
| Press these keys (on macOS) |
Action |
|---|---|
| ALT + DOWN ARROW | Open a drop-down list or search for a value for a field. |
| F2 | Switch between selecting the entire field value and placing the cursor at the end of the field value. |
| ALT+F2 | Show or hide the Details pane |
| ALT+SHIFT+F2 | Move between Details and Attachments in the Details pane. |
| ALT+O | Add a new note for the selected record, even if the Details pane is not open. |
| ALT+Q (CTRL+Option+Q) |
Open the search function to find system pages, lists, and reports, as well as links and actions on the current page. To search for data, enter one or more keywords in Tell Me. Alternatively, when you run Tell Me in the context of an editable page, it will automatically search the value in the currently selected field. |
| CTRL+ALT+Q (CTRL+Option+Cmd+Q) |
Open the Find Entries page to locate related documents and entries based on common information, such as document number or posting date. |
| ALT+N | Open a page to create a new record (equivalent to choosing the New and + actions). |
| ALT+SHIFT+N | Close a newly created page and open a new one to create another record. Similarly, ALT+F9 posts a document and creates a new one. |
| CTRL+C | Copy the field value. If focus is on the field and no text is selected, the entire value will be copied. If text within the field is selected, only the selected text will be copied. |
| Ctrl+F12 | Switch between wide layout view and narrow layout view, and vice versa. |
| CTRL+click | Navigate while customizing when the action is highlighted with an arrow. |
| Ctrl+F5 | Reload the Business Central application. (equivalent to refresh/reload in the browser). |
| F5 | Refresh data on the current page. Use this key to ensure that data on the page is up-to-date with changes made by other users while you’re working. |
| Enter | Enable or access the element or command in focus. |
| ESC | Close the current page or drop-down list. |
| TAB | Move the focus to the next control or element on a page, such as actions, buttons, fields, or list headers. |
| SHIFT+TAB | Move the focus to the previous control or element on a page, such as actions, buttons, fields, or list headers. |
| Y and N | Activate the Yes and No buttons in dialog boxes. |
Keyboard Shortcuts in Lists
The following table describes the keyboard shortcuts that can be used on a list page. The shortcut action differs slightly depending on whether the page is viewed in list view or tile view.
General
| Press these keys (on macOS) |
To perform this action in list view | To perform this action in tile view |
|---|---|---|
| Alt+F7 | Sort the selected column in ascending or descending order. | Not applicable. |
| ALT+N | Insert a new row in an editable list | Same action. |
| Shift+F9 | Post and print a document. | Same action. |
| Shift+F10 | Open a menu of options for the selected row. | Same action. |
| Alt+D | Open the dimension set entries. | Same action. |
| Ctrl+F7 | Open ledger entries, journal entries, cost entries, etc. | |
| Ctrl+F9 | Release the document. | Same action. |
| F7 | Open statistics. | Same action. |
| F9 | Submit, issue, post, or reverse the document. | Same action. |
| SHIFT+CTRL+F | Submit suggested rows in the cash flow worksheet page. | Not applicable. |
| SHIFT+CTRL+I | View the serial and lot numbers assigned to the entry in the document or journal. | Not applicable. |
Navigating Rows and Columns
Grids containing rows and columns exist in many types of Business Central pages, such as list pages and Lines parts on documents. Moving from one cell to another through a grid is fully keyboard-enabled.
| Press these keys (on macOS) |
To perform this action in list view | To perform this action in tile view |
|---|---|---|
| CTRL+HOME | ||
| (Fn+CTRL+LEFT ARROW) | Select the first row in the list; focus remains in the same column. | Move the cursor to the first tile in the first row. |
| CTRL+END | ||
| (Fn+CTRL+RIGHT ARROW) | Select the last row in the list; focus remains in the same column. | Move the cursor to the last tile in the last row. |
| Home | ||
| (Fn+LEFT ARROW) | Move the cursor to the first field in the row. | Move the cursor to the first tile in the row. |
| End | ||
| (Fn+RIGHT ARROW) | Move the cursor to the last field in the row. | Move the cursor to the last tile in the row. |
| Page Up | ||
| (Fn+UP ARROW) | Scroll to view the set of rows above the current rows in the view. | Scroll to view the set of tiles above the current tiles in the view. |
| Page Down | ||
| (Fn+DOWN ARROW) | Scroll to view the set of rows below the current rows in the view. | Scroll to view the set of tiles below the current tiles in the view. |
| DOWN ARROW | Move the cursor to the field in the row below in the same column. | Move the cursor to the tile below in the same column. |
| UP ARROW | Move the cursor to the field in the row above in the same column. | Move the cursor to the tile above in the same column. |
| RIGHT ARROW | In a read-only list, move the cursor to the next field to the right in the same row. In an editable list, move right within the current field. | Move the cursor to the next tile to the right in the same row. |
| LEFT ARROW | In a read-only list, move the cursor to the previous field to the left in the same row. In an editable list, move left within the current field. | Move the cursor to the previous tile to the left in the same row. |
| TAB | In an editable list, move the cursor to the next field to the right in the same row. | Not applicable. |
| SHIFT+TAB | In an editable list, move the cursor to the previous field to the left in the same row. | Not applicable. |
Selecting, Copying, and Pasting
| Press these keys (on macOS) |
To perform this action in list view | To perform this action in tile view |
|---|---|---|
| CTRL+click (Cmd+click) |
Extend the selection of rows to include the clicked row. | Not applicable. |
| SHIFT+click | Extend the selection of rows to include the clicked row and all previous rows. You can use this shortcut after using CTRL+UP ARROW or CTRL+DOWN ARROW to extend the selection. |
Not applicable. |
| CTRL+UP ARROW (CTRL+Cmd+UP ARROW) |
Move focus to the row above and keep the current row selected. | Not applicable. |
| CTRL+DOWN ARROW (CTRL+Cmd+DOWN ARROW) |
Move focus to the row below and keep the current row selected. | Not applicable. |
| CTRL+SPACEBAR (CTRL+Cmd+SPACEBAR) |
Extend the selection of rows to include the active row. You can use this shortcut after using CTRL+UP ARROW or CTRL+DOWN ARROW to extend the selection. |
Not applicable. |
| CTRL+A | Select all rows. | Not applicable. |
| CTRL+C (Cmd+C) |
Copy the selected rows to the Clipboard. | Yes, but only for a single selected tile. |
| CTRL+V (Cmd+V) |
Paste the selected rows from the Clipboard into the current page or an external document, such as Microsoft Excel or Outlook. This is only possible in editable lists. | Not applicable. |
| SHIFT+UP ARROW | Extend the selection of rows to include the row above. | Not applicable. |
| SHIFT+DOWN ARROW | Extend the selection of rows to include the row below. | Not applicable. |
| SHIFT+PAGE UP (SHIFT+Fn+UP ARROW) |
Extend the selection to include all visible rows above the current selection. | Not applicable. |
| SHIFT+PAGE DOWN (SHIFT+Fn+DOWN ARROW) |
Extend the selection to include all visible rows below the current selection. | Not applicable. |
| F8 | Copy the field in the same column from the previous row and paste it into the current row. This is only possible in editable lists. Using this key followed by the TAB key allows you to quickly fill in fields for which you want the same value as the previous row. | Not applicable. |
Searching and Filtering Lists
| Press these keys
(on macOS) | Action |
| --- | --- |
Updated table with the tags for each key:
| F3 | Toggle the search box.
Activate the search box so that you can start typing search text.
If the search box is already activated, F3 returns to the list without clearing the search text. |
| Shift+F3 | Open and close the filter pane.
If the filter pane is not open, SHIFT+F3 opens it and highlights the + Filter action under Filter list by. You can then press Enter to start adding a field filter.
If the filter pane is already open, SHIFT+F3 closes it without clearing the added filters. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F3 | Open and close the filter pane.
If the filter pane is not open, CTRL+SHIFT+F3 opens it and highlights the + Filter action under Filter totals by. You can then press Enter to start adding a totals filter.
If the filter pane is already open, CTRL+SHIFT+F3 closes it without clearing the added filters. |
| Alt+F3 | Toggle filters for the selected value.
Apply a column filter on the selected field value in the list. This is equivalent to choosing Filter to this value from a column header. It opens the filter pane, sets the filter to the selected value, while focus remains on the list cell.
If the column is already filtered, Alt+F3 clears the filter on that column. |
| SHIFT+Alt+F3 | Open the filter pane and add a filter on the selected column in the list. Focus is on the new filter field, allowing you to immediately start typing filter criteria.
This is equivalent to selecting Filter from the column header.
If a filter already exists on the field, a new filter is added. |
| Ctrl+SHIFT+Alt+F3 | Reset filters. This is equivalent to choosing Reset Filters in the filter pane and applies to both field and totals filters.
Filters revert to the default filters for the current view. If the current view is All, it is equivalent to returning to an unfiltered view with all records. |
| Ctrl+Enter | Move focus back from the filter pane to the list. |
Refining Search with Filter Criteria
Columns that already have filters are indicated by the icon 
in the column header. To remove a filter, click the down arrow, then choose the Clear Filter action.
Tip
Accelerate your search and data analysis using keyboard shortcut combinations. For example, select a field, use SHIFT + ALT + F3 to add that field to the filter pane, type in the filter criteria, use CTRL + ENTER to return to the rows, select another field, and use ALT + F3 to filter that value.
Filter Criteria and Operators
When setting criteria in a filter, you can enter all numbers and letters usually used in the field. You can also use a set of special symbols as operators to further refine results. The following sections describe these symbols and how to use them as operators in filters.
(..) Range
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| 1100..2100 | Numbers from 1100 to 2100 |
| ..2500 | Up to and including 2500. |
| ..12 31 00 | Dates up to and including 12/31/00 |
| P8.. | Information on accounting period 8 and later |
| ..23 | From the start date to the 23rd of the current month at 23:59:59 |
| 23.. | From the 23rd of the current month at 0:00:00 to the end |
| 22..23 | From the 22nd of the current month at 0:00:00 to the 23rd of the current month at 23:59:59 |
Tip
If you’re using a numeric keypad, the decimal separator key may return a different character than the period (.). To set the point, press the "Alt+Decimal Separator" keys on the numeric keypad. When you want to go back, press "Alt+Decimal Separator" again.
(|) Or
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| 1200|1300 | Numbers with 1200 or 1300 |
(<>) Not Equal To
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| <>0 | All numbers except 0 SQL Server Option allows combining this symbol with an expression containing wildcards. <>A*, for example, refers to text other than any text that starts with the letter A. |
(>) Greater Than
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| >1200 | Numbers greater than 1200 |
(>=) Greater Than or Equal To
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| >=1200 | Numbers greater than or equal to 1200 |
(<) Less Than
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| <1200 | Numbers less than 1200 |
(<=) Less Than or Equal To
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| <=1200 | Numbers less than or equal to 1200 |
(&) And
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| >200&<1200 | Numbers greater than 200 and less than 1200. |
('') Exact Character Match
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| 'man' | Text exactly matching man and case-sensitive. |
| '' | Empty text. |
(@) Case Insensitive
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| @man\* | Text that starts with man and is case-insensitive. |
(*) An Indefinite Number of Unknown Characters
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| *Co* | Text containing Co and case-sensitive. |
| *Co | Text that ends with Co and case-sensitive. |
| Co* | Text that starts with Co and case-sensitive. |
(?) An Unknown Character
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| Mar?o | Text like Marco or Mario |
Combined Format Expressions
| Example Expression | Displayed Records |
|---|---|
| 5999|8100..8490 | Includes any record with the number 5999 or with a number between 8100 and 8490. |
| ..1299|1400.. | Includes records with a number less than or equal to 1299 or a number equal to 1400 or greater, i.e., all numbers except those between 1300 and 1399. |
| >50&<100 | Includes records with numbers greater than 50 and less than 100, i.e., numbers between 51 and 99. |
Filtering Based on Values Containing Symbols
There may be cases where field values contain any of the following symbols:
&
(
)
=
|
If you want to filter based on any of these symbols, enclose the filter expression in single quotes ('<expression with symbol>'). For example, if you want to filter for records that start with the text J & V, the filter expression is 'J & V*'.
This requirement does not apply to other symbols.
Entering Data
Entering Quantities Using Calculation
When entering numbers into numeric fields such as the Quantity field in a warehouse registration line, you can enter the formula instead of the sum amount.
Examples
If you enter 19+19, the field value is calculated as 38.
If you enter 41-9, the field value is calculated as 32.
If you enter 12*4, the field value is calculated as 48.
If you enter 12/4, the field value is calculated as 3.
Entering Negative Numbers
You can enter negative numbers in two ways. The number -20.5 can be entered as:
-20.5
or
20.5-
In either case, the amount will be recorded as -20.5.
If the last character of the expression is a + or a -, the entire expression will be recorded with that sign. For example, 10-20+ will return 10 and not -10.
Entering Dates and Times
You can enter dates and times in all date fields. You can enter dates with or without separators.
Entering Dates
In a date field, you can enter two, four, six, or eight digits:
If you only enter two digits, they are considered the day, and the system adds the month and year of the work date.
If you enter four digits, they are considered the day and month, and the system adds the year of the work date.
If the date you want to enter falls between 01/01/1930 and 12/31/2029, you can enter the year using two digits. Otherwise, enter the year in four digits.
You can also enter a date composed of a day of the week followed by a week number and, optionally, the year. For example, Mon25 or mon25 indicates Monday in week number 25.
Instead of entering a specific date, you can enter one of the following codes.
| Code | Result |
|---|---|
| t | Today’s date (the computer system date). |
| W | Workdate |
Entering Times
When entering time, you can use any separator between units. Entering a separator is optional. You don’t need to enter minutes, seconds, or the AM/PM indicator.
The table below shows the various formats for entering time and the corresponding interpretations.
| Movement | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 5 | 05.00.00 |
| 5:30 | 05.30.00 |
| 0530 | 05.30.00 |
| 5:30:5 | 05.30.05 |
| 053005 | 05.30.05 |
| 5:30:5.50 | 05:30:05,5 |
| 053005050 | 05.30.05,05 |
If you don’t use a separator, you need to enter two digits for each time unit.
Entering Dates and Times
When entering dates and times, you need to enter a space between the date and time.
The table below shows the various formats for entering dates and times and the corresponding interpretations.
| Movement | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| 131202 132455 | 12/13/02 13.24.55 |
| 1-12-02 10 | 12/01/02 10.00.00 |
| 1.12.02 5 | 12/01/02 05.00.00 |
| 1.12.02 | 12/01/02 00.00.00 |
| 11 12 | 11-current month-current year 12.00.00 |
| 1112 12 | 11-12-current year 12.00.00 |
| t | Today’s date 00.00.00 |
| w or workdate | Work date 00.00.00 |
| Mon 10:30 | Monday of the current week 10.30.00 |
| Mon 3:3:3 | Monday of the current week 03.03.03 |
Entering Duration
You can enter a duration in numeric characters followed by the respective unit of measure.
Below are some examples.
| Duration | Unit of measure |
|---|---|
| 2h | 2 hours |
| 6h 30 m | 6 hours 30 minutes |
| 6.5h | 6 hours 30 minutes |
| 90m | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| 2d 6h 30m | 2 days 6 hours 30 minutes |
| 2d 6h 30m 56s 600ms | 2 days 6 hours 30 minutes 56 seconds 600 milliseconds |
You can also enter a number that will automatically convert to a duration. The number you enter is converted based on the default unit of measure specified in the duration field.
To see the unit of measure used in a duration field, enter a number and check the unit of measure it converts to.
The number 5 is converted to 5 h if the unit of measure is hours.
Using Date Formulas
A date formula is a short combination of letters and numbers that specify how to calculate dates. You can enter date formulas in various calculation fields and recurrence frequency fields in recurring journal entries.
Below are some examples of how to use date formulas:
The date formula in the frequency recurrence field in recurring entries indicates how frequently the line entry will be recorded.
The formula in the Due Date Calculation field determines the delay period for a specific reminder level from the due date (or the previous reminder date) to the reminder’s creation.
The formula in the Due Date Calculation field determines how the due date in the reminder is calculated.
The date formula can contain a maximum of 20 characters, both numbers and letters. You can use the following letters as abbreviations for different time units.
| C | Current |
|---|---|
| D | Day(s) |
| W | Week(s) |
| M | Month(s) |
| Q | Quarter(s) |
| Y | Year(s) |
You can create a date formula in three different ways.
The following example shows how current plus a time unit.
| CW | Current week |
| CM | Current month |
The following example shows how a number and a time unit. The number cannot be greater than 9999.
| 10D | 10 days from today |
| 2W | 2 weeks from today |
The following example shows how a time unit and a number.
| D10 | The next 10th day of the month |
| WD4 | The next fourth day of the week (Thursday) |
The following example shows how you can combine all three formats as needed.
| CM+10D | Current month + 10 days |
The following example shows how to use a minus sign to indicate a past date.
| -1Y | 1 year ago from today |
