The second option is for pasting unformatted text. At one time, copying and pasting text typically didn't preserve the formatting of the text. Today, most applications format pasted text as it was in the application from which it was copied or cut. By pressing command-shift-option-V to paste (instead of the traditional command-V), however, you can still paste unformatted text into most applications.
Work smarter with keyboard shortcuts
Throughout this article, I've mentioned various keyboard shortcuts that exist in Leopard, from the commonly known to some that are a bit obscure. These keyboard shortcuts provide some of the biggest productivity boosts in Leopard, though they may take time to master and you may want to change some from their default settings.
The Keyboard Shortcuts tab of the Keyboard & Mouse pane in System Preferences shows you all the standard keyboard shortcuts built into Leopard.
The Keyboard & Mouse pane shows system shortcuts. Click to view larger image.
This provides a great place to start learning about shortcuts for Mac OS X and the Finder. You can also use this tab to change the shortcuts to something easier for you to type.
There are hundreds of keyboard shortcuts built into Leopard and its accompanying applications. Here are some of my most frequently used time savers.
Ryan's top keyboard shortcuts
| Command-shift-delete | Empty the Trash without requiring a confirmation dialog |
|---|---|
| Shift-tab | Select the previous field in a form |
| Esc or command-period | Close a dialog box (mirrors the Cancel button) |
| Command-D | Select the desktop in any open/save dialog box |
| Shift-command-A | Open the Applications folder in the Finder |
| Shift-command-U | Open the Utilities folder in the Finder |
| Shift-command-H | Open your home folder in the Finder or your home page in Safari |
| Command-H | Hide current application from view |
| Option-command-H | Hide all noncurrent applications from view |
| Command-click on Finder window title bar | See the full path to current folder as a pop-up menu |
| Command-3 | Switch to column view in a Finder window |
| Command-space bar | Activate the Spotlight search dialog |
| Option-command-space bar | Open a Spotlight search window for more detailed search options |
| Shift-command-K | Toggle blocking of pop-up windows in Safari |
To learn about even more shortcuts, including those used to manipulate text and other data within applications, check out UsingMac's guide to over 200 keyboard shortcuts.
Ryan Faas is a frequent Computerworld contributor specializing in Mac and multiplatform network issues. You can find more information about him at RyanFaas.com.