Keyboard shortcuts for working with tables

The following lists the keyboard and mouse shortcuts available when working with tables and the table window. These can be used in ArcMap, ArcGlobe, and ArcScene, although the editing shortcuts are for ArcMap only. In most cases, the table window must have focus (be the active window) to use the shortcuts. Click the table to give it focus.

If you press F1 in the table window, you can get a pop-up help topic that lists useful tips and shortcuts for working with tables.

You can download ArcGIS for Desktop: A Selection of Time-Saving Tips and Shortcuts, a printable PDF of tips and shortcuts, from the Esri's white papers web page.

Opening and closing tables and table menus

Keyboard shortcut

Function

CTRL+T

Open the attribute table of the selected layer or table in the table of contents.

Press CTRL and double-click a layer or table in the table of contents

Open the table.

CTRL+ENTER on a feature layer in the table of contents

Open the table.

CTRL+TAB

Toggle between open table windows.

CTRL+F4

Close the active table window.

CTRL+SHIFT+F4

Close all open table windows.

ALT+SPACEBAR (when table window has focus)

Open the table window's System menu (from the System menu, you can restore, move, resize, minimize, maximize, or close the window).

Application key (when table window has focus)

Open the row context menu.

CTRL+Application key (when table window has focus)

Open the table window's Options menu.

Keyboard shortcuts that can be used to open and close tables and table menus

Selecting in the table

Keyboard shortcut

Function

CTRL+ A

Select all records.

SPACEBAR

Select or deselect row.*

CTRL+SPACEBAR

Select or deselect row.

SHIFT+SPACEBAR

Make a block selection. Use the SPACEBAR to select a record, move down or up several records using the arrow keys, then hold SHIFT and press the SPACEBAR, and all records from the one you initially selected will now be selected.*

BACKSPACE

Deselect row.

CTRL+BACKSPACE

Deselect all records.

CTRL+SHIFT+R

Select only the highlighted records in the Show Selected view and deselect all the other records.

CTRL+ENTER (or CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER)

Move to the next record and select it exclusively (particularly useful for working sequentially down through a table, reviewing or editing each record, and looking at the feature it represents on the map).

CTRL+U

Switch the selection.

SHIFT+DOWN ARROW (or SHIFT+UP ARROW)

Continuously select records (records are deselected if you switch arrow keys while still holding SHIFT).

Click top left cell of table

Clear the selection.

Hold SHIFT and click top left cell of table

Select all records.

Hold CTRL and click top left cell of table

Switch the selection.

Keyboard shortcuts that can be used for making selections with tables and the table window

* Only outside an edit session

Interacting with the map from the table

These keyboard shortcuts apply to the current feature. The current feature is the row with an arrow in the first cell on the left, which contains the cell outlined in a bold, black border. To change the current feature, move the cursor to a different row by clicking or using the keyboard. Keep in mind that the current feature may be different from the selected feature, where the whole row is colored cyan (the default color).

Keyboard shortcut

Function

CTRL+SHIFT+=

Zoom to selected features.

CTRL+=

Zoom to and flash the current feature.

CTRL+8

Flash current feature.

CTRL+N

Pan to and flash the current feature.

CTRL+I

Identify the current feature.

Double-click the gray cell to the left of a record

Zoom to feature represented by a record and select it.

Hold CTRL and double-click the gray cell to the left of a record

Pan to feature represented by a record and select it.

Keyboard shortcuts that can be used to interact with the map from tables and the table window

Navigating within the table

Keyboard shortcut

Function

TAB

Go to next column. If at end of row, go to first cell in the next row.

SHIFT+TAB

Go to previous column. If at start of row, go to last cell in the previous row.

ENTER

Go to next row in same column.

SHIFT+ENTER

Go to previous row in same column.

HOME

Go to first cell in row.

CTRL+HOME

Go to first row, first cell.

END

Go to last cell in row.

CTRL+END

Go to last row, last cell.

Arrow keys

Go the direction of the arrow key.

CTRL+LEFT ARROW

Go to first cell in row (same as HOME).

CTRL+RIGHT ARROW

Go to last cell in row (same as END).

CTRL+UP ARROW

Go to first row in same column.

CTRL+DOWN ARROW

Go to last row in same column.

CTRL+G

Jump to a record number.

CTRL+D

Go to Page (only for the Index layer of Data Driven Pages)

Keyboard shortcuts that can be used to navigate within tables and the table window

Working with fields

Keyboard shortcut

Function

Double-click a field name

Sort field.

CTRL+SHIFT+U

Remove field sorting.

Hold CTRL and double-click a field name (or CTRL+H)

Turn off field.

Hold CTRL+SHIFT and double-click a field name

Hide field. A hidden field will still be available in dialog boxes that list fields, but you can save space in the table window by hiding it.

Hold CTRL and right-click a field name (or CTRL+SHIFT+N)

Switch between showing field names and field aliases.

Hold ALT and double-click a field name (or CTRL+SHIFT+P)

Open the Field Properties dialog box.

Hold SHIFT and double-click a field name (or CTRL+SHIFT+S)

Open the Advanced Table Sorting dialog box.

CTRL+SHIFT+F

Open the Field Calculator dialog box.

CTRL+SHIFT+G

Open the Calculate Geometry dialog box.

CTRL+SHIFT+Z

Resize the fields automatically.

Hold SHIFT and roll the mouse wheel

Scroll the table horizontally so you can see more fields in the window.

Hold CTRL and roll the mouse wheel

Zoom in and out on the table window.

Keyboard shortcuts that can be used to work with fields within tables and the table window

Editing in the table

Keyboard shortcut

Function

CTRL+E

Start or stop an edit session.

CTRL+S

Save edits.

CTRL+C (or CTRL+INSERT)

Copy the value in a cell onto the clipboard.

CTRL+SHIFT+C

Copy the selected records onto the clipboard.

F2

Start editing a cell.**

ESC

Cancel what has been edited in the cell and restore the original value.**

DELETE

Delete the selected rows.**

CTRL+V (or SHIFT+INSERT)

Paste.**

CTRL+Z

Undo edits to a record.**

CTRL+Y

Redo edits to a record.**

SHIFT+ENTER

Add a carriage return to the cell being edited, creating a multiline cell.

CTRL+F

Open the Find and Replace dialog box.

Keyboard shortcuts that can be used for editing within tables and the table window

** Only during an edit session

3/18/2014