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Article: Avoid using access keys, clash example page

Date: 2007-04-11
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This page contains links with access keys set that disregard clashes with common keyboard functions of the browser or reader you may be using.

This page exists purely as an example of how NOT to use access keys.

In Internet Explorer and most other browsers.
Alt+D will activate the address bar.
Alt+F activates the File menu.
Alt+E activates the Edit menu.
Alt+V activates the View menu.
Alt+A activates the Favourites menu.
Alt+T activates the Tools menu.
Alt+H activates the Help menu.

Example links:
Example 1:
Anchor link without an access key set:
Home

Now the same link with a logical access key of H set. To use press Alt+H together.
Home

For most users the link is activated rather than the browsers Help menu. It now isn't easily possible to activate the browsers Help menu using usual keyboard shortcut of Alt+H since the link is stealing it.

Example 2:
Anchor link without an access key set:
Divisions Page

Now the same link with a logical access key of D set. To use press Alt+D together.
Divisions Page

For most users the link is activated rather than the browsers Address Bar. It isn't easily possible to select the address bar using the usual shortcut of Alt+D since the link is stealing it.

If you expand the two annoying examples on this page by the number of links in any page on this site, you can begin to see that the using access keys would quickly clash with and disrupt browsers keyboard shortcuts.

An example of this in the real world (at the time of writing) is on the website for The Ontario Ministry of Energy. Here if you press Alt+F to try and access the browsers File menu by its shortcut, the webpage overrides you and loads the French language version instead. This is because Alt+F is set as the access key for the French version of the page.

Pressing Alt+D to try and move to the browsers address bar brings up the latest news releases page. Again thanks to the setting of an Access key for Alt+D.

The keyboard shortcuts of the browser have been replaced. This makes it difficult for those using keyboard navigation to use their browsers whilst on such a page. Ironically, it was this situation that access keys were intended to help, not hinder.

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