Keyboard shortcuts

Although Sage Accounts is a Windows application and designed for use with a mouse, you can also use it with a keyboard. Using the keyboard can be faster than using a mouse and improve processing speed.

Note: Not all areas of Sage Accounts are available via the keyboard, these areas include sorting column lists and certain graph options.

The Option bars

The Title bar

The Menu bar

The Status bar

The Tool or Navigation bar

The standard shortcut keys used by Sage Accounts

When using Sage Accounts some function keys have automatic routines attached to them. Using these will help you speed up your processing.

F1	Opens the online Help system and is specific to the to the window or option you are currently accessing.
F2	Opens the Calculator where you can use the keyboard to enter calculations.
F3	When creating invoices, sales orders or purchase orders, this opens the Edit Item Line window. This displays the information relating to that particular item on the invoice or order. When creating a customer or supplier receipt, this pays the receipt in full.
F4	Opens a Quick Reference list containing all reference numbers for a particular box.
F5	If the cursor is in a monetary box and you press F5, the currency calculator appears and if pressed in a text box, the spell checker appears.
F6	In batch data entry windows F6 copies information from the field above. Tip: If you use Shift and F6 in the batch data entry windows it copes information from the field above and increments it by one.
F7	Inserts a blank line in the row above.
F8	Deletes the whole line of information.
F9	Activates the Calculate Net Amount option, which splits the total you enter in the Net box into the net and VAT amounts.
F11	By default, this opens the Windows Control Panel. You can configure this key to call up alternative software. For further information about this, please refer to the section To configure the F11 or F12 function keys.
F12	F12 Sage 50 Accounts and Sage Line 50, Instant Accounts Plus and Instant Accounts v12. By default, this function key calls up Sage Report Designer. You can configure this key to call up alternative software. For further information about this, please refer to the section To configure the F11 or F12 function keys.

To configure the F11 or F12 function keys

Although by default, there are routines attached to these two function keys, you can configure them to activate the software of your choice.

Tools > Options > Environment > complete the Environment window as follows > OK.

F11	Enter the path and software that you want to activate with the F11 function key.
F12	Enter the path and software that you want to activate with the F12 function key.
Configure F12 as Hide Key	To configure F12 to minimise the software, select this check box.

Keystrokes that activate options within Sage Accounts

This section explains how to use certain keystrokes to activate options within Sage Accounts.

Space Bar

Opens or activates the selected item.

Alt + Letter

Opens the menu, where letter is the underlined letter on the menu bar.

Ctrl + Page Up, Ctrl + Page Down

Open information windows accessible by tabs.

For example, in a customer record you can use these keys to open the various tabs associated with the record you are currently accessing.

Alt H, then A

Opens the Help, About window.

Alt + F4

Closes Sage Accounts.

Module lists

When using modules that show lists of records, for example Customers or Suppliers, to jump to the first record alphabetically press the corresponding key on your keyboard.

Note: The record highlighted depends upon the current sort in the module. For example, if you sort the customer list by the Name column, then press the S key, the first customer whose name begins with S is highlighted. The active sort for any column is indicated by a small triangle in that column heading.