What does Shift Backspace do?

In the list of keyboard shortcuts (Under Tools-Customize-Keyboard) the description for the shortcut key Shift+Backspace is “Shift+Backspace.” What does it do? It appears to do the same thing as Backspace by itself.

Hello @catbill,

+1 for interesting find.

First i tried pressing Shift+Backspace in my Writer document, and like you said, it does exactly the same as pressing only Backspace ( without Shift ), that is, it deletes the selection or the character to the left.

In my Keyboard Shortcuts tab in “Tools : Customize…”, there is also a Shortcut defined for Shift+Backspace, and its description indeed reads: “Shift+Backspace” … Not much info there…

Then i searched for the Shortcut Key “Shift+Backspace” in the Help file Shortcut Keys for LibreOffice Writer, but unfortunately no Shortcut Key for “Shift+Backspace” is listed there.

Yet i saw that there exists a special UNO Dispatch command called .uno:ShiftBackspace with the corresponding identifier FN_SHIFT_BACKSPACE in the source code, so the Shortcut Key must be relevant too.

Searching in OpenGrok it revealed this page.

Interpreting this code on first sight, it appears to me that the command FN_SHIFT_BACKSPACE does exactly the same as the command FN_BACKSPACE listed one case up, but without taking an eventual Numbering/Outline level into consideration.

I guess that way one could hold Shift+Backspace inside a Numbered List, then it will keep on deleting until the number, then it stops.

Hope this helps,
lib

I tested and can confirm that you are correct. Thank you for looking into this.

Considering all of the possible shortcuts that I believe would be more useful, it is puzzling that it was decided to make this one a default.

Anyway, I am trying to compile a list of all of the shortcuts with clear descriptions of what they do. Unfortunately, several of the descriptions are not at all clear.

Thanks for confirming this @catbill,

Your compiled list would be a welcome addition to the (short) descriptions listed in the LO Help for Keyboard Shortcuts. Perhaps a good opportunity for a “community wiki”? Then it can be added to while the list grows…

That sounds like a good idea and I will look into it with the documentation team. In addition, I would like to make a Writer version available so that people can add their own shortcuts and descriptions. I would like it to be a cheat sheet for people at any skill level–especially people for whom it is difficult to use a mouse. My hope is that people can start seeing how useful it is to use shortcuts and how easy it is to make their own.

I am having to chase down several shortcuts with mysterious names that I would imagine are rarely used, if ever.