The function keys, typically labeled F1 through F12, are hardware keys on a computer keyboard reserved by the operating system or the current application to perform a given function. Common function key assignments include F1 to open the help file and F5 to refresh the content of the current pane (such as in a file explorer or web browser).
Function keys can frequently be combined with other key modifiers, such as the ALT or CTRL key. Pressing CTRL+F5, for example, changes the refresh in a web browser from a soft refresh (the browser reloads the page from the local cache) to a hard refresh (the browser completely reloads the page from the remote host).
- By Jason Fitzpatrick on 05/30/13