This is a complete list of LabVIEW development environment keyboard shortcut keys.
Object Movement
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Shift-click
Selects multiple objects; adds object to current selection.
Arrow keys
Moves selected objects one pixel at a time.
Shift-Arrow keys
Moves selected objects several pixels at a time.
Shift-click (drag)
Moves selected objects in one axis.
Ctrl-click (drag)
Duplicates selected object
Ctrl-Shift-click (drag)
Duplicates selected object and moves it in one axis.
Shift-resize
Resizes selected object while maintaining aspect ratio.
Ctrl-resize
Resizes selected object while maintaining center point.
Ctrl-Shift-resize
Resizes selected object while maintaining center point and aspect ratio.
Ctrl-drag a rectangle
Adds more working space to the front panel or block diagram.
Ctrl-A
Selects all front panel or block diagram items.
Ctrl-Shift-A
Performs last alignment operation on objects.
Ctrl-D
Performs last distribution operation on objects.
Double-click open space
Adds a free label to the front panel or block diagram if automatic tool selection is enabled.
Ctrl-mouse wheel
Scrolls through subdiagrams of a Case, Event, or Stacked Sequence structure.
Spacebar (drag)
Disables preset alignment positions when moving object labels or captions.
Navigating the LabVIEW Environment
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-F
Finds objects or text.
Ctrl-Shift-F
Displays Search Results window or the Find Project Items dialog box with the previous search results.
Ctrl-G
Searches for next instance of object or text.
Ctrl-Shift-G
Searches for previous instance of VIs, object, or text.
Ctrl-Tab
Cycles through LabVIEW windows in the order the windows appear onscreen. The order of the windows depends on the window manager you use.
Ctrl-Shift-Tab
Cycles the opposite direction through LabVIEW windows.
Ctrl-L
Displays the Error List window.
Ctrl-Shift-W
Displays the All Windows dialog box.
Ctrl-Shift-B
Displays the Class Browser window.
Navigating Front Panels and Block Diagrams
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-E
Displays block diagram or front panel window.
Ctrl-#
Enables or disables grid alignment. On French keyboards, press the <Ctrl-"> keys. (Mac OS) Press the <Command-*> keys.
Ctrl-/
Maximizes and restores window.
Ctrl-T
Tiles front panel and block diagram windows.
Ctrl-Shift-N
Displays the Navigation window.
Ctrl-I
Displays the VI Properties dialog box.
Ctrl-Y
Displays the History window.
Navigating the VI Hierarchy Window
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-D
Redraws the VI Hierarchy window.
Ctrl-A
Shows all VIs in the VI Hierarchy window.
Ctrl-click VI
Displays the subVIs and other nodes that make up the VI you select in the VI Hierarchy window.
Enter
Finds the next node that matches the search string after initiating a search by typing in the VI Hierarchy window.
Shift-Enter
Finds the previous node that matches the search string after initiating a search by typing in the VI Hierarchy window.
Debugging
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-Down arrow
Steps into node.
Ctrl-Right arrow
Steps over node.
Ctrl-Up arrow
Steps out of node.
File Operations
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-N
Opens a new, blank VI.
Ctrl-O
Opens an existing VI.
Ctrl-W
Closes the VI.
Ctrl-S
Saves the VI.
Ctrl-Shift-S
Saves all open files.
Ctrl-P
Prints the window.
Ctrl-Q
Quits LabVIEW.
Basic Editing
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-Z
Undoes last action.
Ctrl-Shift-Z
Redoes last action.
Ctrl-X
Cuts an object.
Ctrl-C
Copies an object.
Ctrl-V
Pastes an object.
Help
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-H
Displays Context Help window.
Ctrl-Shift-L
Locks Context Help window.
Ctrl-? or <F1>
Displays LabVIEW Help.
Tools and Palettes
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl
Switches to next most useful tool.
Shift
Switches to Positioning tool.
Ctrl-Shift over open space
Switches to Scrolling tool.
Spacebar
Toggles between two most common tools if automatic tool selection is disabled.
Shift-Tab
Enables automatic tool selection.
Tab
Cycles through four most common tools if you disabled automatic tool selection by clicking the automatic tool selection button. Otherwise, enables automatic tool selection.
Arrow keys
Navigates temporary Controls and Functions palettes.
Displays a temporary version of the Tools palette at the location of the cursor.
SubVIs
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Double-click subVI
Displays subVI front panel.
Ctrl-double-click subVI
Displays subVI block diagram and front panel.
Drag VI icon to block diagram
Places that VI as a subVI on the block diagram.
Shift-drag VI icon to block diagram
Places that VI as a subVI on the block diagram with constants wired for controls that have non-default values.
Ctrl-right-click block diagram and select VI from palette
Opens front panel of that VI.
Execution
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-R
Runs the VI.
Ctrl-.
Stops the VI, when used while VI is running.
Ctrl-M
Changes to run or edit mode.
Ctrl-Run button
Recompiles the current VI.
Ctrl-Shift-Run button
Recompiles all VIs in memory.
Ctrl-Down arrow
Moves key focus inside an array or cluster, when used while VI is running.
Ctrl-Up arrow
Moves key focus outside an array or cluster, when used while VI is running.
Tab
Navigates the controls or indicators according to tabbing order, when used while VI is running.
Shift-Tab
Navigates backward through the controls or indicators, when used while VI is running.
Wiring
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Ctrl-B
Deletes all broken wires in a VI.
Esc, right-click, or click terminal
Cancels a wire you started.
Single-click wire
Selects one segment.
Double-click wire
Selects a branch.
Triple-click wire
Selects entire wire.
A
While wiring, disables automatic wire routing temporarily.
Double-click (while wiring)
Tacks down wire without connecting it.
Spacebar
Toggles automatic wiring while moving objects.
Shift-click
Undoes last point where you set a wire.
Ctrl-click input on function with two inputs
Switches the two input wires.
Spacebar
Switches the direction of a wire between horizontal and vertical.
Text
Keyboard Shortcut
Description
Double-click
Selects a single word in a string.
Triple-click
Selects an entire string.
Ctrl-Right arrow
Moves forward in string by one word when using text that has characters that use single bytes, such as Western character sets. Moves forward in string by one character when using text that has characters that use multiple bytes, such as Asian character sets.
Ctrl-Left arrow
Moves backward in string by one word when using text that has characters that use single bytes, such as Western character sets. Moves backward in string by one character when using text that has characters that use multiple bytes, such as Asian character sets.
Home
Moves to beginning of current line in string.
End
Moves to end of current line in string.
Ctrl-Home
Moves to beginning of entire string.
Ctrl-End
Moves to end of entire string.
Shift-Enter
Adds new items when entering items in enumerated type controls and constants, ring controls and constants, or Case structures. In string constants, press the <Shift-Enter> keys on the keyboard to disable autosizing if it is enabled. If autosizing is disabled, press the <Shift-Enter> keys on the keyboard to display a scroll bar in the constant.
Esc
Cancels current edit in a string.
Ctrl-Enter
Ends text entry.
Ctrl-=
Increases the current font size.
Ctrl--
Decreases the current font size.
Ctrl-0
Displays the Font dialog box.
Ctrl-1
Changes to the Application font in Font dialog box.
Ctrl-2
Changes to the System font in the Font dialog box.
Ctrl-3
Changes to the Dialog font in the Font dialog box.
Ctrl-4
Changes to the current font in the Font dialog box.
