How do you use a computer without function keys?

masklinn · on April 4, 2018

Normally? The only program I use regularly which needs function keys is htop. The only other I can think of is gitk, and I try to avoid that thing.

MacOS/OSX doesn't really have a history of using function keys, so pretty much the only software which does is stuff which was "ported" from other unices where relying on function keys is more standard.

crispinb · on April 5, 2018

Xcode (a macOS exclusive) uses function keys by default (for debugging). Cross-platform apps (not just ports) very commonly use F keys (eg. JetBrains stuff).

sitharus · on April 4, 2018

Easily. Even as a full time software developer (full stack, SQL Server, C#, Typescript) I barely use the function keys. Everything's bound to chords I can easily hit without moving my hands.

Of course, your set can be completely different, we all have our preferences and there's nothing wrong with that.

fouc · on April 5, 2018

It's a good question, you made me think about how rarely do I touch that upper row of buttons on my MBP. Mostly I'm in a web browser or in terminal & vim, so I never end up using the function keys at all. What a waste.

s73v3r_ · on April 4, 2018

I do it every day. The function keys to me always hid functionality, and I never found it easy to discover what they did. Usually there was another, and better documented way to do whatever they did anyway.