smart computer use?

Sometimes, I wonder how much time I spend on my computer just looking through folders, documents, or text to find what I really am looking for.

The Problems

Example…

I want to see a particular picture, so I start browsing my file system, only to realize that I forgot where I actually put.

Or…

I’ve just done a search using Google. There is a particular search result that looks like it has the info I was searching for. I click through to the site, only to find that the particular page I’ve arrived on contains about 1500 words and is jumbled as hell. Now I gotta scan the text to find what I’m looking for.

Or…

I just opened an HTML document and want to make some quick edits. I’m looking for a particular bit of the code to edit, but need to scan a jumbled mess of Javascript, HTML tables and inline CSS to find the spot to edit. Now I gotta have sharp eyes to pick out what I’m looking for.

Stop there.

All these situations can be made easier by simply clicking CTRL+F on the keyboard (The Control Key plus the letter F key), and using the resulting search feature that magically appears.

The Solutions

In Windows, if you are browsing a folder or have Windows Explorer open, just hit CTRL+F to bring up the search pane and simply search for the file. Don’t waste your time browsing files unless you simply just feel like browsing through your files. Simple and smart.

In Firefox, if you are looking at a web page with tons of text, simply hit CTRL+F to bring up the search box, type in the bit of text your looking for, and Firefox just jumps to that part of the page and highlights the text. Simple and smart.

In pretty much any code editor, hit CTRL+F to bring up a search window. In some code editors you might even get an extra bonus with a search AND replace option, which is too sweet once you embrace that power. Simple to use and smart.

Save time and get used to searching and using the good old CTRL+F combo on your keyboard.

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