The Tab and Enter keys · البرمجة مع مارتن

A mouse is not required

Pros in a spreadsheet almost never click. Tab jumps right. Enter down. Shift+Tab left. Shift+Enter up.

When you fill ten subjects, Enter in column A and Tab into column B is faster than a mouse after every cell.

💡

Enter vs Tab after typing: Enter = next row, same column. Tab = same row, next column. With grades: subject → Tab → grade → Enter → next subject.

Grades without a mouse

Sheet Grades. Click A2 (or the first empty row under the headings).
Type Music. Tab — you are in B2. Type 1. Enter — you are in A3.
Art, Tab, 2, Enter.
PE, Tab, 1, Enter.

Look left at the address. After Enter you are in column A, one row down. After Tab you are in B, the same row.

When Enter, when Tab

You want	Key
Next column (grade next to the subject)	Tab
Next row (a new subject)	Enter after filling the last column
Back left	Shift+Tab
Up	Shift+Enter

⚠️

Enter in the middle of a row. When you type a grade in B2 and press Enter, you jump to B3 — not to A3. Enter goes down in the same column. After the grade you want Tab back? No — you want Enter after the last column, or Tab to the next column and then Enter from B.

The right rhythm: A2 text → Tab → B2 number → Enter → A3.

Arrows and F2

Arrows — move around cells when you are not editing.
F2 (Mac: sometimes Fn+F2) — edit the cell, cursor inside the text.
Escape — cancel the edit, bring back the old content.

Click B3. Press F2. Add a digit, delete, Escape — the original value comes back.

Pocket money — the same rhythm

On Pocket row 2:

A2 Mon (or you already have days). Tab → B2 income number. Tab → C2 spend. Enter → A3.
Fill three days without a mouse. Tab between columns, Enter for a new day.

🏫 Grade average

One sheet, two columns: subject and grade. At the bottom a sum and an average.

💰 Pocket money

Rows = days, columns = income / spend / left.

📊 Class survey

One question, answers in one column, later a chart.

🏆 Mini dashboard

Three numbers at the top and one chart. Numbers as a link, not copied by hand.

Now you 💪

You added two grade rows with only Tab + Enter, no mouse between cells.
After Enter under a grade you are in A, not in B (Enter from B goes down in B — you know that too).
Shift+Tab from B2 takes you back to A2.
F2 on a cell opens edit. Escape cancels the change.
On pocket money you filled one row: day → Tab → came in → Tab → spent → Enter.

✅

Check: Tab and Enter save you clicking. You know where each key jumps.

What to take from this lesson

Tab = right. Enter = down. Shift turns the direction.
Subject Tab grade Enter = one data row.
Enter from a middle column goes down in the column, not to the start of the row.
F2 edits. Escape cancels.
In Excel on a computer the same behaviour.