Break key

The pause button is located on a PC computer keyboard usually right next to the key press / print screen and rolls / Scroll Lock and used on its own to stop, in combination with Ctrl / Shift contrast to cancel protection of computer programs. The latter function is called by the mostly on the button to place second label Break ( German ) or Break ( Swiss ).

A few computers have next to their own Break key or Break key on your keyboard.

For other computers, especially notebooks with a reduced keyboard, are both functions by various key combinations, often implemented with the Fn key, which can vary depending on your computer; usually the functions of each key is printed. If you are in a command line environment, the key combination Ctrl C is often recognized as a signal to cancel. Under MS- DOS is Ctrl Break or Ctrl Break differs by Ctrl C or Ctrl C, that the latter is monitored by DOS, or to be interrupted application itself, while Ctrl Break or Ctrl Break directly from keyboard driver is monitored and therefore often works when Ctrl C is already set by an application error disabled. For newer operating systems, it no longer is this difference.

On IBM -compatible keyboards with PS / 2 or DIN interface the pause button is the only button that generates absolutely no scan code when released. Therefore, to detect whether the pause button is pressed or not any software on the computer. Pressing the button sends an extended scan code sequence, which essentially pressing and releasing the key combination Ctrl Num or Ctrl Num Lock, supplemented by additional 0xE1 scan codes corresponding to; this is so because the pause function could actually be achieved as Ctrl Num for the oldest PC keyboards that have not had their own pause button. The Ctrl Break, (ie Break / Break), sends scan codes that are similar to the Ctrl Scroll Lock or Ctrl Scroll Lock, because that was achieved on the oldest keyboards, the Cancel function.

Importance

The Pause or Break / Break key is a relic on the computer keyboard. In most of today's PC applications, the pause button is of no or only minor importance, in certain situations, but it is still needed.

Thus it can be interrupted by the start of the BIOS pause button and continue with any key. In addition, DOS batch files can be terminated by pressing Ctrl Break / Ctrl Break. In programming languages ​​such as BASIC or Pascal, this key combination has (or independent Break / Break key) an important role, since it can be canceled with tested programs, for example, in infinite loops or other problems early. They also found in many games use to pause the game or stop.

On Windows, the pause button allows you display the properties of the workstation ( system properties) when it is pressed simultaneously with the Windows key.

• Computer Key