Welcome to another episode of TechMan's infrequent series, "It's right in front of me, but what is it?"

Today's topic is function keys. OK computer users, assume the position and find the row of keys right above the number keys on your keyboard. See them? They're probably labeled F1 through F12.

Those are the function keys. (If your keyboard doesn't have them, stop reading now.)

Like many things on the keyboard, function keys have been around since the dawn of the personal computer. Also, like many of the original keys, no one uses them. When was the last time you used the F7 key? Tell the truth.

The original idea of the function keys was that users would want a key that they could program, thus they are sometimes called programmable keys.

As was often the case in the early days of PCs, the people designing them thought they would be used by only hobbyists who would want to do geeky things like program keys. When computers became everyday tools, the function keys were taken over by applications.

Thus the problem with function keys. They do different things depending on what program is running.

However, some standards grew out of IBM's Common User Access (CUA). It was published in 1987 in an attempt to bring harmony to DOS programs.

CUA specified that the F1 key accessed the help resources and that the F10 key activated and deactivated menus. Such standards persisted in Windows because the Windows Consistent User Interface (CWI) was based on CUA.

As more and more applications became available, many of them had their own uses for the function keys. But there was still some consistency. F5 in most browsers and in Windows refreshes the screen or the open window, for example.

Yet in Microsoft Word it opens the find, replace window and in Powerpoint it starts a slideshow. You start to see the problem.

The Mac originally did not have function keys, but now it does. In OS9 they were programmable, but in OSX they are assigned to tasks such as the Expose or Dashboard features. However under the Keyboard tab in System Preferences, users can reclaim the ability to have specialized function keys.

To make it even more complicated, the function keys can be combined with the shift key, alt key, Windows key (in Windows) or option key or command key (on the Mac) to do other assorted functions.

Again, an example. In most Microsoft applications, F10 activates the menu bar (as per the CUA). But shift F10 is the same as right-clicking.

Microsoft Office programs have tried to standardize as much as possible. However, since Word does very different tasks than Excel, for example, this is not always an option.

But function keys can be very handy, saving keystrokes needed to perform repetitive tasks. They become even more useful when speed is an issue.

So it is worth your time to memorize their use in programs you constantly use. Some programs make it easy. In Microsoft Word, if you go to Tools/Customize/Toolbars tab and check the box beside Function Key Display then click OK, the uses of the functions keys will show across the bottom of the screen.

There is no way to program function keys as part of modern versions of Windows, at least not that TechMan can find.

Some applications allow you to assign functions to keys. In Microsoft Word you'll find that ability in Tools/Customize and click the Keyboard button at the bottom of the screen.

There is plenty of third-party software available to allow you to assign various functions to keys, some of it free.

So just remember those keyboard soldiers, the F keys. A little effort can turn them from a row of derelicts into a parade of helpers.