A Caps Lock key is one of the keys commonly found on a computer keyboard. On most computer keyboard layouts, this key is located on the left side of the keyboard, below the tab key and above the shift key, although it appears in other locations on some keyboards. The function of this key is to enable or disable an option that makes each letter typed appear by default as an uppercase letter instead of a lowercase letter.
A keyboard with a Caps Lock key.
In everyday work, the Caps Lock key is often used when the user needs to type a long string of capital letters, for example, an acronym that contains several letters. In Internet culture, people often capitalize words to denote anger, emphasis, or general yelling. Many people also turn on caps lock when creating important headings, titles, or notes in documents. It is usually easiest to use this key only when a large number of uppercase letters are required. Otherwise, it’s easier to hold down the shift key to get one or two consecutive uppercase letters.
When enabled, the Caps Lock key will cause all letters to be typed in uppercase instead of lowercase.
When the Caps Lock button is on and the default typing mode uses all uppercase letters, the Shift key can also be held down to temporarily return to lowercase. This function is similar to how shift is used to create uppercase letters when Caps Lock mode is off. This can be a useful option when typing many long strings of uppercase letters with the occasional lowercase letter.
The Caps Lock key is also used in computer games. In most games, the key function can be re-enabled to perform a different function. However, by default, this key often causes the character to crouch, sneak, run, or some other similar action, depending on the game.
The Caps Lock key is generally not considered a vital key on the keyboard. While useful in some cases, its function can essentially be performed by holding down the Shift key while typing. Some computer users choose to use a program to disable the caps lock feature, usually to avoid the frustration of accidentally pressing the key while typing and discovering that all text is in upper case. Some brands of computers and laptops have even started to omit caps lock from the keyboard layout.
