Control-X
In computing, control-X is a control character in ASCII code, also known as the cancel (CAN) character. It is generated by pressing the X key while holding down the Ctrl key on a computer keyboard.
In many GUI environments, control-X can be used to cut selected text into the clipboard.
Control-X was one of a handful of keyboard sequences chosen by the program designers at Xerox PARC to control text editing. Presumably these particular keystrokes were chosen because of their location on a standard QWERTY keyboard, since the Z (undo), X (cut), C (copy), and V (paste) keys are located together at the left end of the bottom row of the standard QWERTY keyboard. Such usage continues today in many GUI environments (including Microsoft Windows and Mac OS (although here the Command key is used instead of the control key)) and word processing software.
Trivia
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With a little bit of imagination the X in Ctrl-X can be seen as a pair of scissors and some word processors will use a pair of scissors for the "cut"-function.
Summary
- ASCII and Unicode representation of "Cancel":
- Octal code: 30
- Decimal code: 24
- Hexadecimal code: 18, U+0018
- Mnemonic symbol: CAN
See also
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