The standard keyboard interface for menus can be enhanced by adding access keys (mnemonics) to menu items. An access key is an underlined letter in the text of a menu item. When a menu is active, the user can select a menu item by pressing the key that corresponds to the item's underlined letter. The user makes the menu bar active by pressing the alt key to highlight the first item on the menu bar. A menu is active when it is displayed.
To create an access key for a menu item, precede any character in the item's text string with an ampersand. For example, the text string "&Move" causes the system to underline the letter "M".