An accelerator is a keyboard shortcut for a menu command. An accelerator can be used whether or not a menu is visible. Each accelerator in an application must be unique. Accelerators are usually key combinations, such as Ctrl-S for “save”.

By convention, Navigator and VDA Tool accelerators are specified according to the following pattern:

Ctrl<Key>S

This specifies that the “Control” key is to be pressed along with the “S” key.

A mnemonic is a keyboard shortcut that is available only when a menu is visible. Because their function is confined to a single menu, mnemonics can usually be a single letter, such as C for “cut” or P for “paste”.