Access characters are used to choose a menu option with the keyboard by pressing the key combination ALT + <access character>. This opens the pull-down menu attached to the associated menu option or initiates the action defined for this menu option.

The access characters also combine to form a fast path for starting tasks or for initiating an action. To do this, you have to enter a period into the Command Field followed by a string of access characters in the order of the sequence of menu options you would have to choose with the mouse in order to initiate the desired action.