In the previous tutorial we used Query By Example (QBE) on a database of countries to answer questions such as ‘Which countries are members of the UN Security Council?’ and ‘Which countries have a population over 20 million and an area over 2 million square kilometres?’ These are simple queries which we created using QBE and basic operators such as > (greater than).

It’s possible to ask more complex questions, such as:

• Which country joined the UN most recently?
• Which countries are in the top 5% in terms of area?
• Which five countries have the lowest population density?

The way you tackle these queries depends on which database program you use. I’ll be using Microsoft Access in the examples, as it has querying tools that leave most other PC databases in the shade. You can download a sample copy of the database to try this out for yourself.

Comparative queries

The simple queries we explored last time did nothing more than find a matching value (Name=Namibia), or compare a value in a field to a constant (Population<=20000000).

We can take this a step further and run queries that will compare one piece of data against the rest of the data in the table. These are real bread-and-butter queries. For instance, in a sales database, you might want the answers to questions such as: Which region had the lowest sales for the quarter? Who are our five best salespeople? Which salespeople performed better this quarter than last?

To ask these types of questions, you need to use something a little more sophisticated than QBE. In Access, you use the Query Designer.

Using Access’s Query Designer

Let’s start with the question, Which country joined the UN most recently? Here’s how to get the answer:

1. Open the Countries database in Access.
2. In the main Database Window, click Queries in the Objects list.
3. Double-click Create Query In Design View. A Query window opens together with a Show Table box containing all the tables in our database.
4. Select the Countries table, click Add, and then click Close. This adds the Countries database to the Query window, so we can work with it.
5. Click Name in the list of fields and then hold down the Ctrl key and click JoinedUN (you may need to scroll to see it). Drag the two fields to the left-hand column in the query design grid. The two fields will appear side by side in the grid. The top row in the grid shows the field name; the second row shows which table the field belongs to (we’ll get into multi-table queries at a later date); the third row lets you specify a sort order for the results; the fourth row (Show) specifies whether you want the contents of this field displayed in the results; the fifth and sixth rows specify criteria for selecting records.
6. In the JoinedUN column on the grid, click in the Sort row and, from the drop-down box, select Descending. This tells Access we want the table sorted with the most recent records (those with the’largest’ dates) first.
7. In the toolbar, beside the Sigma button you’ll see an empty drop-down box. This is the Top Values button. Type 1 in this box. We’re looking for the ‘top date’, so to speak – the most recent date in the JoinedUN field – so we want the top, single value.
8. Run the query by clicking the Run button (it has an exclamation mark on it). You’ll see the result is Tuvalu, which joined the UN on the 5th September, 2000.

geekgirl:geopolitical update

In fact, if you run this query on the updated version of the Countries database I now have online, you’ll find the answer is not Tuvalu, but South Sudan. East Timor, Switzerland, Montenegro and South Sudan have all joined the United Nations since I first wrote this article. While I’ve left the article text the same, I have updated the database to reflect these recent additions to the United Nations family (I haven’t had a chance to update the population figures, alas).

These changes show how useful database queries can be: Provided the data in your database is accurate and up to date, you can use a query you created years ago on your current data and get an accurate and up-to-date result.

Saving and re-running queries

Click the Close box on the Query window. You’ll be asked whether you want to save the query. Click Yes, name the query Most Recent Member and click OK.

Why should you save a query? After all, you already know the answer to your question is Tuvalu. But then, the answer won’t always be Tuvalu. Say Switzerland decides to join the UN this year, or a new country emerges from one of the bubbling spots on the globe and becomes a new member? (See the Geopolitical Update above.)

By saving the query, you can re-run it at any time and find the up-to-date answer to your question. This may seem a fairly trivial operation with our simple example, but when you’re creating complex queries or, more importantly, when your data changes regularly, saved queries eliminate a lot of work.

To use your saved query, simply double-click it in the Queries list.

Query types

The Most Recent Member query you created is called a Select query. Access lets you create five different types of query:

Select queries. Used to retrieve data from one or more tables and display the results in a datasheet, which you can save or modify. You can also use Select queries to group records and calculate sums, averages and so on.

Parameter queries. For creating on-the-fly queries which prompt the user for criteria at the time the query is run. For example, you can create a parameter query that answers the question: Which countries have a population greater than X and less than Y? Each time you run the query, it will prompt you for the values of X and Y. Thus you can use the same query repeatedly to discover different information.

Crosstab queries. Used to summarise data from one field and group it in tabular fashion according to two criteria.

Action queries. Queries that make changes to the records in a table. There are four type of action queries: Delete queries remove records from a table; Update queries make global changes to a group of records in a table; Append queries add records from one or more tables to the end or one or more tables; Make-table queries create a new table from all or part of the data in an existing table.

SQL queries. A query created using SQL, which is a highly advanced querying language. SQL queries give you enormous flexibility, but require a high degree of expertise to use effectively.

A select query example

Let’s quickly run through a second select query, answering the question: Which countries are in the top 5% in terms of area?

1. Double-click Create Query In Design View.
2. Select the Countries table, click Add, and then click Close.
3. Click Name in the list of fields, Ctrl-click Area, and drag the two fields to the grid.
4. In the Area column, choose Descending from the Sort drop-down box.
5. In the Top Values box on the toolbar, type 5% (or select it from the drop-down list).
6. Click Run to execute the query.

Calculated fields

How about the question: Which five countries have the lowest population density? We don’t have a Population Density field in our table, so how can we calculate it?

We do it by creating a new field which becomes part of our results (note, though, that the field does not become part of the existing table structure). Here’s how:

1. Double-click Create Query In Design View.
2. Select the Countries table, click Add, and then click Close.
3. Drag the Name and Population fields onto the grid.
4. In the top row of the empty third column on the grid, type:

PopDensity: population/area

and press Enter. We’re creating a new column (PopDensity) whose values will be calculated by dividing each country’s population by its area. By the way, if you can’t see the entire contents of this column, drag the right-hand edge of the column header to the right to resize it.

5. In the Top Values box on the toolbar, type 5.
6. Click the Totals button (it has the Sigma sign on it). A new Totals row appears in the grid.
7. In the PopDensity column choose Ascending from the Sort box.
8. Click Run to execute the query.

The results show the names, population and population density for the world’s least populated countries.

This Select query in Access finds the five most sparsely populated countries in the world using a calculated field, PopDen

An action query

Let’s finish up by converting that last query into an action query. This query doesn’t merely provide us with the results; it saves them in a new table which includes a PopDensity field in its structure. The original table remains intact and unchanged; it’s the new results table which has the extended structure.

1. If you have the query results still showing, click the View button at the left end of the toolbar to view the query in design mode once more. If you have already closed the query, recreate it.
2. Click the down arrow on the Query Type button on the toolbar and select Make-Table Query.
3. Name the query Sparsely Populated, leave the Current Database option selected, and click OK.
4. Run the query and, when prompted, say Yes to create the new table.
5. Close the query, click Tables in the Objects panel, and you’ll see a new table called Sparsely Populated. Double-click it to see the query results in the new table. You’ll notice the new table contains five records (the most sparsely populated five countries) and three fields – Name, Population and PopDensity.

Related posts:

1. Databasics VII: Parameter Queries
2. Databasics V: Getting information out
3. Databasics I: Records & queries & keys, oh my!

Think of a customer database containing information such as customer names, addresses and phone numbers. In the State field, you’ll find the values QLD, VIC, WA, NT, NSW and so on repeated over and over (that is, if you live in Australia – adjust the values to suit your locale if you live elsewhere). Without a context, this list of state abbreviations is meaningless. Put a question to your database such as “What percentage of our customers live in WA?”, however, and the resulting answer is useful, meaningful information.

Queries

We’ve spent the last few tutorials looking at how to structure a database and how to design data entry forms. It’s vital to get this design phase right, otherwise you can’t be sure any information you get from your database will be trustworthy. Additionally, you want to make sure data entry is as easy as possible not only for the comfort of the people stuck with this task, but also to help ensure data is entered correctly. The more attention you pay to the design phase, the better. But the really interesting and useful stuff happens when you start trying to get information out of your database. This is where you turn the stored data into information – a process called querying.

A query is a question you ‘ask’ a database in order to get information in a useful format. As databases don’t understand plain English (although there have been attempts to design database programs that do), you have to phrase your question according to rules. The rules are usually referred to as a query language.

Query language

If this sounds a little intimidating, don’t let it faze you. Chances are you’re already familiar with using a simple form of query language on the Internet. That’s because Web search engines are, in fact, a type of database. When you type a search phrase such as:

piano steinway bechstein

into a Web search engine, the search engine queries its stored database of websites using the three keywords you’ve supplied. Your search will turn up all web pages that contain the word piano or Steinway or Bechstein, or any combination of the three words.

If you’ve done any advanced web searching, you may have tried creating Boolean search queries (named after George Boole, an English mathematician who helped develop symbolic logic). In Boolean queries you use logical operators such as AND (or &), OR and NOT to create more precise searches. Like this:

piano AND (steinway OR bechstein)

This search query will locate web pages that contain the words piano and Steinway, or the words piano and Bechstein, or all three words, but it won’t turn up pages that mention Steinway or Bechstein but don’t contain the word piano.

Querying a database is similar. The query language may be more extensive and you’ll be given tools that make the job very precise, but if you can use a search engine you won’t have too many problems learning how to query a database.

The actual way you create a query depends on the database program you use. For example, the database in Microsoft Works uses an ultra-simple, fill-in-the-blanks approach called query by example (QBE for short). Microsoft Access also has a QBE feature, called Filter By Form. Filter by Form is the easiest way to pull information out of an Access database, but for more complex queries and to create queries which can be re-run at any time, you’ll probably use Access’s Query Builder, a highly sophisticated query tool. Alpha Five and FileMaker Pro also offer a choice of methods to query your data, including QBE.

Making comparisons

You need more than Boolean operators to create a query. You also need a way to compare one value to another, and that’s where comparison operators come into play. In combination with Boolean operators, they let us create questions about our data that the database can understand.

You’ll be familiar with comparison operators from school arithmetic. Here’s a list of them.

To understand how to use comparison operators, imagine a database containing a country table which includes the following fields (the data type of each field is shown in parentheses):

(Note: You’ll find a link at the end of this article which will let you download a copy of the Countries database containing 194 country records, which you can use to try out your own queries.)

Using operators to make comparisons

Consider the types of information you might try to get from the database. Here are some examples:

1. What’s the population of Namibia?
2. Which countries are members of the Security Council and when did they join the UN?
3. Which countries are not members of the UN?
4. Which countries have a population under 20 million?
5. Which countries names begin with A, B or C?
6. Which countries have a population over 20 million or an area of over 2 million square kilometres?
7. Which countries have a population over 20 million and an area over 2 million square kilometres?

Take that first question – What’s the population of Namibia? To rephrase it so our database can understand what we’re asking, we make use of the = (is equal to) operator:

Show me the record in the Countries table where the Name field=”Namibia“, and display the value of the Population field for that record.

So, here are paraphrases for all of our questions:

1. Show me the record in the Countries table where the Name field=”Namibia”, and display the value of the Population field for that record.
2. Show me the records where SecurityCouncilMember=Yes, and display the value of the JoinedUN field for the matching records
3. Show me the records where UnitedNationsMember<>Yes
4. Show me the records where Population<20,000,000
5. Show me the records where Name<”D”
6. Show me the records where Population>20,000,000 OR Area>=2,000,000
7. Show me the records where Population>20,000,000 AND Area>=2,000,000

Broadening and narrowing the scope

Most of these are self explanatory, but let’s take a closer look at the last two where we’ve combined comparison and Boolean operators.

Example 6 displays all countries which either have a population of more than 20 million or which have an area of 2 million square miles or more or which have both a population over a million and an area that’s 2 million square miles or more.

Example 7 displays only those countries which have both a population of over 20 million and an area of 2 million square miles or greater.

The OR operator broadens the scope of the query to include more records. The AND operator narrows the scope of the query.

One other thing you may have noticed in example 5: You’re not restricted to using operators such as < and > with numbers alone. They work equally well with text and dates.

Using QBE

If all these operators have your head in a spin, never fear! Most database programs do all the hard work of concocting queries in the background, while you merely fill in a form to show the type of information you’re after. Nevertheless, if you want to create more complex queries or milk the most subtle information from your data, you’ll certainly put this knowledge to use. Even using query by example you’ll find yourself using comparison operators regularly.

Let’s step through a query by example in Microsoft Access and in FileMaker Pro. [You can download a copy of the sample Access database or the FileMaker database to try it for yourself. Note that you'll get a warning when you try to download the Access sample (countries.mdb) that it is an executable file. The file is completely safe, but if you're concerned, simply scan the file with your antivirus software before opening it.]

An example in Access

1. Double-click the Countries table in the Database window to open the table in Datasheet View. This view shows a list of all the records in the database.
2. Click the Filter By Form button on the toolbar (it has a picture of a funnel on top of a form). Your records will disappear and you’ll be presented with a single blank record.
3.  In the name field type Namibia and then click Apply Filter (the button with the filter on it). The matching record will be displayed.
4. Click the Apply Filter button (it’s now called the Remove Filter button) once more to redisplay all your records.

A more complex example

Now, for a slightly more complex query, let’s search for countries that have a population of 50 million or less which are also members of the UN Security Council:

1. Keep the Countries database open in Datasheet View.
2. Click the Filter By Form button.
3. If “Namibia” still shows in the Name field, delete it.
4. In the Population field, type <=50000000 (don’t put commas in the number) and tick the box in the SecurityCouncilMember field.
5. Click the Apply Filter button. You should see the records for Mali, Jamaica and the Ukraine.

Query By Example is delightfully simple, but it still has its pitfalls. For example, if you fail to tick (place a checkmark in) the UnitedNationsMember field in this Access query, you’ll get no matches. That’s because you’d be asking for records where the country is not a member of the United Nations but is a member of the UN Security Council, which, of course, cannot be. Click the image to see a full-sized version.

The same thing in FileMaker Pro

1. Open the Countries database and press Ctrl-F to go into Find Mode.
2. Type Namibia in the Name field and press Enter to display the matching record. Note that the number of matching records is displayed on the left.
3. Click the Show All Records button (the one with an eye) to redisplay all your records.

For the second query:

1. Press Ctrl-F to enter Find Mode.
2. Tab down to the Population field and type <=50000000.
3. Tab to the SecurityCouncilMember field, type Yes and press Enter to display the matching records. Flip through the matches by clicking the Records icon on the left.

More complex still

So far we’ve merely skimmed the surface of using queries. The QBE examples show how easy it is to get useful information out of a database, but there’s a whole lot more to querying, including the ability to save and re-use queries, and to create queries that prompt the user for information. We’ll examine queries in more detail in the next tutorial.

Related posts:

1. Databasics VI: Exploring query types
2. Databasics VII: Parameter Queries
3. Databasics I: Records & queries & keys, oh my!

Now that sounds like a lot. It probably is more than sufficient for most people’s needs. However, if you’re a real app hog or if you’re merely a moderate app hog who prefers not to shove things into folders, Apple is happy to accommodate you. Ever since the 3.0 update of iOS, we’ve been able to install any number of apps on the iPhone or iPad, limited only by the available storage.

So once your idevice’s screens are chockablock with apps, there’s no need to uninstall an app before adding a new one to your collection. Just go ahead and install it. Of course, once all your app ‘slots’ have been taken up, there’ll be no way for your device to display the newly installed app’s icon. It’s on your device, but it’s hidden from view.

Using Spotlight search to run a hidden app

Running a hidden app

Running a hidden app is easy. Just use Spotlight search:

1. From the Home screen, swipe right to display Spotlight search.
2. Start typing the name of the app in the search box.
3. Tap the app to run it.

Although this is easy, it’s not necessarily a convenient way to run an app, especially if that hidden app becomes one of your most-used apps. Or what if you want to delete the app? There’s no way to do that directly from your device because you can’t tap-and-hold the app’s icon, jiggle it and tap the delete button.

In both these cases, you’ll want to unhide the app.

Unhiding hidden apps

To make a hidden app visible:

1. Create a place to display the app by either deleting another (visible) app, or by dragging an app into a new or existing folder.
2. Switch your device off completely by holding the power button for a few seconds and swiping Slide to Power Off.
3. Turn your device back on.

Your app will now appear in the slot you provided.

Related posts:

1. Top tips for the iPhone keyboard
2. Geekgirl’s take on the iPhone 4
3. Reading nirvana: The mating of the Kindle and the iPhone

Open any Windows application and take a look at its Open and Save As dialog boxes. Notice how they look pretty much like the dialog boxes in any other application? That’s because Microsoft provides programmers with a set of common dialog boxes. Any programmer may  use these pre-designed dialog boxes to provide standard file management for their application. In fact, Microsoft encourages programmers to use the common dialogs in order to give Windows users a more consistent experience from one app to another.

You may have observed that in Windows 7, that single dialog box approach seems to have been derailed. That’s because some applications still use the old Windows XP dialog boxes instead of the revamped Windows 7 version. The most obvious difference between the two styles of dialog box is that XP’s rather restrictive Places bar is replaced by a more extensive navigation pane in the newer dialogs.

One of the features which has remained consistent – but not obvious – from XP to Windows 7, is the availability of right-click options within the file dialog boxes.

Right-click shortcuts

Give it a try:

1. Open an application and then press Ctrl-O, or click the Open icon, to display the Open dialog box.
2. Right-click any of the files or folders displayed in that dialog and you’ll see a context menu pop open. This is the same context menu you’ll find in Explorer windows.

From that context menu, you can perform all sorts of file tasks, from renaming or deleting a file to scanning it with your anti-virus software.

So while you normally use the Open or Save As dialogs simply to open or save a file, you can, in fact, achieve a whole lot more through them.

This is useful for a variety of tasks:

• Deleting unwanted files;
• Quickly performing a task you’d otherwise perform later, such as converting a document to a PDF;
• Scanning a file for viruses;
• Playing an MP3 music file (or, if you have WinAmp installed, you can queue a whole folder full of audio files to play);
• Adding a folder to a Windows Library;
• Performing a variety of on-the-fly actions when you notice something which needs changing, such as a filename.

The exact options you have available will depend on the software installed on your computer. For instance, you won’t be able to do PDF conversions unless you have Acrobat or another PDF program installed.

Limitations and extensions

There are some limitations on what you can do via the dialog boxes, too. For example, if you’re working on a document in Microsoft Word and you open the ‘Save As’ dialog box, you won’t be able to right-click another Word document and select Open to open it for editing as well. That’s because the dialog box you’re using has focus, meaning you have to close it before you can do anything else within Word.

There’s nothing stopping you from opening a document within another program, however. For example, you can open an Excel spreadsheet from within Word’s ‘Save As’ dialog box.

1. Press F12 in Word to open the ‘Save As’ dialog box.
2. You’ll note that the only files displayed are those you can edit in Word, such as .docx, .doc, .pdf, .txt and so on. To display Excel files, type *.xls or *.xlsx in the ‘File Name’ box and press Enter. (If you prefer to display all files, type *.* in the ‘File Name’ box and press Enter.)
3. Right-click an .xls file and select Open from the context menu to open it in Excel. While you’re editing the Excel spreadsheet, your Word dialog box will remain open, patiently awaiting your return. In fact, you could perform the same trick within Excel, opening a JPEG image for editing from within the Excel ‘Save As’ dialog box, in true babushka doll fashion.

Microsoft Word lets you perform another handy trick via the file dialog box: you can copy the contents of one document into another one.

1. Press F12 to display the ‘Save As’ dialog box.
2. Right-click any Word document and select Copy.
3. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.
4. Press Ctrl-V to paste the contents of the file into the document you’re currently editing.

Note that this technique doesn’t work if you try it with any other type of file or in most other programs; either nothing happens or you end up inserting the file itself — not the contents of the file — into the document you’re editing.

Related posts:

1. Find where a file is stored
2. Windows XP Control Panel shortcuts
3. Using the handy SendTo command

The last time you bought a computer system, how much attention did you pay to the quality of the mouse and keyboard? If you’re like most computer users, the answer is probably “Very little.”

Most of us simply accept the mouse and keyboard which come bundled with a system. But when you think about it, it’s those two components, together with the screen, that are really the most important for everyday computer use. It is via the mouse, the keyboard and the screen that we interact with our computer and thus our comfort, enjoyment and even our health are dependent on the quality of these three devices.

Admittedly, I’m something of a fanatic when it comes to mice and keyboards. That comes from spending anything up to 12 hours a day on the computer and having experienced times when my arms, neck and back all suffered from poor equipment and poor work practices.

So I was intrigued to give the Smartfish Whirl Laser ErgoMotion mouse a really good tryout. After all, how could I resist a mouse with an “anti-gravity comfort pivot”?

A strange looker

The Whirl comes in two sizes; the Mini is suited to portable computing while its larger sibling – the one I tested – is best for desktop use. Both models are wireless and include the convenient stumpy, compact USB transmitter which has become common.

When you look at the Whirl Laser from the side, it looks like a mouse mounted on a pedestal. ‘Ungainly’ is the word that comes to mind. When you first start using it, ungainly is how it feels. But only at first. The mouse itself feels comfortable enough under your hand, either right or left, but the gravity-defying, pivoting action takes some getting used to. The Whirl keeps your hand elevated above the mousepad and as you move it, your hand rocks around the central pivot point.

It’s that constant movement which is supposed to alleviate stress in your hand, wrist and arm.

Does it work?

The only way to really test a mouse is to use it for a solid length of time. A day or two is not enough to tell how comfortable it will be in the long run. So I delayed writing this review until I’d had the Whirl Laser under my hand for over a month.

After the first day, I was ready to return to my trusty Logitech Laser which, coupled with my favourite wrist rest (an ergoBeads Wrist Cushion from IMAK), has been my go-to mouse over the long haul. But I persisted with the Whirl for several days more and, by the end of the first week, I felt almost as comfortable with it as with the Logitech/wrist-rest combo.

After a month of use, I’m equally at home using either the Whirl by itself or the Logitech with the ergoBead bag, which is high praise. Most importantly, I can use the Whirl all day in complete comfort.

At $US49.95 the Smartfish Whirl is reasonably priced for a quality mouse and a worthwhile investment if you care for the well-being of your body. The Whirl Mini costs $49.95 as well.

Smartfish also makes a somewhat pricey ErgoMotion Keyboard which I’m looking forward to reviewing down the track. It’s hard to imagine anything making me want to ditch my old, indestructible, unergonomic Northgate keyboard (does anyone remember them?), but I have this funny feeling my body may love me for it.

No related posts.

One of the big advantages of having a software keyboard is that it’s adaptable and flexible. You’ve probably noticed this already in the way keyboard styles differ slightly from one app to another. Some app developers, for example, considerately place an @ symbol on the main keyboard when you’re prompted to enter an email address. Small touches such as this add up to huge savings in frustration and time over the life of your iPhone.

Eschew accuracy

Perhaps the most useful keyboarding tip of all is this: don’t strive for accuracy. If you spend time trying to ensure you hit the exact key, it’ll not only take you longer to type text, you’re also quite likely to make more mistakes, given the size of the phone’s keyboard. If, on the other hand, you type fairly rapidly, the iPhone’s smart software will step in and correct the vast majority of your mistakes.

Two things make this possible: an extensive, auto-correcting spelling dictionary and context-sensitive key resizing. The latter is particularly nifty. Although the letters on the keyboard look like they occupy the same area, the landing zone for each key grows bigger or smaller depending on the letters you’ve already typed. So, if you’ve typed ‘blac’ the landing zone for the letter ‘k’ will increase while those for the surrounding letters ‘j’ and ‘l’ grow smaller. This happens invisibly, but it does happen. As a result, you don’t need to worry too much about precise finger placement; just type away as quickly as possible and let your phone do the work.

If you make any mistakes, tap and hold to display the magnifying glass, slide your finger to the offending word, lift your finger and tap Select, then type the correct word.

Slide

The keyboard really contains four keyboards: lowercase alphabetic; uppercase alphabetic accessed via the Shift key; numeric accessed via the 123 key; and special characters accessed via the #+= key from the numeric keyboard.

To insert, say, a comma, you normally do this:

1. Tap 123 to display the numeric keyboard;
2. Tap ,;
3. Tap ABC to redisplay the alphabetic keyboard.

Instead of three-tapping, you can insert a comma simply by tapping the 123 key and, without lifting your finger, sliding to the comma.

Use the same sliding technique to insert any character from the numeric keyboard and use a similar technique to access special characters from the numeric keyboard. You can also slide onto the Shift key then to any letter to enter a single uppercase letter. If you accidentally press a key you don’t want to type, simply slide off the keyboard

Hold

As well as the letters and characters displayed on the keyboards, you can insert a bunch of other characters by holding particular keys for a second. Tap and hold A, for example, to display a list of accented characters, then slide onto the character you want to insert it.

The accompanying table lists all the characters available by holding other keys. In addition, some apps let you quickly enter top-level domain names by holding down the fullstop (period) key. For example, when you’re using the Mail app, tap-and-hold fullstop to enter .com, .net, .edu, .org and .us.

So, where’s the .au domain shortcut, the .co.uk shortcut, or shortcuts for other country domains? You need to make sure you have your region set to the appropriate country. For Australia: Tap Settings -> General -> International -> Region Format -> Australia. As well as setting your region to Australia, make sure your keyboard is set to British English; that way, you won’t have to deal with words being auto-corrected to the US spelling: Tap Settings -> General -> International -> Keyboards -> Add New Keyboard –> English (UK). With the keyboard set to UK and the Australian region enabled, holding down fullstop will let you enter .eu and .co.uk in addition to the standard domains.

Note that if you have more than one keyboard enabled, you can enter a character from either keyboard by tapping the globe icon which appears on your keyboard, or hold the globe icon and select a keyboard to be the default for the current editing session. To change the default keyboard permanently, use the Keyboards list in Settings -> General -> International -> Keyboards.

Related posts:

1. A keyboard shortcut to save your sanity
2. How to make hidden iPhone apps visible
3. Geekgirl’s take on the iPhone 4