autocomplete (redirected from CTRL SPACE)

autocomplete

A feature in many applications that offers to complete a word or address that is only partially typed in. In word processors, the function often completes common words such as months of the year, while applications such as e-mail use their name/address books to match the text as it is being typed character by character. Also called "type-ahead," autocomplete is especially helpful with Web browsers, eliminating the typing of long Web addresses (URLs) that have been previously entered.

Autocomplete Vs. Autofill
Autocomplete works by matching typed-in text character by character, whereas "autofill" detects field types in a form (name, company, etc.) and fills them in with predefined text (see autofill).

Completing the Name

Typing the letters "ro" in the "To" field of this e-mail program is immediately matched to the names that start with "ro" in the address book. The user can select from the list or type in an entirely different e-mail address.

Incremental Find

When an index is matched character by character to the search text, it is called an "incremental find" or "type-ahead index." In this encyclopedia lookup example, typing "iph" is sufficient to find "iPhone." As each character is typed, the matching term in the index rolls to the top.