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  For other types of keyboards, see   Keyboard (disambiguation) . A  computer keyboard  is an  input device  that allows a person to enter  letters ,  numbers , and other  symbols  (these are called  characters  in a keyboard) into a  computer . It is one of the most used input devices for computers. Using a keyboard to enter lots of  data  is called  typing . A  QWERTY  computer keyboard in US layout. A keyboard contains many  mechanical   switches  or  push-buttons  called "keys". When one of these are pushed, an  electrical circuit  is closed, and the keyboard sends a  signal  to the computer that tells it what letter, number or symbol it would like to be shown on the  screen . The computer's  CPU  then shows the character on the screen, usually at the place where the  cursor  is. Besides entering characters, computer keyboards also have special keys that change the symbol (such as  shift  or  caps lock ) or give the computer special commands (such as the  arrow keys ,