This is an excerpt from an article that I wrote for AUGIWorld.

“Press tab” is likely one of the phrases beginner Reviteers get tired of hearing.  It is common knowledge that the tab button can be used to cycle through elements to enable the selection of a specific element in a congested area.  What is lesser known, or at least lesser-used, is that pressing shift + tab will cycle through the elements in the opposite direction.  Knowing this small item would prevent this very familiar occurrence: “Tab, tab, tab, tab, tab, shoot! I skipped the element I wanted….tab, tab, tab, tab….”

Just in case it has not been said enough, the following is a list of some of the useful applications for the tab button: cycle through elements in a congested area; instead of just one segment, select a chain of walls or lines; select only a segment of chain of walls (select the first one and then press tab while hovering over the last desired segment); instead of one at a time, select connected beams all at once; cycle through snap locations (end point, intersection, etc.); get to objects in a linked file to see the properties.