PURPOSE: To prevent the overshift of a cursor and to simplify the shifting operation of the cursor by using a detecting means, a time counting means, a data storing means, a characteristic storing means, and a cursor shift commanding means.

CONSTITUTION: A characteristic storing means stores the almost constant cursor shift extent characteristic after the cursor shift extent is previously set with the shift speed of a designated position used as a parameter and the cursor shift extent is increased up to a prescribed speed in accordance with increase of the shift extent, thereafter the shift extent is almost fixed. Therefore a cursor shift commanding means calculates the shift speed of the designated position based on the designated position data received from a data storing means and the shift time data. Then the cursor shift commanding means calculates the cursor shift extent based on the shift speed and the cursor shift extent characteristic and then outputs a corresponding command. Thus the cursor shift extent can be increased up to a prescribed shift speed of the designated position and in proportion to the shift speed. Furthermore, the cursor shift extent can be kept at an almost constant level when the shift speed exceeds a prescribed level. Then the cursor can be easily shifted to its desired stop position and the cursor shifting operation can be simplified.