runtime/help/keybindings.md

   1 # Keybindings
   2
   3 Micro has a plethora of hotkeys that make it easy and powerful to use and all
   4 hotkeys are fully customizable to your liking.
   5
   6 Custom keybindings are stored internally in micro if changed with the `> bind`
   7 command or you can also be added in the file `~/.config/micro/bindings.json` as
   8 discussed below.  For a list of the default keybindings in the json format used
   9 by micro, please see the end of this file. For a more user-friendly list with
  10 explanations of what the default hotkeys are and what they do, please see
  11 `>help defaultkeys`
  12
  13 If `~/.config/micro/bindings.json` does not exist, you can simply create it.
  14 Micro will know what to do with it.
  15
  16 You can use the alt keys + arrows to move word by word. Ctrl left and right move
  17 the cursor to the start and end of the line, and ctrl up and down move the
  18 cursor the start and end of the buffer.
  19
  20 You can hold shift with all of these movement actions to select while moving.
  21
  22
  23 ## Rebinding keys
  24
  25 The bindings may be rebound using the `~/.config/micro/bindings.json` file. Each
  26 key is bound to an action.
  27
  28 For example, to bind `Ctrl-y` to undo and `Ctrl-z` to redo, you could put the
  29 following in the `bindings.json` file.
  30
  31 ```json
  32 {
  33         "CtrlY": "Undo",
  34         "CtrlZ": "Redo"
  35 }
  36 ```
  37
  38 In addition to editing your `~/.config/micro/bindings.json`, you can run
  39 `>bind <keycombo> <action>` For a list of bindable actions, see below.
  40
  41 You can also chain commands when rebinding. For example, if you want Alt-s to
  42 save and quit you can bind it like so:
  43
  44 ```json
  45 {
  46     "Alt-s": "Save,Quit"
  47 }
  48 ```
  49
  50
  51 ## Binding raw escape sequences
  52
  53 Only read this section if you are interested in binding keys that aren't on the
  54 list of supported keys for binding.
  55
  56 One of the drawbacks of using a terminal-based editor is that the editor must
  57 get all of its information about key events through the terminal. The terminal
  58 sends these events in the form of escape sequences often (but not always)
  59 starting with `0x1b`.
  60
  61 For example, if micro reads `\x1b[1;5D`, on most terminals this will mean the
  62 user pressed CtrlLeft.
  63
  64 For many key chords though, the terminal won't send any escape code or will send
  65 an escape code already in use. For example for `CtrlBackspace`, my terminal
  66 sends `\u007f` (note this doesn't start with `0x1b`), which it also sends for
  67 `Backspace` meaning micro can't bind `CtrlBackspace`.
  68
  69 However, some terminals do allow you to bind keys to send specific escape
  70 sequences you define. Then from micro you can directly bind those escape
  71 sequences to actions. For example, to bind `CtrlBackspace` you can instruct your
  72 terminal to send `\x1bctrlback` and then bind it in `bindings.json`:
  73
  74 ```json
  75 {
  76     "\u001bctrlback": "DeleteWordLeft"
  77 }
  78 ```
  79
  80 Here are some instructions for sending raw escapes in different terminals
  81
  82 ### iTerm2
  83
  84 In iTerm2, you can do this in  `Preferences->Profiles->Keys` then click the `+`,
  85 input your keybinding, and for the `Action` select `Send Escape Sequence`. For
  86 the above example your would type `ctrlback` into the box (the `\x1b`) is
  87 automatically sent by iTerm2.
  88
  89 ### Linux using loadkeys
  90
  91 You can do this in linux using the loadkeys program.
  92
  93 Coming soon!
  94
  95
  96 ## Unbinding keys
  97
  98 It is also possible to disable any of the default key bindings by use of the
  99 `UnbindKey` action in the user's `bindings.json` file.
 100
 101
 102 ## Bindable actions and bindable keys
 103
 104 The list of default keybindings contains most of the possible actions and keys
 105 which you can use, but not all of them. Here is a full list of both.
 106
 107 Full list of possible actions:
 108
 109 ```
 110 CursorUp
 111 CursorDown
 112 CursorPageUp
 113 CursorPageDown
 114 CursorLeft
 115 CursorRight
 116 CursorStart
 117 CursorEnd
 118 SelectToStart
 119 SelectToEnd
 120 SelectUp
 121 SelectDown
 122 SelectLeft
 123 SelectRight
 124 WordRight
 125 WordLeft
 126 SelectWordRight
 127 SelectWordLeft
 128 MoveLinesUp
 129 MoveLinesDown
 130 DeleteWordRight
 131 DeleteWordLeft
 132 SelectToStartOfLine
 133 SelectToEndOfLine
 134 InsertNewline
 135 InsertSpace
 136 Backspace
 137 Delete
 138 Center
 139 InsertTab
 140 Save
 141 SaveAll
 142 SaveAs
 143 Find
 144 FindNext
 145 FindPrevious
 146 Undo
 147 Redo
 148 Copy
 149 Cut
 150 CutLine
 151 DuplicateLine
 152 DeleteLine
 153 IndentSelection
 154 OutdentSelection
 155 Paste
 156 SelectAll
 157 OpenFile
 158 Start
 159 End
 160 PageUp
 161 PageDown
 162 HalfPageUp
 163 HalfPageDown
 164 StartOfLine
 165 EndOfLine
 166 ParagraphPrevious
 167 ParagraphNext
 168 ToggleHelp
 169 ToggleRuler
 170 JumpLine
 171 ClearStatus
 172 ShellMode
 173 CommandMode
 174 Quit
 175 QuitAll
 176 AddTab
 177 PreviousTab
 178 NextTab
 179 NextSplit
 180 Unsplit
 181 VSplit
 182 HSplit
 183 PreviousSplit
 184 ToggleMacro
 185 PlayMacro
 186 Suspend (Linux only)
 187 ScrollUp
 188 ScrollDown
 189 SpawnMultiCursor
 190 RemoveMultiCursor
 191 RemoveAllMultiCursors
 192 SkipMultiCursor
 193 UnbindKey
 194 ```
 195
 196 You can also bind some mouse actions (these must be bound to mouse buttons)
 197
 198 ```
 199 MousePress
 200 MouseMultiCursor
 201 ```
 202
 203 Here is the list of all possible keys you can bind:
 204
 205 ```
 206 Up
 207 Down
 208 Right
 209 Left
 210 UpLeft
 211 UpRight
 212 DownLeft
 213 DownRight
 214 Center
 215 PageUp
 216 PageDown
 217 Home
 218 End
 219 Insert
 220 Delete
 221 Help
 222 Exit
 223 Clear
 224 Cancel
 225 Print
 226 Pause
 227 Backtab
 228 F1
 229 F2
 230 F3
 231 F4
 232 F5
 233 F6
 234 F7
 235 F8
 236 F9
 237 F10
 238 F11
 239 F12
 240 F13
 241 F14
 242 F15
 243 F16
 244 F17
 245 F18
 246 F19
 247 F20
 248 F21
 249 F22
 250 F23
 251 F24
 252 F25
 253 F26
 254 F27
 255 F28
 256 F29
 257 F30
 258 F31
 259 F32
 260 F33
 261 F34
 262 F35
 263 F36
 264 F37
 265 F38
 266 F39
 267 F40
 268 F41
 269 F42
 270 F43
 271 F44
 272 F45
 273 F46
 274 F47
 275 F48
 276 F49
 277 F50
 278 F51
 279 F52
 280 F53
 281 F54
 282 F55
 283 F56
 284 F57
 285 F58
 286 F59
 287 F60
 288 F61
 289 F62
 290 F63
 291 F64
 292 CtrlSpace
 293 CtrlA
 294 CtrlB
 295 CtrlC
 296 CtrlD
 297 CtrlE
 298 CtrlF
 299 CtrlG
 300 CtrlH
 301 CtrlI
 302 CtrlJ
 303 CtrlK
 304 CtrlL
 305 CtrlM
 306 CtrlN
 307 CtrlO
 308 CtrlP
 309 CtrlQ
 310 CtrlR
 311 CtrlS
 312 CtrlT
 313 CtrlU
 314 CtrlV
 315 CtrlW
 316 CtrlX
 317 CtrlY
 318 CtrlZ
 319 CtrlLeftSq
 320 CtrlBackslash
 321 CtrlRightSq
 322 CtrlCarat
 323 CtrlUnderscore
 324 Backspace
 325 Tab
 326 Esc
 327 Escape
 328 Enter
 329 ```
 330
 331 You can also bind some mouse buttons (they may be bound to normal actions or
 332 mouse actions)
 333
 334 ```
 335 MouseLeft
 336 MouseMiddle
 337 MouseRight
 338 MouseWheelUp
 339 MouseWheelDown
 340 MouseWheelLeft
 341 MouseWheelRight
 342 ```
 343
 344 # Default keybinding configuration.
 345
 346 ```json
 347 {
 348     "Up":             "CursorUp",
 349     "Down":           "CursorDown",
 350     "Right":          "CursorRight",
 351     "Left":           "CursorLeft",
 352     "ShiftUp":        "SelectUp",
 353     "ShiftDown":      "SelectDown",
 354     "ShiftLeft":      "SelectLeft",
 355     "ShiftRight":     "SelectRight",
 356     "AltLeft":        "WordLeft",
 357     "AltRight":       "WordRight",
 358     "AltUp":          "MoveLinesUp",
 359     "AltDown":        "MoveLinesDown",
 360     "AltShiftRight":  "SelectWordRight",
 361     "AltShiftLeft":   "SelectWordLeft",
 362     "CtrlLeft":       "StartOfLine",
 363     "CtrlRight":      "EndOfLine",
 364     "CtrlShiftLeft":  "SelectToStartOfLine",
 365     "ShiftHome":      "SelectToStartOfLine",
 366     "CtrlShiftRight": "SelectToEndOfLine",
 367     "ShiftEnd":       "SelectToEndOfLine",
 368     "CtrlUp":         "CursorStart",
 369     "CtrlDown":       "CursorEnd",
 370     "CtrlShiftUp":    "SelectToStart",
 371     "CtrlShiftDown":  "SelectToEnd",
 372     "Alt-{":          "ParagraphPrevious",
 373     "Alt-}":          "ParagraphNext",
 374     "Enter":          "InsertNewline",
 375     "CtrlH":          "Backspace",
 376     "Backspace":      "Backspace",
 377     "Alt-CtrlH":      "DeleteWordLeft",
 378     "Alt-Backspace":  "DeleteWordLeft",
 379     "Tab":            "IndentSelection,InsertTab",
 380     "Backtab":        "OutdentSelection,OutdentLine",
 381     "CtrlO":          "OpenFile",
 382     "CtrlS":          "Save",
 383     "CtrlF":          "Find",
 384     "CtrlN":          "FindNext",
 385     "CtrlP":          "FindPrevious",
 386     "CtrlZ":          "Undo",
 387     "CtrlY":          "Redo",
 388     "CtrlC":          "Copy",
 389     "CtrlX":          "Cut",
 390     "CtrlK":          "CutLine",
 391     "CtrlD":          "DuplicateLine",
 392     "CtrlV":          "Paste",
 393     "CtrlA":          "SelectAll",
 394     "CtrlT":          "AddTab",
 395     "Alt,":           "PreviousTab",
 396     "Alt.":           "NextTab",
 397     "Home":           "StartOfLine",
 398     "End":            "EndOfLine",
 399     "CtrlHome":       "CursorStart",
 400     "CtrlEnd":        "CursorEnd",
 401     "PageUp":         "CursorPageUp",
 402     "PageDown":       "CursorPageDown",
 403     "CtrlG":          "ToggleHelp",
 404     "CtrlR":          "ToggleRuler",
 405     "CtrlL":          "JumpLine",
 406     "Delete":         "Delete",
 407     "CtrlB":          "ShellMode",
 408     "CtrlQ":          "Quit",
 409     "CtrlE":          "CommandMode",
 410     "CtrlW":          "NextSplit",
 411     "CtrlU":          "ToggleMacro",
 412     "CtrlJ":          "PlayMacro",
 413
 414     // Emacs-style keybindings
 415     "Alt-f": "WordRight",
 416     "Alt-b": "WordLeft",
 417     "Alt-a": "StartOfLine",
 418     "Alt-e": "EndOfLine",
 419
 420     // Integration with file managers
 421     "F1":  "ToggleHelp",
 422     "F2":  "Save",
 423     "F3":  "Find",
 424     "F4":  "Quit",
 425     "F7":  "Find",
 426     "F10": "Quit",
 427     "Esc": "Escape",
 428
 429     // Mouse bindings
 430     "MouseWheelUp":   "ScrollUp",
 431     "MouseWheelDown": "ScrollDown",
 432     "MouseLeft":      "MousePress",
 433     "MouseMiddle":    "PastePrimary",
 434     "Ctrl-MouseLeft": "MouseMultiCursor",
 435
 436     // Multiple cursors bindings
 437     "Alt-n": "SpawnMultiCursor",
 438     "Alt-p": "RemoveMultiCursor",
 439     "Alt-c": "RemoveAllMultiCursors",
 440     "Alt-x": "SkipMultiCursor",
 441 }
 442 ```
 443
 444 ## Final notes
 445
 446 Note: On some old terminal emulators and on Windows machines, `CtrlH` should be
 447 used for backspace.
 448
 449 Additionally, alt keys can be bound by using `Alt-key`. For example `Alt-a` or
 450 `Alt-Up`. Micro supports an optional `-` between modifiers like `Alt` and
 451 `Ctrl` so `Alt-a` could be rewritten as `Alta` (case matters for alt bindings).
 452 This is why in the default keybindings you can see `AltShiftLeft` instead of
 453 `Alt-ShiftLeft` (they are equivalent).