Keyboard

Everything in the shell is reachable without a mouse. This page describes how keys are resolved, the keybind profile file, and the opt-in Vim layer.

Where a key goes #

A keydown passes through, in order:

1. The Vim layer (only while Vim mode is on). It takes unmodified keys outside text fields and Ctrl+[. Keys in a text field, a select or a plugin frame pass through untouched.

2. The keybinds (KeybindProvider). One binding per keystroke and context, highest layer first:

   • bindings kept on this device: plugin commands, the commands that open a plugin's panel and the app's own commands, which the server does not know;
   • the user's and the workspace's bindings from the server;
   • the active keybind profile;
   • the server's default bindings.

   A keystroke a higher layer holds, even turned off, is gone from the layers below. Inside a text field, keys that type a character and the editing chords (word jumps, select all, clipboard, undo, redo) stay with the field.

3. The focused surface: lists answer arrow keys, Home and End; dialogs close on Escape; menus move with the arrows.

The keyboard shortcuts panel (? or Ctrl+/, or Settings, Keyboard) lists the bindings this resolution produces, so it always matches what the keys do.

Keybind profiles #

A profile is the default binding set of a device plus the Vim switch. Three are built in:

Mouse-friendly leaves those keys to the browser and the text field: reload, bold, the search bar, bookmark, the address bar, redo and word jumps.

Settings, Keyboard exports the active profile and imports one. The file:

{
  "format": "rim.keybind-profile",
  "version": 1,
  "name": "Team keys",
  "description": "Optional text",
  "vimMode": false,
  "bindings": [
    { "keystroke": "Ctrl+K", "commandId": "workspace.open_command_palette" },
    { "keystroke": "Ctrl+J", "commandId": "workspace.open_search", "context": "GLOBAL" },
    { "keystroke": "Ctrl+R", "commandId": null }
  ]
}

• keystroke: modifiers Ctrl, Shift, Alt (or Meta, read as Ctrl) joined by +, then a key name as the browser reports it (K, ArrowDown, Escape, ?). Import puts it in canonical form.
• commandId: any command id, or null to free the keystroke so no lower layer binds it.
• context: GLOBAL (the default), COMPOSER, MESSAGE_LIST, THREAD_VIEW, CONVERSATION_VIEW, PANEL or COMMAND_PALETTE.

Import checks every field and lists every problem with its position. A profile of a newer version is refused with a message saying so.

Vim mode #

Off by default. Normal mode is any focus outside a text field; insert mode is a focused text field or plugin frame. The status bar shows the mode.

The timeline keeps its own message keys (r, e, p to pin, d, c, f) in both modes.