
Keyboard Shortcuts

                                               version: 8.1a1
                                               created: 03/08/1994 {02:47:04 pm}
                                           last update: 05/31/2005 {11:45:34 AM}


This help file describes some of the default keyboard shortcuts (also referred
to as "key bindings" in some of Alpha's documentation) with this installation
of Alpha, how to determine what certain keys are bound to, and how to create
your own custom shortcuts.


	  	Table Of Contents


"# Table Of Contents"
"# Introduction"
"# Mac OS X notes"

"# Global Key Bindings"
"#   Help"
"#   Moving the Cursor"
"#   Selecting Text"
"#   Deleting Text"
"#   Twiddle, Shifting Text"
"#   The Numeric Keypad"
"#   The Return key"
"#   Other Special Keys"

"# Mode Specific Bindings"

"# User Defined Key bindings"
"#   Bindings to accented characters"
"#   What to bind to?"

<<floatNamedMarks>>


	  	Introduction


There are basically three different ways editor functions can be invoked:

    ¥ Directly via Alpha menus.
    ¥ Through menu equivalent key bindings
    ¥ Through key combinations other than menu equivalents. These 
      combinations include function keys and the numeric keypad.

It is the last two options that we are concerned with in this document.  By
default, Alpha has well over 300 different key bindings, far more than you
would ever want to memorize.  However, the bindings are there only for your
convenience.  You don't need to use any of them, but many people find that
using the mouse for common editing functions seriously slows them down.

To quickly find out what a specific key is bound to, use the menu command
"Config > Describe Binding", and then press the key combination in question.
If you look closer at the "Config" menu, you'll also see that F7 is bound to
this menu item.  For example, type

	F7
	<command>-S

(Command is the "Apple" key on the Macintosh, by the way, and "Alt" on a PC)
and you'll see that Command-S is bound to

	{menu::fileProc "File" "save"}

Sometimes the information given by F7 will seem somewhat cryptic, because
these are the actual Tcl commands, but in general it is easy to decipher what
is going on.

If you take a look at the "File" menu, you'll see that "Save" also gives the
key binding information -- if you find yourself using the same menu commands
over and over again, learning a few of these bindings can save a lot of time
and travel of the mouse.

The "Config > List All Bindings" menu item will list all current key bindings,
or you could just click here --> <<global::listAllBindings>>.  If you want
more information regarding what an item does, command double-click on the
listed Tcl procedure to open the file containing its definition.


	  	Mac OS X notes


In Mac OS X 10.2 and above, some OS keyboard shortcuts conflict with those
which Alpha has used for many years.  Command-Option-D is one example --
while this has been mapped to "Text > Uncomment Line" in Alpha, Mac OS X 10.3
took over this keyboard shortcut to toggle hiding the Dock.  Another example
is Command-`, which in many keyboards is an OS mapping to "Rotate Windows."

These conflicts are known issues, and have been reported in Bug# 1202 -- the
AlphaTcl development team will be exploring how to update Alpha's shortcuts
to be compliant with 10.3 and above and the necessary changes should be in
the next release.

In the meantime, you have three options.

(1) Dive into AlphaTcl source files and manually change some of Alpha's menu
shortcuts yourself -- not recommended for the faint-hearted.

(2) Follow the instructions below in the "# User Defined Key bindings"
section to create new shortcuts using the core commands [Bind] or [ascii],
saving the new bindings in a "prefs.tcl" file.  Tip: If you first select
"Config > List All Bindings", you will open a new window containing keyboard
shortcut "recipes" that you can use for your own bindings.

(3) Disable these OS shortcuts for all applications, including Alpha.  Select
"Apple > System Preferences > Keyboard & Mouse", click on the tab named
'Keyboard Shortcuts', and turn off those items that are in conflict with the
Alpha shortcuts that you need in order to perform your basic editing tasks.


One more tip: Here are some [Bind] scripts that you might find useful to add
to your "prefs.tcl" file.  The first set,

	Bind '`' <z>  {twiddle}
	Bind '`' <zo> {twiddleWords}

create Control-(Option)-` shortcuts for "Text > Twiddle (Words)" so that you
have this function available even if the OS uses Command-` to rotate windows.

This one

	Bind 'd' <cz> {comment::undoLine}

allows you to use Command-Control-D for "Text > Uncomment Line" so that you
have still use Command-Option-D to hide/show the Dock.

These [Bind] scripts will be evaluated each time you restart Alpha.


	======================================================================


	  	Global Key Bindings


The following is a list of some of the most commonly used key bindings in
Alpha's default setup, those that are generally not listed in any menus:

Emacs user will also be happy to know that many of the basic keyboard
shortcuts used in Emacs are supported by Alpha.  However, this requires that
you switch on the Emacs package.  Read more in the file "Emacs Help".

	  	 	Help

'Help'									open the "Alpha Manual" help file


	  	 	Moving the Cursor


Left-Arrow                              backward character
Right-Arrow                             forward character
Up-Arrow                                previous-line
Down-Arrow                              next-line

Option-Left-Arrow                       backward one word
Option-Right-Arrow                      forward one word

Command-Left-Arrow                      beginning of line
Command-Right-Arrow                     end of line
Command-Up-Arrow     or  'Home'         beginning of window
Command-Down-Arrow   or  'End'          end of window

'PageUp'                                move one page backward
'PageDown'                              move one page forward


	  	 	Selecting Text


Shift-Left-Arrow                        extend selection one char left
Shift-Right-Arrow                       extend selection one char right

Shift-Up-Arrow                          extend selection one line up
Shift-Down-Arrow                        extend selection one line down

Shift-Option-Left-Arrow                 extend selection one word left
Shift-Option-Right-Arrow                extend selection one word right

Control-H                               select next word

Shift-Command-Left-Arrow                select to beginning of line
Shift-Command-Right-Arrow               select to end of line


	  	 	Deleting Text


'Del'      or  Control-D        delete forward char
'Delete'                        delete backward char
Option-D                        delete forward word
Option-H   or  Option-Delete    delete backward word
Control-K                       delete to end of line

(Control-D, Option-D, Option-H, Option-Delete and Control-K are only available
after the package: emacs has been turned on.)


	  	 	Twiddle, Shifting Text


The following functions are found in the Text menu.  The keyboard shortcuts 
to these functions are dependent on your particular keyboard layout.

Preferences: International

Twiddle                              Exchange characters bracketing 
                                       the selection point.
Twiddle Words                        Exchange words bracketing the 
                                       selection point.

Shift Left                           Shift selection left one tab.
Shift Left Space                     Shift selection left one space.
Shift Right                          Shift selection right one tab.
Shift Right Space                    Shift selection right one space.


	  	 	The Numeric Keypad


Alpha is able to use numeric keypad as a navigation tool.  Press Shift-Clear
(or Shift-Numlock) to turn on this feature.  The current status of Alpha's
internal "numLock" variable is indicated by the "NLCK" button in the status
bar menu.  Clicking on this button also toggles "numLock" on and off.  Click
on this hyperlink <<toggleNumLock>> to locate it.

As of this writing, Alphatk has no control over the functions that are bound
to the numeric keypad keys.

When Alpha takes over the keypad, the following functions are available:

0   Scroll back one page 
1   Jump to the start of the nearest function above the current position * 
2   Selects region between cursor and Window Pin, i.e
    "Search > The Pin > Hilite To Pin"
3   Jump to the start of the nearest function below the current position * 
4   Move to beginning of current word 
5   Sets Window Pin to cursor location and moves cursor to previous Pin, i.e.
    "Search > The Pin > Exchange Point And Pin"

Note: This is extremely useful for navigating across text chunks.  Try
'paste'-ing a large chunk of text, and then immediately hit Keypad 5.

Try 'put cursor at top/bottom of document' (Keypad 0 or .), and then
immediately hit Keypad 5.  After a few minutes, you won't be able to live
without Keypad 5...

6   Move to end of current word 
7   Delete all characters from current insertion point to beginning of word 
8   Put cursor at top of document (new in 7.4.x) 
9   Delete all characters from current insertion point to end of word 

.   Put cursor at bottom of document 
+   Cycles between the two topmost windows 
-   Makes the previous window topmost 

Shift-Clear   Turns Num-Lock off, allowing you to use the keypad for numbers
Clear         Move the current line to the top of the window
Enter         Page forward 

* Note: in modes where no function specifying pattern exist, 1 and 3 just look
for parenthesis (e.g. text mode).  Also, in Tcl trace dumps these keys help
follow Tcl calls and returned values (advanced stuff)

The =, /, * keys function normally.

To turn off these special navigation functions, turn on the Num-Lock (using
Shift-Clear).

Turning the Num-Lock off will recover the navigation features of the numeric
keypad.


	  	 	The Return key


Many modes have defined sophisticated indentation routines that is often
specific to the context surrounding the cursor position.  When this is the
case, the mode will have an "Indent On Return" preference that can be turned
on and off.  When it is turned on, pressing Return will automatically indent
the new line that is created.

Preferences: Mode

Even if this preference is turned off, you can always indent the current line
using the "Text > Indent Line/Selection" menu commands.  In addition, pressing
Command-Return will always indent the new line, while Control-Return will
always insert a new line without indentation.


	  	 	Other Special Keys


The menu item "Config > Special Keys" will open a dialog allow you to define
global keyboard shortcuts to particular functions.  For more information, see
the "Electrics Help # Electric Bindings" help file.


	======================================================================


	  	Mode Specific Bindings


Be aware that each file has a "mode" associated with it that may define
additional key bindings.  The "Config > Mode Prefs > Describe Mode" menu item
will list mode-specific key bindings (for the mode of the current window).

LaTeX specific key bindings can also be found in "latexKeys.tcl".


	======================================================================


	  	User Defined Key bindings
        

Any Tcl command can be bound to any single keystroke.  One way to bind a
function is with a statement such as:
  
	Bind 'c' <modifier string> {funcName or Tcl script} [<mode>]
          
where c is a character, <modifier string> is an optional string containing one
or more of:

      c   - Command modifier
      o   - Option modifier
      s   - Shift modifier
      z   - Control modifier
      e   - Escape modifier      

'mode' is an optional parameter that specifies, when present, that the binding
is only active in a given mode.  Note that given a general binding (no mode
specification) and a binding specific to the current mode, the last binding to
have been created is the one found first.

For example, the following line binds cmd-shift-f to the function
'forwardChar':

	Bind 'f' <cs> forwardChar

and

	Bind 'f' <cs> {alertnote "You just pressed cmd-shift-f"}

binds 'Command-Shift-F' to tell the user what they pressed.  Notice how if the
script you are binding contains spaces (or characters like '[]') you must
surround it with curly braces.  If there are no spaces, it is still okay to
use '{}', so the first of the above examples could have used '{forwardChar}'.

Additionally, the modifier string can contain a capital letter specifying that
the binding is only activated if preceded by control and the lowercase version
of that letter.  This feature allows multiple-key combinations a la Emacs.
This requires that Control-<the character> is bound to the function
'prefixChar'.  By default Control-C, Control-Q, and Control-X are bound to
'prefixChar'.  The next line would bind 'forwardChar' to Control-X Control-F:

	Bind 'f' <cX> forwardChar 

Additionally, most keyboards have keypads and/or function keys.  These keys
can be bound using case-insensitive numeric labels using the same bind command
as above, with the label replacing the character.  For example, to bind F1 to
function 'funcName', the following would work:

	Bind F1 funcName

As above, the binding can include a modifier string.  The following labels are
defined:

  Esc F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12 F13 F14 F15 Help Home Pgup Del 
  End Pgdn Left Right Up Down Clear Kpad0 Kpad1 Kpad2 Kpad3 Kpad4 Kpad5
  Kpad6 Kpad7 Kpad8 Kpad9 Kpad= Kpad/ Kpad* Kpad- Kpad+ Enter Kpad.

The above labels may not be sufficient for all keyboards (attention
international users).  In particular there are some problems when binding to
accented characters (more about that below).  If a hex number is used instead
of a character inside the single quotes, the binding is done to key codes
instead of ascii values.  The following is a key code version of the same
binding:

	Bind 0x03 <cs> forwardChar

The key code for any given key can be obtained by selecting the menu item
"Utils > Ascii Etc > Key Code" and then typing the key.  Alpha then types the
key code.

Also, there is an alternate form that allows the specification of an ascii
code directly:

	ascii 0x20 <z> setMark
    
Binds control-space to 'setMark'.  The ascii code for any given key can be
obtained by selecting the menu item "Utils > Ascii Etc > Key Ascii" and then
typing the key.  Alpha then types the ascii code.

Note that menu item command equivalents take precedence over bindings, and
that the 'Bind' command does not affect the command equivalents displayed in
the menus.  Also note that key code bindings take precedence over ascii
bindings.

Finally, there are 'unBind' and 'unascii' functions, with identical arguments
to their counterparts.


	  	 	Bindings to accented characters


To bind to an accented character is not always as straight forward as binding
to an un-accented one.

Accented characters which can be typed directly without using a dead key, you
can bind to them as long as they have a modifier different from <s>.  As an
example with a French keyboard

	Bind 'Ž' <c> ...
	Bind 'Ž' <z> ...
    
works fine, but

	Bind 'Ž' ...
	Bind 'Ž' <s> ...
    
does not. In the latter case the key code has to be used instead:

	Bind 0x13 ...
	Bind 0x13 <s> ...

Accented characters which are obtained using a dead key has to be bound using
ascii, e.g '“' on a French keyboard:

	ascii 0x93 ...


	  	 	What to bind to?


When you want to define a new key binding you obviously want to use a key
combination which is not already in use.  There are two different ways to find
if a key combination is free.

First, the menu item "Config > List All Bindings" will list all of the
bindings currently in effect.

Second, you can use "Config > Describe Binding" to find what a certain key
combination is bound to.  Select "Config > Describe Binding" and then hit the
key combination you are interested in.  Alpha will then display a dialog
saying which function the key combination is bound to, or "Key combination
unbound."  if it is not bound to anything.

There is one thing to note about bindings involving the Shift modifier.  If
there is nothing bound to a key combination including the Shift key, typing
this key combination will have the same effect as the one wihout the Shift
key.  A specific example to clarify this: Command-P is bound to "print", but
there is no binding defined for Command-Shift-P. Still hitting Command-Shift-P
has the same effect as hitting Command-P. But if you now define a new binding
for Command-Shift-P, then Command-P and Command-Shift-P will have different
functionality.


	======================================================================


"Keyboard Shortcuts" author: Pete Keleher

Updated by Craig Barton Upright, Donavan Hall.

