Keybindings

Keybindings

This page lists the current CRIEW TUI keys by page and modal state. Use it for operator reference, training material, and future screenshots or annotated UI guides.

Scope

• Key behavior is state-dependent. The same key can mean page toggle, completion, or indentation depending on the active modal surface.
• ui.keymap affects only the main page navigation layer. Reply editing, config editing, search, and the inline code editor keep their own fixed bindings.
• The current source of truth is the TUI input handler in src/ui/tui/input.rs.

Main pages

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-main-pages.png
• Suggested capture: Mail page and code-browser page with the header keymap label visible.

Shared page keys

• :: Open the command palette. This is the preferred entry key.
• F1: Toggle the command palette open or closed.
• Ctrl+backtick: Toggle the command palette. CRIEW also accepts several terminal-specific encodings of the same shortcut.
• Tab: Toggle between the Mail page and the Code Browser page. This fails when no kernel tree is configured.
• Enter: Act on the current selection. On the Mail page it opens the selected mailbox or thread. On the Code Browser tree it expands, collapses, or selects the current row.
• Esc: Show the reminder to use the command palette.
• q: Does not exit from the main page. CRIEW tells you to use the command palette instead.
• Ctrl+C: Does not exit from the main page. CRIEW tells you to use the command palette instead.

Main navigation by ui.keymap

• ui.keymap = "default": j and l move focus between panes. i and k move inside the focused pane. count+i and count+k repeat vertical movement.
• ui.keymap = "vim": h and l move focus between panes. j and k move inside the focused pane. count+j and count+k repeat vertical movement. gg jumps to the top of the active pane. G jumps to the bottom. qq exits quickly.
• ui.keymap = "custom": The header shows custom, but navigation still follows the default layout today.

The same navigation layer is reused on both top-level pages:

• Mail page: focus moves between Subscriptions, Threads, and Preview.
• Code Browser page: focus moves between Tree and Source.

Mail page

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-mail-page.png
• Suggested capture: Three-pane mail layout with one subscription selected, one thread selected, and preview content visible.

Mail workflow keys

• /: Open thread search. Search is available only on the Mail page.
• y: Enable the selected subscription. Works only when Subscriptions has focus.
• n: Disable the selected subscription. Works only when Subscriptions has focus.
• Enter on Subscriptions: Open the selected mailbox.
• Enter on Threads: Select the current thread and move focus to Preview.
• -: Select the previous thread while Preview keeps focus.
• = or +: Select the next thread while Preview keeps focus.
• e: Open the reply panel when Preview has focus.
• r: Open the reply panel from anywhere on the Mail page.
• [: Expand the focused mail pane to the left.
• ]: Expand the focused mail pane to the right.
• {: Shrink the focused mail pane toward the left.
• }: Shrink the focused mail pane toward the right. Pane widths are persisted in ui-state.toml.
• a: Apply the selected patch series. Works only when Threads has focus.
• d: Download or export the selected patch series. Works only when Threads has focus.
• u: Undo the last patch apply action. Works only when Threads has focus.

Code Browser page

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-code-browser.png
• Suggested capture: Tree pane on the left, source preview on the right, with one real source file selected.

Code browser keys

• Main page navigation keys still apply here. They move between the tree and source panes, scroll source preview, and support count prefixes or gg and G when ui.keymap = "vim".
• Enter on the tree pane: Expand or collapse directories. On files, keep the file selected and reset source scroll.
• e on the source pane: Enter the inline code editor.
• E on the source pane: Open the selected file in external vim.

Command palette

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-command-palette.png
• Suggested capture: Palette open with completion suggestions visible.

Input keys

• Esc: Close the palette.
• Enter: Run the current command.
• Backspace: Delete one character.
• Tab: Apply completion. A second Tab can expand or show the current completion set.
• F1 or Ctrl+backtick: Toggle the palette closed again.

Built-in commands

• quit or exit: Exit CRIEW.
• restart: Restart the TUI with current startup config.
• help: Show the built-in command summary.
• sync: Sync all enabled mailboxes, or the current default mailbox when nothing is enabled.
• sync <mailbox>: Sync one mailbox immediately.
• config show: Open the visual config editor.
• config show <key>: Show the file value or effective runtime fallback for one key.
• config get <key>: Read one config key.
• config edit [key]: Open the config editor, optionally focused on one supported field.
• config set <key> <value>: Write a TOML value into the config file and reload runtime config.
• config help: Show config command usage.
• vim: Open the selected source file in external vim.
• !<shell command>: Run a local shell command. CRIEW uses the configured kernel tree as the working directory when one is available, otherwise it falls back to HOME.

Search

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-search.png
• Suggested capture: Mail page with the search input active and filtered thread results visible.

Search keys

• /: Open search on the Mail page.
• Enter: Apply the current query.
• Backspace: Delete one character.
• Esc: Cancel search without applying the current edit.
• Any printable character: Append to the current query.

Config editor

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-config-editor.png
• Suggested capture: Left-side key list, right-side field details, and one field selected.

Browse mode

• Up or i: Move to the previous editable field.
• Down or k: Move to the next editable field.
• Enter or e: Start editing the selected field.
• Tab: Cycle through preset values for the selected field.
• x: Unset the selected key from the config file.
• Esc: Close the config editor.

Edit mode

• Any printable character: Append to the current TOML literal.
• Backspace: Delete one character.
• Tab: Cycle preset values for the selected field.
• Enter: Save the current value.
• Esc: Cancel the edit and return to browse mode.

Reply panel

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-reply-panel.png
• Suggested capture: Reply panel with editable headers and the body guide line visible.

Normal mode

• h: Move the cursor left.
• l: Move the cursor right.
• j or Down: Move to the next header field or the next body line.
• k or Up: Move to the previous header field or the previous body line.
• i: Enter insert mode.
• Enter or o: Open a line below and enter insert mode.
• x: Delete the character under the cursor.
• p: Open Send Preview.
• s: Attempt to send. CRIEW still requires a confirmed Send Preview before it will actually send.
• :: Enter reply command mode.
• Esc: Close the reply panel when the draft is clean. If the draft is dirty, CRIEW tells you to use :q! to discard it.

Insert mode

• Any printable character: Insert at the cursor.
• Backspace: Delete backward.
• Enter: Insert a newline.
• Tab: Insert four spaces.
• Esc: Return to reply normal mode.

Command mode

• Any printable character: Append to the command line.
• Backspace: Delete one character.
• Enter: Run the current command.
• Esc: Cancel command mode.

Supported reply commands are:

• :q Close the reply panel only when the draft is clean.
• :q! Discard the reply draft.
• :preview Open Send Preview.
• :send Attempt to send the reply.

Send Preview and reply notices

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-send-preview.png
• Suggested capture: Send Preview dialog with warning or confirmation text visible.

Send Preview keys

• Enter or c: Confirm the current preview.
• s: Attempt to send. If preview confirmation is still missing, CRIEW opens a blocked-send notice instead.
• j or Down: Scroll preview down.
• k or Up: Scroll preview up.
• Esc: Close Send Preview and return to the reply editor.

Reply notice keys

• Esc or Enter: Close the current notice.
• p: Reopen Send Preview when the notice asks for preview confirmation first.
• s: Send when the notice says preview confirmation already succeeded.

Inline code editor

Suggested image slot

• Suggested file: images/keybindings-inline-code-editor.png
• Suggested capture: Source pane in inline edit mode with cursor and command hint visible.

Entry conditions

• Start from the Code Browser page.
• Move focus to the Source pane.
• Press e for inline editing or E for external vim.

Normal mode

• h: Move cursor left.
• j: Move cursor down.
• k: Move cursor up.
• l: Move cursor right.
• i: Enter insert mode.
• x: Delete the character under the cursor.
• s: Save the current buffer.
• E: Open external vim.
• :: Enter command mode.
• Esc: Exit edit mode only when the buffer is clean. If there are unsaved changes, CRIEW tells you to use :w, :wq, or :q!.

Insert mode

• Any printable character: Insert at the cursor.
• Backspace: Delete backward or join with the previous line.
• Enter: Insert a newline.
• Tab: Insert four spaces.
• Esc: Return to normal mode.

Command mode

• Any printable character: Append to the command line.
• Backspace: Delete one character.
• Enter: Run the current command.
• Esc: Cancel command mode.

Supported inline editor commands are:

• :w Save the current file.
• :q Exit only when the buffer is clean.
• :q! Discard unsaved changes and exit inline edit mode.
• :wq Save and exit.
• :vim Open the same file in external vim.

See also

• Configuration
• Sync and TUI
• Patch and Reply