Command Keys and Accelerator Keys

Keyboard Interface

In command mode, the following keystrokes have special meanings:

↓ or Space

Go to the next match

↑ or Shift+Space

Go to the previous match

→ or /

Descend into an object with content

Backspace

Erase a character from the query. If the query is empty, go up a level

.

Activate free-text mode

,

Put selected object on the stack ("Comma Trick")

Quick access keys:

=

Activate free-text mode with = prefix (for Calculator)

/

Activate free-text mode (when nothing is selected) with / prefix (to input a rooted path)

Additionally:

  • Return activates the current selection: the command is executed.

  • Escape clears the current selection.

  • Tab switches between the object and the action pane.

The meaning of the keys Space, ., ,, / and = can not be changed, but you can deactivate their special meaning with the checkbox Use single keystroke commands in Kupfer Preferences.

Kupfer's Keyboard Shortcuts

These keyboard shortcuts are used in Kupfer's interface. They have the following meanings and default shortcuts (some have no default).

Alt+A

Alternate activate

Ctrl+.

Toggle text mode

Ctrl+,

The comma trick

Ctrl+;

Show preferences window

Ctrl+R

Reset all

Ctrl+Return

Compose command

Switch to 1st pane

Switch to 2st pane

Switch to 3st pane

Ctrl+Q

Select 'Quit'

Select 'Clipboard File'

Select 'Clipboard Text'

Select 'Selected File'

Ctrl+G

Select 'Selected Text'

F1

Show Help

How to configure a keyboard shortcut

  1. Open Kupfer Preferences and go to the Keyboard tab.

  2. Double-click the shorcut's row under Browser Keyboard Shortcuts.

  3. Using the window that appears, press modifier keys and a letter or number key to set a shortcut. An example is pressing and holding Ctrl and then pressing and releasing T to bind Ctrl+T.

Action Accelerators

Action acclerators are a quick way to select or run a certain action on an object. All action accelerators use the same modifier key, which is Ctrl by default.

An action's accelerator is a key that is pressed together with the modifier to directly run the action on the currently selected object (in the case of actions that need an indirect object, the third pane will be focused instead).

How to configure an action accelerator

  1. Open Kupfer and find an object that allows the action you are configuring. Switch to the action pane with Tab.

  2. Find the action to configure an accelerator for in the action pane.

  3. Click the kupfer context menu in the window and select the option Assign Accelerator to “(Action)”

  4. Press and release a single key (with or without the action accelerator’s modifier) in the window that pops up. Escape cancels the configuration, and Backspace unsets the accelerator key for the action.

Regular keyboard shortcuts in Kupfer take precedence over action accelerator keys. If multiple simultaneously eligible actions have the same accelerator key, the highest ranked one will be activated.

Global Keyboard Shortcuts

Kupfer always listens to global shortcuts, even if it is not currently in the foreground.

They have the following meanings and default shortcuts:

Ctrl+Space

Show/hide Kupfer

(not configured by default)

Show Kupfer with 'Selection' object focused

How to configure a global keyboard shortcut

  1. Open Kupfer Preferences and go to the Keyboard tab.

  2. Double-click the shorcut's row under Global Keyboard Shortcuts.

  3. Using the window that appears, press modifier keys and a letter or number key to set a global shortcut. An example is pressing and holding Super and then pressing and releasing Space to bind Super+Space.

Since these keyboard shortcuts are global, they can be used from any application. Select shortcuts with care so that they do not conflict with other functions.

Triggers

The plugin Triggers allows to activate actions with global keyboard shortcuts. Trigger shortcuts do not appear in Kupfer Preferences.

See Triggers for more information.