You can customize the keyboard shortcuts used for menu, keyboard, and editor commands in the CodeWarrior IDE. You can attach, or bind, a set of keystrokes to virtually any command. To activate the command, you can type its associated keystroke set, or key binding. The Customize IDE Commands window lets you manipulate IDE key bindings.

For example, you can look up default key bindings for specific commands. You can also change existing key bindings to better suit your needs. In either case, you use the Customize IDE Commands window to find and modify key bindings.

Click the Commands tab at the top of the Customize IDE Commands window to display the Commands view, shown in Figure 8.34. You use this view to configure the key bindings for menu commands, editor actions, and other miscellaneous actions. You can also specify special prefix keys.

This section discusses the following topics:

• Restrictions on choosing key bindings
• Modifying key bindings
• Adding key bindings
• Deleting key bindings
• Setting Auto Repeat for key bindings
• Exporting commands and key bindings
• Importing commands and key bindings
• Prefix keys
• Quote Key prefix
• Assigning the Quote Key prefix
• Setting the Prefix Key Timeout
Customize IDE Commands - Key Bindings:

When you customize key bindings, you must take into account specific keys that you can and cannot use:

• The Escape and Space keys are invalid for key bindings.
• Function keys and the Clear key are valid for creating key bindings.
• (Windows) The Return and Tab keys require at least the Ctrl or Shift key. This restriction does not apply to the second key of a two-key sequence.
• (Mac OS) The Return and Tab keys require at least one of the following keys: Control, Command, or Shift. This restriction does not apply to the second key of a two-key sequence.
• (Mac OS) The Command-Period (Command-.) key combination is invalid for key bindings.

The Commands view of the Customize IDE Commands window includes a Commands list, shown in Figure 8.34. This hierarchical list organizes the IDE's commands into categories. Click the hierarchical control next to a category to expand that category and view its contents.

To modify a key binding, follow these steps:

1. From the Commands list, select the command that you wish to modify.

Click the hierarchical controls next to categories to expand them as necessary so that you can see individual commands. Select the individual command that you wish to modify.

2. In the Key Bindings list, double-click the key binding that you wish to change.

The Key Bindings list appears in Figure 8.34. After double-clicking the desired command in this list, the Edit Key Binding dialog box appears (Figure 8.35).

3. Press the key combination that you wish to use for the selected command.

For example, to change the key combination to Ctrl-8, press the Ctrl key and the 8 key at the same time.

If you decide against the key combination that you just entered, or if you make a mistake, click Cancel in the Edit Key Binding dialog box. The IDE returns you to the Customize IDE Commands window.

4. Click OK in the Edit Key Binding dialog box.

The new key binding appears in the Key Bindings list of the Customize IDE Commands window.

5. Click Save in the Customize IDE Commands window to save your changes.

The new key binding is now available for use in the IDE.

You can use the Customize IDE Commands window to specify additional key bindings for a particular command.

To add a key binding, follow these steps:

1. From the Commands list, select the command to which you want to add a new key binding.

Click the hierarchical controls next to categories to expand them as necessary so that you can see individual commands. Select the individual command that you wish to modify.

2. Click New Binding.

The New Binding button appears in Figure 8.34. After clicking this button, the Edit Key Binding dialog box appears (Figure 8.35).

3. Press the key combination that you wish to use for the selected command.

For example, to add the key combination Ctrl-8, press the Ctrl key and the 8 key at the same time.

If you decide against the key combination that you just entered, or if you make a mistake, click Cancel in the Edit Key Binding dialog box. The IDE returns you to the Customize IDE Commands window.

4. Click OK in the Edit Key Binding dialog box.

The new key binding appears in the Key Bindings list of the Customize IDE Commands window.

5. Click Save in the Customize IDE Commands window to save your changes.

The new key binding is now available for use in the IDE.

You can delete key bindings that you do not wish to use with the CodeWarrior IDE. Once removed, the key bindings no longer activate their assigned commands.

To delete a key binding, follow these steps:

1. From the Commands list, select the command that contains the key binding that you wish to delete.

Click the hierarchical controls next to categories to expand them as necessary so that you can see individual commands.

2. In the Key Bindings list, select the key binding that you wish to delete.

The Key Bindings list appears in Figure 8.34.

3. Delete the selected key binding.

Press the Backspace key (Windows, Solaris, and Linux) or Delete key (Mac OS). The CodeWarrior IDE removes the key binding from the Key Bindings list.

4. Click Save in the Customize IDE Commands window to save your changes.

The removed key binding no longer activates its associated command.

The Auto Repeat checkbox, shown in Figure 8.34, changes the automatic behavior of the items shown in the Key Bindings list.

Enable the Auto Repeat checkbox to automatically repeat the assigned command while you hold down the key combination. Disable the checkbox to require you to press the key combination each time you wish to activate its assigned command.

A useful example is the Find Next command. If you enable Auto Repeat for the Find Next key binding, you can hold down the key combination while you watch the search engine find all text matching your search criteria in the open file. This technique quickly searches the file, finding all matching patterns and displaying them on the screen. If you disable Auto Repeat, then you must release and press the key combination each time you wish to activate the Find Next command.

You can export commands and key bindings for later use by following these steps:

1. Click Export in the Customize IDE Commands window.

After you click this button, a standard Save dialog box appears.

2. Select a location in which to save the commands and key bindings file

3. Click Save.

The IDE exports the current commands and key bindings to a file at the specified location.

You can import commands and key bindings from a previously exported file by following these steps:

1. Click Import in the Customize IDE Commands window.

After you click this button, a standard Open dialog box appears.

2. Use the dialog box to locate and open the commands and key bindings file that you wish to import.

The IDE adds the imported commands and key bindings to the Commands list in the Customize IDE Commands window.

Prefix keys let you create multiple-keystroke command keys, such as those used in the Emacs text editor available on several computer platforms. For example, the Emacs key sequence to save a file is Control-X followed by Control-S.

To emulate this Emacs key binding in the CodeWarrior IDE, you can set a prefix key to Control-X and then set the command key for the Save menu command to Control-X Control-S.

You can also adjust the maximum time to wait for a keypress after entering a prefix key. To learn how to do this, see "Setting the Prefix Key Timeout."

The Quote Key is a special prefix key with a very simple function. This key lets you use a simple printing character as a key equivalent (without any modifier key), and still retain the ability to use that character in editor windows.

In typical use, a key equivalent involves two keys: a modifier key (such as the Ctrl key) combined with a printing key. The IDE does not require a modifier key.

For example, you can assign the 2 key (with no modifier) to a command. However, if you make this assignment, you can no longer type a 2 into your source code in the editor. This conflict occurs because the IDE interprets the 2 as a command key instead of a printing key. The Quote Key prefix provides the solution to such conflicts.

You can configure the IDE to recognize any key as the Quote Key prefix. For more information, see "Assigning the Quote Key prefix". Despite its name, the Quote Key prefix does not have to be the key that creates the quote character (") in source code.

After typing an assigned Quote Key prefix, the IDE interprets the next keypress as a keystroke, not as a command.

Returning to the earlier example, assume that you assign the 2 key to a command and the tilde key (~) to be your Quote Key prefix. To execute the command, you would type the 2 key. To enter the character 2 into source code, you would type the tilde key first, then the 2 key. To enter the tilde character into source code, you would press the tilde key twice.

To assign the Quote Key prefix, follow these steps:

1. Click the hierarchical control next to the Miscellaneous item.

The Miscellaneous item, shown in Figure 8.36, is part of the Commands list in the Customize IDE Commands window.

2. Select the Quote Key item.

The Quote Key item is part of the Miscellaneous command group.

3. Click New Binding.

The New Binding button appears in Figure 8.36. After clicking this button, the Edit Key Binding dialog box appears (Figure 8.35).

4. Type the desired Quote Key prefix.

The keys you type appear in the dialog box. If you make a mistake or decide against the keys you typed, click Cancel to return to the Customize IDE Commands window.

5. Click OK in the Edit Key Binding dialog box.

The new Quote Key prefix appears in the Key Bindings list.

The Prefix Key Timeout field specifies the length of time that the IDE waits for the second key after you press a prefix key. The larger the value in this field, the longer the IDE waits for you to press the second key.

The IDE measures the timeout value in ticks, where each tick equals 1/60th of a second (16.67 milliseconds). Legal values range from 1 to 999 ticks. The default value is 120 ticks.