Keymap

Every key in Astrolabe CLI, in the reader, overlays, panels and editor, for printing or keeping in a second window.

The reader keys come from the keymap table in internal/tui/keymap.go. The in-app help (?) and the leader palette (press Space and wait) read the same table.

A count typed before a key repeats it or gives it a target: 5j moves five lines down, and 12G goes to source line 12. Esc always closes the topmost overlay.

Reader

The reader shows an accent-coloured ▎ cursor in the left margin. Actions apply to the block under it.

Keys	Action
`j`, `↓`	cursor down (counts work: `5j`)
`k`, `↑`	cursor up
`Ctrl-d`	half page down
`Ctrl-u`	half page up
`Ctrl-f`, `PgDn`	page down
`Ctrl-b`, `PgUp`	page up
`gg`, `Home`	top (`{N}gg`: source line N)
`G`, `End`	bottom (`{N}G`: source line N)
`]]`, `}`	next heading
`[[`, `{`	previous heading
`l`, `→`	scroll a code block right (4 columns)
`h`, `←`	scroll a code block left

Links and history

Keys	Action
`Tab`	next link (highlights it)
`Shift-Tab`	previous link
`Enter`, `gd`, `Ctrl-]`	follow the highlighted link, or the first link on the cursor line
`Backspace`, `Ctrl-o`, `H`	back in history
`L`	forward in history

What Enter does depends on what is under the cursor:

A note link opens the note, and a link to a heading or block jumps there.
A broken link asks whether to create the note (y / n). A broken link to an attachment (![[chart.png]]) only says it is missing.
A URL is shown in the status bar and copied to the clipboard (OSC 52). Astrolabe CLI never opens it.
A heading with no link has its fold toggled.
A footnote mark jumps to the footnote’s definition.

Folds, tasks, editing

Keys	Action
`za`	fold or unfold the section under the cursor
`zc`	fold the section
`zo`	unfold the section
`zM`	fold every section
`zR`	unfold everything
`x`	toggle the task under the cursor (rewrites one character in the file)
`i`	edit this block in the built-in editor, in Insert mode at the start of the source line’s text (after any list, task, quote or heading marker)
`a`	edit this block in the built-in editor, in Insert mode at the end of the source line
`e`	edit this block in the built-in editor, in Normal mode on the source line
`E`	open `$VISUAL` / `$EDITOR` at this line, then reload the note. With `editor = external`, `i`, `a` and `e` do this too

Task states toggle like this:

[ ] → [x]
[x] → [ ]
[/] (in progress) → [x]
[-] (cancelled) and any other custom state → [ ]

Search

Keys	Action
`/`	search inside the note (incremental; `Enter` keeps it, `Esc` restores the view)
`n`	next match
`N`	previous match
`Ctrl-p`	find a note

Space (leader)

Keys	Palette word	Action
`Space f`	find	find a note (title, path, alias)
`Space /`, `Space s`	search	search the vault’s text
`Space d`	today	today’s daily note
`Space c`	capture	capture a line to today’s note
`Space n`	new	new note
`Space t`	agenda	open tasks by due date
`Space #`	tags	tags, then notes with a tag
`Space b`	backlinks	focus backlinks in the context panel (again: close it)
`Space o`	outline	focus the outline in the context panel (again: close it)
`Space e`	tree	toggle the file tree
`Space r`	recent	recent notes
`Space T`	theme	cycle the theme (saved to the config file)
`Space y`	yank	copy this note’s wikilink
`Space q`	quit	quit

If you press Space and wait 300 ms, a palette lists every Space binding.

Other

Keys	Action
`q`, `ZZ`	quit (asks if there are unsaved edits)
`?`	help
`:`	command line
`Esc`	clear the highlighted link and search
`Ctrl-l`	redraw the screen
`Ctrl-z`	suspend (`fg` to return)
`Ctrl-c`	shows “type q to quit”; it does not quit

Reader commands

Type these after :. Tab and Shift-Tab complete command names, note names after :e, and theme names after :theme.

Command	Action
`:e NOTE`, `:edit`, `:o`, `:open`	open a note (name, path or unique fuzzy match)
`:e`	reload the current note from disk
`:new [TITLE]`, `:enew`	create a note and open it in the editor (asks for a title if none is given)
`:today`, `:daily`	today’s daily note
`:theme [NAME]`, `:colo NAME`	switch theme and save it; with no name, show the current one
`:export [FILE]`	write the note as HTML; the default is `<name>.html` in the current directory, never inside the vault
`:set wrap=N` (`measure`, `tw`, `textwidth`)	page width in columns, 20 or more
`:set nu`, `:set nonu`, `:set nu!`	line numbers in the editor
`:set`	show the width and theme
`:N`	go to source line N
`:tags`	tags overlay
`:agenda`, `:tasks`	agenda overlay
`:noh`	clear the search highlight
`:help`, `:h`	help overlay
`:q`, `:quit`, `:wq`, `:x`, `:qa`	quit
`:w`	does nothing in the reader, which never changes the file; use `i` to edit

Overlays and panels

Finder (`Ctrl-p`, `Space f`, `Space r`) and vault search (`Space /`)

Keys	Action
typing	filter (the finder) or search (vault search; runs as you type)
`↓`, `Ctrl-n`, `Ctrl-j`	next result
`↑`, `Ctrl-p`, `Ctrl-k`	previous result
`PgDn`, `Ctrl-d`, `Ctrl-f`	page down
`PgUp`, `Ctrl-u`, `Ctrl-b`	page up
`Enter`	open the selected note (vault search jumps to the line)
`Ctrl-w`, `Alt-Backspace`	delete a word
`Ctrl-a`, `Ctrl-e`, `←`, `→`	move in the input
`Esc`	close

With an empty query the finder lists recent notes. The note you are reading is listed last, so Ctrl-p Enter returns to the previous note.

Agenda (`Space t`)

Keys	Action
`j` `k`, `↓` `↑`	move
`g`, `G`	first / last
`x`, `Space`	toggle the task
`Enter`, `l`	open the note at the task
`q`, `Esc`	close

Below 70 columns the agenda drops its note column so the task text gets the whole row; the selected task’s note is named in the header instead.

Tags (`Space #`)

Keys	Action
typing	filter tags
`↓` `↑`	move
`Enter`	list the notes with that tag

In the list of notes: Enter or l opens the selected note, Backspace or h goes back to the tags, and j/k move.

Capture (`Space c`) and new note (`Space n`)

Keys	Action
typing	the text
`Tab`	(capture) switch between a note line and a task; typing `[ ]` first also makes a task
`Enter`	save
`Esc`	cancel

Prompts

Prompt	Keys
Create a note for a broken link	`y` or `Enter` yes · `n` or `q` no
File changed on disk while editing	`r` reload theirs · `o` overwrite with mine · `c` cancel

Context panel (`Space o`, `Space b`) and file tree (`Space e`)

Keys	Action
`j` `k`, `↓` `↑`	move
`g`, `G`	first / last
`Enter`, `l`	jump to the heading, open the backlink or note, or open a folder (tree)
`h`, `←`	close a folder (tree)
`Ctrl-d`, `Ctrl-u`	half page (tree)
`Esc`, `Tab`	return focus to the page

At 124 columns or wider, the context panel (outline above backlinks) opens by default.

Help (`?`)

j k scroll, Ctrl-d Ctrl-u scroll by half a page, g G go to the top and bottom, and q, ? or Esc close it.

Home screen

j k move over the recent notes, and Enter opens one. All the reader’s Space keys and Ctrl-p work here.

Mouse

Where	Action
reader	the wheel scrolls 3 lines. A click places the cursor, follows a link, or toggles a fold chevron
editor	a click places the cursor; the wheel scrolls
overlays	the wheel scrolls; clicks are ignored

mouse = off in the config hands the mouse back to the terminal.

The editor implements a subset of Vim. The status bar shows NORMAL, INSERT, VISUAL or V-LINE. Lines that soft-wrap move by display line with j/k. A count, or an operator, makes them move by source line.

Modes and leaving

Keys	Action
`i` `a` `I` `A`	Insert before / after the cursor, at the line’s first non-blank / end
`o` `O`	open a line below / above (on a list item, continues the list)
`gI`	Insert at column 0
`v`, `V`	Visual, Visual-line
`gv`	reselect the last Visual area
`Esc`	Insert/Visual → Normal. In Normal with nothing pending: save if changed, back to the reader
`:w`, `Ctrl-s`	save
`:q`	leave (refuses with unsaved changes, as Vim does)
`:q!`, `ZQ`	leave, discarding changes
`:wq`, `:x`, `ZZ`	save if changed and leave

In a astrolabe new -o session, leaving the editor exits Astrolabe CLI. Everywhere else it returns to the reader. Other ex commands (:e NOTE, :theme NAME, :today, :new, :export) are passed to the reader.

Motions

Keys	Motion
`h` `j` `k` `l`, arrows, `Backspace`, `Space`	character / line
`w` `b` `e` `ge`, `W` `B` `E` `gE`	words, WORDS
`0` `^` `$` `g_` `{N}\|`	line start, first non-blank, end, last non-blank, column N
`gg` `G` `{N}G` `{N}%`	first / last / Nth line, N percent
`{` `}`	paragraph back / forward
`%`	matching bracket
`f` `F` `t` `T` `;` `,`	find a character on the line, repeat, repeat backwards
`H` `M` `L`	top / middle / bottom of the window
`+` `-` `Enter`	next / previous line, first non-blank
`Ctrl-d` `Ctrl-u` `Ctrl-f` `Ctrl-b`	half / full page
`Ctrl-e` `Ctrl-y`	scroll one line
`zz` `zt` `zb`	cursor line to the middle / top / bottom

Operators and text objects

Keys	Action
`d` `c` `y`	delete, change, yank
`>` `<`	indent, outdent
`g~` `gu` `gU`	toggle case, lower, upper
`iw` `aw` `iW` `aW`	word, WORD
`ip` `ap`	paragraph
`i"` `a"` `i'` `a'` i` a`	quoted text
`i(` `a(` `ib` · `i[` `a[` · `i{` `a{` `iB` · `i<` `a<`	brackets (a count selects enclosing levels)

Changes

Keys	Action
`dd` `cc` `yy` `>>` `<<`	the whole line
`D` `C` `Y`	to the end of the line (`Y` as in Neovim)
`x` `X`	delete a character after / before
`s` `S`	substitute a character / line
`r{c}`	replace a character
`J` `gJ`	join lines with / without a space
`~`	toggle case
`p` `P`	put after / before
`u` `Ctrl-r`	undo, redo (an insert session is one step)
`.`	repeat the last change (with a new count if given)
`&`	repeat the last `:s`

Registers

The editor supports the unnamed register, "0 (last yank), "a–"z (capitals append), "_ (black hole), and "+ / "*, which copy to the system clipboard through the terminal (OSC 52). Text pasted from the terminal arrives as a bracketed paste.

Search and substitute

Keys	Action
`/pat` `?pat`	search forward / backward (incremental, smart-case, Vim “magic” syntax)
`n` `N`	next / previous match
`*` `#`	the word under the cursor, forward / backward
`:s/a/b/[flags]`	substitute on the current line
`:%s/a/b/g`	substitute on every line
`:N,Ms/…`, `:'<,'>s/…`	ranges: `N`, `.`, `$`, `%`, `'<,'>`, `±N`

The flags are g, i, I and &. In the replacement, &, \0–\9, \r, \n and \t work. Other ex commands: :N, :d, :y, :j, :>, :<, :u, :red, :noh. :set accepts nu, nonu, nu!, wrap=N, hls, ic and scs.

Markdown help in Insert mode

Keys	Action
`Enter`	continue a bullet, numbered item (renumbering the rest), task (new `[ ]`), quote or callout. On an empty item it ends the list, or outdents a nested item
`Tab` / `Shift-Tab` on a list item	indent / outdent it (ordered lists renumber)
`Tab` / `Shift-Tab` in a table	next / previous cell, re-aligning the whole table. `Tab` in the last cell adds a row
`Tab` elsewhere	spaces to the next multiple of 4, or a tab in files indented with tabs
`[[`	note completer: `↓` `↑` or `Ctrl-n` `Ctrl-p` move, `Enter` or `Tab` insert, `Esc` keeps the typed text
`Ctrl-t`	insert `YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM`

Not in the editor

These Vim features are missing:

numbered registers "1–"9 and "-
Ctrl-r {reg} in Insert mode, and gi
sentence objects is / as
macros and marks
:set nowrap: the editor always soft-wraps
splits
back-references inside a search pattern (\1); they do work in :s replacements
the c (confirm) flag of :s

Astrolabe CLI manual