Mike
McBride
Jost
Schenck
11/08/2000
1.00.00
KDE
KControl
key bindings
bindings
shortcuts

# Key Bindings

## Introduction

While most of the funtionality offered by KDE can be accessed using a simple "point and click" interface, many people prefer using the keyboard for some tasks: pressing something like Ctrl F is often just faster than moving your hands off the keyboard to the mouse, opening the Edit menu and selecting Find.

As different people have different preferences about keyboard shortcuts, KDE offers full customization of so-called "key bindings". A key binding is a combination of an action with a key or a combination of keys.

## Use

In the key bindings control module you'll see a list of "key schemes", a list of key bindings in the currently selected scheme and a frame where you can customize the currently selected key binding. Also, you'll see a tab for Global shortcuts and one for Application shortcuts.

### Global Shortcuts and Application Shortcuts

"Global shortcuts" and "application shortcuts" work just the same. Actually, in a certain way application shortcuts are "global" as well. The only difference is:

- "Global shortcuts" are shortcuts for actions that make sense even when no application is opened. These shortcuts usually refer to actions like switching desktops, manipulating windows etc.

- "Application shortcuts" refer to actions that are often available in applications, such as Save, Print, Copy etc.

Please note, that the "application shortcuts" configured here are only the standard actions often found in applications. Most applications will define their own actions as well, for which you have to customize key bindings using the application's key bindings dialog.

### Configuring Key Bindings

Configuring key bindings is pretty easy. In the middle of the key bindings control module you'll find a list of available actions. If there's a key binding configured for that action you'll find it right next to it. Just select the action you want to configure.

After you've selected an action you'll notice that most of the controls below the action list are enabled. There you can configure a combination of keys or maybe no key binding at all for the selected action.

- No key: the selected action will not be associated with any key.

- Default key: the selected action will be associated with KDE's default value. This is a good choice for most actions, as KDE comes with reasonable key bindings we have thought about.

- Custom key: if this option is enabled, you can create a key combination for the selected action. Just select any modifiers (i.e. SHIFT, CTRL or ALT) and then select a key: just click on the key symbol and after that press the key you wan't to assign to this key combination.

As with all control modules, your changes won't take in effect until you click OK or Apply. Click Cancel to discard all changes.

### Configuring Schemes

A key binding scheme is a set of key bindings that you can access using its name. KDE comes with one pre-defined key binding scheme called "KDE default". In addion to that scheme, you'll always see a scheme named "Current scheme" that stands for the set of key bindings you are using right now (i.e. not the current settings you are playing with, but what you've been using up to now).

When you are playing with the key bindings for the first time you don't have to be afraid of changing the default bindings: KDE won't let you overwrite the defaults, so you can always switch back to the factory presets. By choosing "Current scheme" you can return to the set of key bindings you've been using up to now. However, be careful not to select a scheme when you've made changes to the key bindings you don't want to lose.

When you are satisfied with a set of key bindings you've created, you may want to save them to a scheme of your own, so that you can still experiment with the bindings and always return to a certain scheme. You can always do this by clicking on the Add button. You will be prompted for a name and then the new scheme will appear in the key schemes listbox. You can remove your own schemes again by selecting a scheme and clicking the Remove button. Click the Save changes button to save any changes you have made to the currently selected scheme. Note that you can not remove or save changes to "KDE default" or to "Current scheme".

If you want to save your changes while a read-only scheme is selected, you always have to add a new scheme first! If you select one of your own schemes because you want to save the changes to that one, the control module will switch to the key bindings of that scheme, discarding your changes.

## Section Author

This section written by: Jost Schenck jost@schenck.de