While Zilch implements many features found in other common code editors, it also has many additional features users may find useful in their workflow.

The Cursor

The Cursor serves to indicate the location in a text file or script where new text will be entered. By default the cursor is set to insertion mode like most text editors. In insertion mode the cursor highlights the space between two characters. Pressing a character key will insert the character at the location of the cursor.

Moving The Cursor By Character

The cursor can be moved left, right, up, and down between characters using the arrow keys. You can also move the cursor by clicking on any space between two characters to move the cursor to that location.

• Left, Right, Up, and Down

• Left-Click

Moving The Cursor By Token & Whitespace

Often in a text file a single character will not have much meaning in the context of the whole file. So at times it make sense to navigate code at the conceptual level one is thinking about it. By using Control and an arrow key we can moving the cursor by token jumping over characters which belong to the previous or next token or whitespace sequence.

• Control + Left
• Control + Right

Moving the File

Continuing the trend of minimizing unnecessary mouse use while typing in the text editor the hotkeys Control + Up & Control + Down can be used to scroll the file view up and down.

• Control + Up
• Control + Down

Multi-Cursors

The Zilch text editor has the capability of placing multiple cursors in the file from which one is currently editing. Holding Control while clicking in the text file will result in the placement of additional cursors instead of moving the original cursor.

Each of these cursors can be expanded uniformly into a selection using the various methods of selection outlined below. Keep in mind that each keystroke will be applied to each cursor and/or selection. This is particularly useful when there are multiple identical constructs that need to be identically modified.

Column Cursors

Another form of cursor is the vertically extended column cursor. A column cursor can be created from a standard cursor by holding Alt + Shift and pressing Up + Down.

• Alt + Shift + Up
• Alt + Shift + Down

Selection

Cursors can be extended into selections, allowing the user to modify entire sections of text.

Row & Token Selection

To use row selection using the only the keyboard, Shift should be held while performing standard cursor commands.

By holding Shift + Left characters are selected along the row. If Shift + Right is held the selection cursor box will continue expanding to the right until it wraps around with the text to the next row.

To select entire rows with each keystroke use Shift + Up, or Shift + Down can also be used.

This is the same behavior one would get if one were to Click + Drag in the text file.

Shift can also be held while clicking to extend the current cursor or selection.

Row Selection by Token and WhiteSpace

Row selection can be done by token just as you can move the cursor with Control + Left and Control + right.

• Control + Shift + Left
• Control + Shift + Right

Token & Line Selection

One can also select any given token by double clicking it, an entire line can be selected by triple clicking it.

Once a token is selected to can add the next instance of that token to appear in the file to the selection by pressing Control + D.

Column Selection

NOTE: Column selection is also sometimes called rectangle selection.

Column selections can be created in various ways with and without a preexisting column cursor.

Creating a Column Selection From a Standard Cursor

By holding Alt + Shift and then pressing Left-Click you can create a column selection that covers all character between the cursor and the point clicked.

Expanding a Column Cursor Into a Selection

Alt + Shift and Left Right Up Down can be used to expand an existing column cursor into a column selection.

Selecting the Entire File

To select all text in the focused file use the Control + A hotkey.

Row Operations

Some hotkeys perform a basic operation on the row that the cursor is currently on.

Commenting

To quickly comment in and out all lines on which cursors/selections exist use the Control + K hotkey.

Duplication

Use the Control + Shift + D hotkey to duplicate each line with a cursor on it.

Cutting

Use the Control + L hotkey to quickly cut the current line from the file.

Swapping

Use the Control + T hotkey to quickly swap each line with a cursor on it with the line above it with out moving the cursor.

The hotkeys Control + Shift + Up or Control + Shift + Down to swap each line with a cursor on it with the line above or below it.

This command also shifts the cursor to the newline. This allows the line to be continuously shifted up or down by repeating the hotkey sequence.

Clipboard Operations

The Zilch Editor supports the standard clipboard operations of copy, cut, and paste. To copy selected text to the clipboard use the Control + C hotkey. To copy selected text to the clipboard and remove it from the file use the Control + X hotkey. To paste the text from the clipboard to the location of each cursor in a file use the Control + V hotkey. All three operations are shown in the gif below.

Undo & Redo

To undo a previous operation use the Control + Z hotkey. To redo a previous operation use the Control + Y hotkey.

Search Operations

The search tool is useful for finding instances of specific text through out individual files or an entire project.

Find Mode

To quickly access the search window in find mode use the Control + F hotkey.

If there is an active selection in the current text file, it will be pasted in as the search argument upon opening the window. Notice that because the search window is in find mode it will find locations of the given text but not modify them.

Replace Mode

To quickly access the search window in replace mode use the Control + H hotkey.

If there is an active selection in the current text file, it will be pasted in as the search argument upon opening the window. Notice that because the search window is in replace mode it will find locations of the given text and replace them with whatever string is in the replace field of the search window.

Go to Definition

One of the most common patterns while programming is to reference the definition of a particular type being used. This can be done in Zilch via a shortcut.

When the user right clicks in a text file GoToDefintion is listed as an option in the context. If the context menu option is chosen, then the definition of the type currently highlighted by or containing the cursor will be displayed in the file that contains it. This functionality can also be activated by pressing F12 while the text editor cursor is highlighting or sitting within a valid type.

Window Operations

Some hotkeys used in the text editor will not actually affect the text file or cursor. By using the Ctrl + Tab and Ctrl + Shift + Tab hotkey sequences the tabs in the main docked window can be cycled through to the right and left, respectively.

• Control + Tab
• Control + Shift + Tab

Hotkey Reference

The tables below are meant for both quick reference via the name column as well as more detailed information in the description column.

Keyboard Sequences

Keyboard Command	Brief
Left	Move cursor left by character
Right	Move cursor right by character
Up	Move cursor up one row
Down	Move cursor down one row
Control + Left	Move cursor left by symbol
Control + Right	Move cursor right by one symbol
Control + Up	Scroll file up
Control + Down	Scroll file down
Control + F	Open the search window in find mode
Control + H	Open the search window in replace mode
F12	Go to Definition of the highlighted type.
Control + A	Select all text in the file
Control + T	Swap line with the row above without the cursor
Control + K	Comment/Uncomment current line
Control + L	Cut current line
Control + S	Save project
Control + Z	Undo last action
Control + Z	Redo last action
Control + X	Cut current selection
Control + C	Copy current selection
Control + V	Paste from the clipboard
Control + =	Increase font size
Control + -	Decrease font size
Control + Tab	Cycle to the next tab in the window
Control + Shift + Tab	Cycle to the previous tab in the window
Control + Shift + D	Duplicate the line the cursor is on
Control + Shift + Up	Swap line with row above with the cursor
Control + Shift + Down	Swap line with row below with the cursor
Control + Shift + Left	Row selection/deselection left by symbol
Control + Shift + Right	Row selection/deselection right by symbol
Shift + Left	Row selection/deselection to the left by character
Shift + Right	Row selection/deselection to the right by character
Shift + Up	Row selection/deselection up by character
Shift + Down	Row selection/deselection down by character
Alt + Shift + Left	Column selection/deselection left by character
Alt + Shift + Right	Column selection/deselection right by character
Alt + Shift + Up	Column selection/deselection up by row
Alt + Shift + Down	Column selection/deselection down by row

Mouse Actions

Mouse Command	Brief
Left-Click	Move cursor
Left-Click x2	Select token
Left-Click x3	Select entire line
Left-Click + Drag	Row selection
Control + Left-Click	Create additional cursor
Shift + Left-Click	Row selection
Alt + Shift + Left-Click	Column selection

Related Materials

Manual Pages

• Code Completion
• Text Editor Config

Code Reference

• TextEditorConfig