#+title: standard-keys-mode
#+author: Elias G. Perez

#+html: <a href="https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/standard-keys-mode.html"><img alt="NonGNU ELPA" src="https://elpa.nongnu.org/nongnu/standard-keys-mode.svg"/></a>

* Introduction

standard-keys-mode is yet another CUA-like mode that aims to emulate
the standard and common keybindings found in many modern editors.

** Motivation

Using Emacs is often difficult, and configuring its shortcuts tedious,
within the Emacs ecosystem there have been packages that tried to
change these shortcuts to ones easier to use and more common in modern
times.  However, over time, many are becoming obsolete, are often not
easy to configure or do not work in current versions of Emacs.

My frustration, and seeing how there are more modal-editing packages
than modifier-based ones, motivated me to create ~standard-keys-mode~.

This packages aims to: help *newcomers* to use Emacs while keeping
familiar keybinding; help those who want to make a *gradual adaptation*
to Emacs; or be used *only to remap* some key prefixes.

For those who already use Emacs, this package can be considered /the/
[[https://github.com/meow-edit/meow][meow]] /or/ [[https://github.com/Kungsgeten/ryo-modal][ryo]] /of modifier-based shortcuts/, providing the following
features inspired by these packages:

+ Ready to use.  /No need to make so much configurations./

+ Easy to use.  /You can use the common keys you mostly know./

+ Minimal but easy to extend.  /No dependencies needed, allowing
  creating your own modifier-based environment./

+ Provide new editing commands that are not available in Emacs.

+ Compatible with Emacs Ecosystem.  /The keybindings will remain
  compatible with the vanilla Emacs and third-party packages keymaps,/
  /without the need to modify them or reinvent the wheel./

* Get started

~standard-keys-mode~ requires Emacs 29.1 or greater

For install it, you can run:

+ =M-x package-install RET standard-keys-mode RET=

+ Alternatively using ~use-package~ keyword:

#+begin_src emacs-lisp
(use-package standard-keys-mode
  :ensure t :hook after-init)
#+end_src

Once you have it installed you can enable it with =M-x standard-keys-mode=

* Configuration

** Keybindings

~standard-keys-mode~ comes with additional ready-to-use keymaps themes
based on other editors, keyboards, and Emacs packages.

For more information about the keymaps you can see the following
files:

+ [[file:KEYMAP_THEMES_LIST.org][KEYMAP_THEMES_LIST.org]]
  Complete list of included keymap themes and their shortcuts.

+ [[file:CONFIGURING_KEYMAPS.org][CONFIGURING_KEYMAPS.org]]
  Guide to configure the keymap themes and their shortcuts, and
  creating your own keymap.

standard-keys uses the following shortcuts by default (defined in
~standard-keys-default-keymap~):

| key                  | command                                                                        |
|----------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| ~Control~ ~o~            | ~find-file~ (Open file)                                                          |
| ~Control~ ~Shift~ ~o~      | ~revert-buffer~ (Refresh/Update current buffer file state)                       |
| ~Control~ ~w~            | ~kill-current-buffer~ (Quit/Kill current buffer)                                 |
| ~Control~ ~q~            | ~save-buffers-kill-terminal~ (Quit Emacs)                                        |
| ~Control~ ~e~            | ~C-x~ prefix                                                                     |
| ~Control~ ~d~            | ~C-c~ prefix                                                                     |
| ~Control~ ~x~            | ~standard-keys-cut-region-or-line~ (Cut)                                         |
| ~Control~ ~c~            | ~standard-keys-copy-region-or-line~ (Copy)                                       |
| ~Control~ ~v~            | ~yank~ (Paste)                                                                   |
| ~Control~ ~z~            | ~undo~                                                                           |
| ~Control~ ~y~            | ~undo-redo~ (Redo)                                                               |
| ~Control~ ~Shift~ ~z~      | ~undo-redo~ (Redo)                                                               |
| ~Control~ ~f~            | ~isearch-forward~  (Search forward)                                              |
| ~Control~ ~Shift~ ~f~      | ~isearch-backward~ (Search backward)                                             |
| ~Control~ ~r~            | ~query-replace~ (Replace)                                                        |
| ~Control~ ~Shift~ ~r~      | ~query-replace-regexp~ (Replace with regexp)                                     |
| ~Control~ ~s~            | ~save-buffer~ (Save buffer/file)                                                 |
| ~Control~ ~Shift~ ~s~      | ~write-file~ (Save buffer/file as)                                               |
| ~Control~ ~p~            | ~print-buffer~ (Print buffer/file)                                               |
| ~Control~ ~a~            | ~mark-whole-buffer~ (Select All)                                                 |
| ~Control~ ~+~            | ~text-scale-increase~ (Zoom in)                                                  |
| ~Control~ ~-~            | ~text-scale-decrease~ (Zoom out)                                                 |
| ~Control~ ~=~            | ~text-scale-adjust~ (Set Zoom)                                                   |
| ~Control~ ~n~            | ~standard-keys-create-new-buffer~ (Create a new empty buffer)                    |
| ~Control~ ~;~            | ~comment-line~ (Comment out current line)                                        |
| ~Alt/Meta~ ~0~           | ~delete-window~                                                                  |
| ~Alt/Meta~ ~1~           | ~delete-other-windows~                                                           |
| ~Alt/Meta~ ~2~           | ~split-window-below~                                                             |
| ~Alt/Meta~ ~3~           | ~split-window-right~                                                             |
| ~Control~ ~RETURN~       | ~rectangle-mark-mode~ (Select in rectangle mode)                                 |
| ~Control~ ~Shift~ ~RETURN~ | ~standard-keys-newline-and-indent-before-point~ (Insert a newline before cursor) |
| ~Control~ ~b~            | ~switch-to-buffer~                                                               |
| ~HOME~                 | ~standard-keys-move-beginning-of-line-or-indentation~                            |
| ~ESC~                  | ~standard-keys-keyboard-quit~ (Cancel current action, similar to C-g)            |

** User options

+ ~standard-keys-update-commands-descriptions~

  If non-nil, commands docstring descriptions should use the
  remaped ~C-x~ and ~C-c~.

  This only have effect if ~standard-keys-update-commands-descriptions~
  is non-nil.

  default: =t=

+ ~standard-keys-override-new-C-x-and-C-c-commands~

  If non-nil, commands bounds in =C-x= and =C-c= must take precedence over other keymaps.

  *WARNING:* Enabling this may override some terminal specific
  keybindings and only should be used only for override the =C-x= and
  =C-c= only in buffers or modes which take precedence over
  ~standard-keys-map~.

  Intended to be used for copy/cut text in magit buffers or in URLs
  with ~goto-address-mode~ enabled.

  default: =nil=

+ ~standard-keys-map-style~

  The keymap style to use.

  Use this option to change the default keymap to use.

  default: ='standard-keys-default-keymap=

+ ~standard-keys-new-buffer-mode~

  Which major mode should ~standard-keys-create-new-buffer~ use.

  The value can be any major mode function symbol.

  If set to =scratch-buffer=, it will create a new scratch buffer.

  default: ='fundamental-mode=

** Commands

+ ~standard-keys-keyboard-quit~

  Quit from the current command/action.  This acts like `C-g' but is
  intended to be used for any other additional keybindings.

  *NOTE*: This doesn't work if =C-g= is remaped.

+ ~standard-keys-newline-and-indent-before-point~

  Like ~newline-and-indent~, but inserts the newline before cursor.

+ ~standard-keys-move-beginning-of-line-or-indentation~

  This acts like ~move-beginning-of-line~, but can also move the cursor
  to the beginning of the indentation.

+ ~standard-keys-create-new-buffer~

  Create a new Untitled empty buffer.

+ ~standard-keys-copy-region-or-line~

  Copy the active region, or the current line if no region is active.

+ ~standard-keys-cut-region-or-line~

  Cut the active region, or the current line if no region is active.

* Troubleshooting

** The copy and cut commands (C-c, C-x) doesn't work well in magit or with goto-address-mode.

This is a common bug, ~standard-keys-mode~ provides the variable
~standard-keys-override-C-x-and-C-c-commands~ as workaround, which is
disabled by default, you can set it to =t= for enable this.

** The menu-bar command keybinding description is not updated.

Currently there is not a possible workaround, but as an alternative,
the =marginalia= package provides detailed information about the
commands keybindings.

** I cannot rebind =C-g= properly

It is not possible to remap =C-g=.

Although solutions such as this can be used:

#+begin_src emacs-lisp
(keymap-unset standard-keys-default-keymap "C-g")
(keymap-set standard-keys-default-keymap "ESC" (standard-keys-key-keybinding "C-g"))
#+end_src

The emergency quit (typing =C-g= once or many times) is hardcoded in
Emacs C source code and cannot be changed.

So, when Emacs gets stuck, pressing the remaped =C-g= (e.g. =ESC=) will
not quit from current loop.

* Alternatives

** [[http://ergoemacs.github.io/][ergoemacs]]
#+begin_quote
A minor-mode that aims to:
- Use/Create ergonomic keybindings in emacs that will reduce RSI
- Use the commonly bound keys familiar to most people today. Ctrl+C
  for copy, Ctrl+z for undo, etc.
#+end_quote

ergoemacs is very opinated, from my experience, it is hard to
customize and use, the documentation is very outdated, and does not
work properly in recent versions of Emacs.

But if you don't care about this, you can try it.

(comment written on: 2025-08-28, this may no longer apply in the future)

** [[https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/emacs/CUA-Bindings.html][cua-mode]] (built-in in Emacs)
#+begin_quote
CUA mode is a global minor mode.  When enabled, typed text
replaces the active selection, and you can use C-z, C-x, C-c, and
C-v to undo, cut, copy, and paste in addition to the normal Emacs
bindings.  The C-x and C-c keys only do cut and copy when the
region is active, so in most cases, they do not conflict with the
normal function of these prefix keys.
#+end_quote

cua-mode doesn't include the classic commands that you may expect:
C-o (Open), C-s (Save), C-f (Search), etc; so you will probably have
to invest time in configuring it.

However cua-mode mode includes some features you may be interested in
(e.g. =cua-enable-cursor-indications=, =cua-toggle-rectangle-mark=, etc).

** [[https://github.com/darkstego/wakib-keys][wakib-keys]]
#+begin_quote
Emacs minor mode that provides a modern, efficient and easy to learn
keybindings.  This mode makes it easy to pick up Emacs and start
unlocking its potential without having to sacrifice its power. The
point of this mode it to leverage common shortcuts that you are used
to while making it easy to learn Emacs.
#+end_quote

wakib-keys was the inspiration for this package.

Like standard-keys-mode, wakib rebinds the C-x/C-c prefixes to C-e/C-d
respectively.  However wakib has been somewhat outdated, with some
bugs in recent versions of Emacs.

If you are using an older Emacs version (prior 29.x), you can use
wakib-keys instead of standard-keys-mode.

(comment written on: 2025-08-28, this may no longer apply in the future)

** [[https://github.com/BenediktChlopik/mortal-mode][mortal-mode]]
#+begin_quote
A basic Emacs configuration for users accustomed to modern editors
like Kate, VS Code, Notepad++, Sublime Text, PyCharm, and many
others. This config tries to make vanilla Emacs feel more like one of
those editors. It gives you a familiar starting point for your own
Emacs configuration adventures without having to unlearn years of
muscle memory.
#+end_quote

I have no comments, because I haven't used it, but analyzing the code,
it doesn't appear to be compatible with the C-x and C-c prefixes,
despite trying to remap them.

(comment written on: 2026-10-02, this may no longer apply in the future)
-----
Thanks to Abdulla Bubshait (darkstego) for creating wakib-keys, which
was the inspiration for this package.