sim key overview

A key overview taken from the product's docs. Only keys the docs list as built are here. The complete list is the product's own key table, `sim/keys.tsv`.

Starting

Keys	What they do
`simsim dir`	Open the tree of the current directory, or of `dir`.
`sim filesim file:42`	Open a file (with the tree closed), optionally at a line.
`sim +/re file`	Open a file and search for a pattern first.

Saving and quitting

Keys	What they do
`Ctrl-s`	Save, in every mode.
`ZZ:x:wq`	Save if modified, and quit.
`q:q`	Close the current file; closing the last one exits.
`ZQ:q!`	Close without saving.
`:w!`	Save even over a read-only file, or keep your version over a change on disk.
`:wa:qa:qa!`	Save all, quit all, quit all discarding changes.
`:cq`	Quit with exit code 1 (aborts a `git commit`).

The tree

Keys	What they do
`Ctrl-n`	Open and focus the tree, or close it when it has focus.
`jk`	Move down and up.
`lEnter`	Expand a directory, or open a file.
`h-`	Collapse a directory (or go to its parent); `-` collapses everything.
`/`	Search every file under the root as you type.
`.`	Narrow the tree to changed, open and recent files; again shows everything.
`Escq`	Give the focus back to the text; `q` closes the tree.

Finding files and text

Keys	What they do
`Ctrl-p`	Find files by fuzzy match, from anywhere.
`Ctrl-f`	Search the contents of every file as you type, from anywhere.
`Ctrl-nCtrl-p↓↑`	Move the selection.
`Enter`	Open the selected result.
`Esc`	Close the window; everything is as it was.

Several files

Keys	What they do
`TabShift-Tab`	Next and previous open file.
`:e file:e!`	Open another file; reload this one.

The vi grammar

Keys	What they do
`h j k lw b e0 ^ $gg Gf F t T ; ,%Ctrl-d Ctrl-u`	Motions, with counts.
`x r J p PuCtrl-r.i a I A o Odd cc yy D C Y>> <<`	Editing, repeating and undoing.
`d c y > <iw aw i" a( i{ …`	Operators, combined with a motion or a text object.
`vVo`	Visual mode: characters, lines, swap ends.
`/?n N* #:noh`	Incremental, smartcase search, and clearing its highlight.
`:{N}:%s/re/rep/g:{range}`	Go to a line, substitute, and ranges (`%`, `.`, `$`, `'<,'>`).
`YU`	Where sim departs from vi: `Y` yanks to the end of the line, `U` redoes.
`"ayw"ap:registers`	Registers: put a name before a command (`"ayw` yanks into `a`, `"ap` puts it); `"A` adds, `"0` is the last yank, `"1` to `"9` the last deletes, `"+` writes the system clipboard. `:registers` lists them.
`ma'a``a`'':marks`	Marks: `ma` sets one, `'a` goes to its line, the backtick key to its place, `''` goes back to before the last jump; `:marks` lists them.

Looks

Keys	What they do
`zl`	Go round the looks: calm, flat, depth.
`zh`	Syntax colors on and off.
`zi`	Icons on and off.
`<Space>um`	Markdown read view on and off. The line the cursor is on is always the file's own text.

git

Keys	What they do
`<Space>ge`	The tree with only the files that differ from `HEAD`; `Enter` opens `HEAD`'s version read-only, and `<Space>ge` again (or `q`) goes back.
`<Space>gi`	Says again what the guard did to this repository: why git was not run, or which settings were turned off.

Mouse

Keys	What they do
`clickwheeldrag`	Click to open or place the cursor, wheel to scroll, drag to select.

Changes from outside

Keys	What they do
`]c[c`	Go to the next or previous change from outside.
`:seen`	Clear the change marks.

Flags and environment

Keys	What they do
`sim --plain`	The core alone: the calm look, one file, no panel, no external program. The default as root and as the editor of sudoedit.
`sim --versionsim --help`	Print the usage and the environment sim reads, or the version, and exit.
`NO_COLOR`	No color at all, also on terminals with fewer than 8 colors: weight, underline and inverse video say what color said.
`SIM_ON_NORMAL`	A command run each time you return to Normal mode, for example to turn an IME off. `SI_ON_NORMAL`, its old name, still works.

Key guidance

Keys	What they do
`<Space>`	The leader key. A pause on `Space` (or on `g`, `z`, `[`, `]`, an operator) opens a small window that lists the keys that can come next.
`F1:help`	A searchable list of every key and command, with what each does. `:help tab` finds `Tab`, `Shift-Tab` and `<Space>bp`.
`<Space>bp`	Put a letter on each tab; the letter jumps to its file.
`<Space>bc`	Pick a tab by letter to close it. A modified file stays open.
`:tutor`	About fifteen minutes of lessons in a scratch buffer, in your language; nothing is written.

sim showing notes/store.py. Near the bottom, a small window titled <Space>b lists three keys: p, pick a tab by letter; c, pick a tab to close; and k, where the other version went. — which-key: Space, then b, then a pause of 200 ms, and a small window lists the keys that can come next. Typing on works exactly as if it were not there, and `Esc` closes it.

sim showing the window Help · keys and commands, over the project tree and a Python file, with tab typed in its prompt. Six rows match: <Tab>, <S-Tab>, <Tab> in Insert mode, <Space>bp, <Space>bc and T{char}. The preview explains <Tab>, next file. — `:help tab`: every key and command in one searchable list, made from the same key table that which-key reads. The preview says what the selected key does. `Enter` and `Esc` close it and run nothing.

The complete list

The complete list is the product's own key table, sim/keys.tsv. The editor's :help, F1 and which-key read it, its tests check it against what the keys do, and the key guidance above is checked against it, so none of them can drift from the editor. :tutor is on the roadmap.