Since the keyboard is the primary user interface, many interactions with Neovim are described in terms of the keys that are pressed in order to perform some action.
| Key | Meaning |
|---|---|
| <BS> | Backspace key |
| <Tab> | The Tab key |
| <CR> | Carriage return. Sometimes Enter or Return |
| <Esc> | Escape key |
| <Space> | The Space key |
| <Del> | The Delete key |
| <Up> | The up arrow |
| <Down> | The down arrow |
| <Left> | The left arrow |
| <Right> | The right arrow |
Key Combinations
Some commands are executed by simultaneously pressing two keys, a modifier and a letter (or number).
| Keys | Meaning |
|---|---|
C-{char} |
Simultaneously press the Control (Ctrl) key and [char] |
S-{char} |
Simultaneously press the Shift key and |
A-{char} |
Simultaneously press the Alt (or Meta) key and [char] |
M-{char} |
Same as A-{char} |
Compound Commands
In some cases a command requires a sequence of keypresses. For example, window commands often require first pressing and releasing C-W, then hitting a second key to specify which command is to be executed.
These commands are represented as C-W [char], which indicates that two keypresses (separated by the space) are enclosed within a single command.