Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts let users trigger commands quickly without moving focus through controls. In Vizia, shortcuts are typically handled with Keymap, while regular control interaction remains in the tab order.

For tab navigation and control activation behavior, see Keyboard navigation.

When to add a shortcut

Good candidates for shortcuts:

• Frequent commands (Save, Open, Close).
• Navigation commands (Next tab, Previous item).
• Editing commands (Undo, Redo, Copy, Paste) when your view does not already provide them.

Avoid assigning shortcuts to one-off or destructive actions unless there is a clear confirmation flow.

Defining a keymap

use vizia::prelude::*;

#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Copy, Clone)]
enum AppAction {
	Save,
	Close,
}

Application::new(|cx| {
	Keymap::from(vec![
		(
			KeyChord::new(Modifiers::CTRL, Code::KeyS),
			KeymapEntry::new(AppAction::Save, |cx| cx.emit(AppEvent::Save)),
		),
		(
			KeyChord::new(Modifiers::CTRL, Code::KeyW),
			KeymapEntry::new(AppAction::Close, |cx| cx.emit(WindowEvent::WindowClose)),
		),
	])
	.build(cx);
});

On macOS, many apps map command keys through Modifiers::SUPER. If you want consistent behavior across platforms, consider binding both CTRL and SUPER variants for primary commands.

Shortcut design guidelines

• Keep shortcuts discoverable in visible labels or menus.
• Prefer common conventions (Ctrl/Cmd+S for save, Ctrl/Cmd+Z for undo).
• Avoid overriding Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, and Space since they are central to keyboard accessibility.
• Ensure every shortcut action is also available from reachable UI controls.

Scope and conflicts

Shortcuts should not break text entry workflows. When the focused control is text-editing context, avoid intercepting expected typing or editing keystrokes.

A practical pattern is to keep global shortcuts for global commands and leave control-specific key handling inside the relevant view.

Testing checklist

• The command works via shortcut and via a standard control.
• The shortcut does not prevent normal text input in Textbox.
• Focus location remains predictable after command execution.
• Shortcut behavior is documented in the UI.