Mike on the MATLAB DesktopMay 11th, 2007Setting up keybindings for the Command Window and EditorFor purely historical reasons, the Command Window ships with its keybindings set to “MATLAB Classics (Emacs)”. We used to only have one set of keybindings for the Command Window and we didn’t want to change the behavior that people were used to. The Editor, however, uses the platform’s keybinding set as its default. This often causes confusion when a keybinding doesn’t work in the Command Window like expected. I quite often get requests from customers to hook up a keybinding that is already there. We will probably make changes in this area in a future release, but in the meantime check your keybinding preferences to make sure that they are set they way you want them. If you are on a Mac, you will probably be much happier if you change the keybindings to the Mac set for the Command Window. Once you do this, command-a will select all and the navigational keystrokes work more like you would expect. On Windows, if you set your keybindings to the Windows set, you will get the Windows keybindings that you expect. For instance, Ctrl-P will print instead of recalling the previous command history item. So, if you haven’t done this before, take a look at your keybinding preferences (File->Preferences menuitem) and try changing the keybinding sets to the appropriate platform set and see if you like it:
63 Responses to “Setting up keybindings for the Command Window and Editor”Leave a Reply |
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It would be great to see vim keybindings added to the editor.
Yes, it would be fantastic. I’m a rookie with matlab. The interface is quite powerful, making necessary to use the matlab editor. Tough task for a vim-addict developer…
Emacs user were considered, but unfortunately not vim users. Is it something that will be undertaken ?
At this time we do not have plans to add a new set of keybindings. We are considering other enhancements to the keybindings that will help ease some of this pain in the future.
Find it inconvenient that there are ctrl-left/right and ctrl-shift-left/right bindings (move/select word left/right) but not ctrl-backspace (delete word left). Even better, why not allow the user to map key-combination to action in a more flexible way? This is in addition to the existing Windows/Emacs/Mac “presets” – just add an “User” one I guess? Thanks.
Hi Ljubomir,
Thanks for your feedback. We know key-bindings are not very user-friendly right now. We’re currently doing some significant work on the desktop infrastructure to improve this situation.
-Ken
Thanks. More general note wrt the editor: why not get some known & tested editors in some shape or form in? Why reinvent the wheel? I understand the integration is an issue (the debug mode, etc), but surely there are IDE’s arround to give you some idea what works/doesn’t and where you should put your (always limited) resource. I must say the editor looks like v1. You will put lots of effort and the users will have to wait a few years till you get to v3 which I guess will the first one that will work for most of the people most of the time. I personally change between Matlab’s editor and vim. Fortunatelly “reload-if-changed” and detecting “changed-but-unsaved” seems to work fine in both directions for me, haven’t had a disaster (yet). Just yesterday I had to spent an hour hunting a bug I introduced when I renaming a variable – the editor seems to lack search&replace in a block or I haven’t found it. :-)
Hi Ljubomir,
Astute observations. Your absolutely right about not reinventing the wheel. My personal philosophy is to use 3rd party libraries whenever possible with the assumption that small focused libraries will be better written and tested than I could hope to do myself.
The MATLAB Editor does use some foundational libraries, so we certainly haven’t reinvented the wheel. Additionally, users of the MATLAB Desktop have a different workflow than users of traditional IDEs. Thus we must be careful not to unnecessarily constrain users because we’re based on incompatible (from a usability standpoint) technology.
Your right in that the MATLAB Editors appearance hasn’t changed a whole lot, and I assure you that we’re looking at ways of updating it in a way that also enhances usability. We’re also working on adding some re-factoring capabilities, which will make it much easier to rename variables.
I appreciate your candor Ljubomir. Its comments and suggestions such as yours that help us understand what customers are looking for.
-Ken
I realize it has already been said, but I too would like to see a vim key binding added.
Thanks for your two-cents Matt!
It has been said, but it is important to me so I’m adding the comment again. Once you’ve got used to vim you feel as if your fingers have been hacked off when using the matlab editor. On the other hand the commandline debug mode is not as comfortable as it should be (e.g. I always try to repeat e.g. dbstep by pressing return, because thats what I’m used to from gdb), so sometimes you have to use the GUI.
It would be great if matlab would export some kind of service to enable driving it from within vim. And if additionally the matlab lint would be an external program everything necessary could be accessed from within the comfortable vim ui.
But if all this is too much to hope for, then at least the most basic vim editing capabilities
– Vim Two-Mode Interface
– Vim Navigation
would already make me feel much more comfortable.
Brian
Hi Brian,
Thanks for your feedback – your suggestions are good. We’re doing some significant work in the Editor right now, that may make the things you ask for easier to support (though this is a large scale project and so it won’t be visible for quite a while).
It certainly makes a difference, when you, the users, convey what’s most important to you. So we do appreciate all these requests and suggestions.
Thanks,
-Ken
Brian,
You can also run M-Lint on a file from the MATLAB command line. It does not give you the nice colors, but it has all the pertinent information.
http://www.mathworks.com/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/index.html?/access/helpdesk/help/techdoc/ref/mlint.html
First, I should say that I’ve been fairly impressed with the recent Matlab IDEs. I’m a die-hard command-line hacker, and I avoided the Matlab editor for a long time b/c I was much more comfortable with Emacs. Recently, however, I have been swayed and am getting much more into using your editor/debugger environment. Nice going.
I would second the request for fully user-configurable keybindings. (Even if you have to hide the full configuration fairly deep in prefs to not scare newbies.) I find that I want a sort-of hybrid, Frankenstein’s Monster sort of keybinding that is half Mac and half Emacs. (E.g., my fingers think “splat N” for new file and “splat F” for search, but “ctrl-e” for move-to-end-of-line.)
Other features that I would find useful in the IDE are:
– dynamic help for function calls in tooltips attached to mouse hover-over (or even on a quick keybinding), a la Eclipse
– function call, function argument, and variable completion. Tab completion sort-of gets there, but I find myself continually surprised by what it doesn’t complete.
– a “go to the declaration of the selected thing” widget. There seems to be one for function names, but not for general variables/arguments. I know that this might be hard b/c of Matlab’s effectively weak typing and lack of declarations (esp. for global vars, which don’t have a clearcut home), but it would be a big help when reading legacy code.
– Code templates for common idioms, again a la Eclipse. Especially for things I do a lot (like checking numbers, ranges, etc. of function arguments), it would be stellar to be able to fill in the function prototype, hit a key, and have it generate a default set of argument checks that I could then edit down to what I wanted.
Hi Terran,
All great ideas! You’ll be happy to know that most of them are already in the works.
Re. Customizable key bindings: We’re working on this. We’re not addressing the larger issue of Vim style key bindings right now, as that would be a much larger scope project (though based on the number of requests, we will certainly discuss it).
Re. Dynamic help: I think we have the feature you’re looking for – check out Help on Selection. This feature pops up up a light-weight help window when your cursor is on a function and you press F1.
Re. Better IntelliSense style completion: We’re working on it!
Re. Better “go to” support: This is actually part of a bigger picture, namely refactoring capabilities. We’re working on this too.
Re. Code templates: Working on it.
Thanks for all the great suggestions Terran.
-Ken
the new meditor features makes it a necessary tool for my productivity. a modal text editor with vim keybindings would greatly enhance my productivity even further. thanks for considering :)
Thanks for “weighing-in” Joshua!
-Ken
VIM!!!
Personally, I’m really tired of typing :w in my Matlab editor and having it result in a “:w” on the screen when I wanted to save. I love some of the Matlab editor features (like cell mode) and as a result I use it instead of vim (which I used to use for all my Matlab coding).
The problem is my fingers automatically type vim commands, *all the time*. I would love a vim-like editor in Matlab.
Just adding my $0.02… I really need VIM key bindings. Anyone who has really worked with VIM for any period of time knows how frustrating it is to work with ‘simpler’ GUI/mouse based editors. However, the other features in the MATLAB IDE (which are way cool, btw) almost preclude using VIM to edit MATLAB files.
Duly noted. Thanks for the input David.
Please add VI or VIM key bindings as an option in the matlab preferences window. These key bindings are already present in most readline libraries (and often can be accessed by pressing M-C-j).
EMACS is not the only editor out there! :-)
Bart,
Thanks for the input. We understand the pain of switching between various programs. Personally, I did something very horrible in IntelliJ because I pressed the Eclipse keybinding. It’s awkward, and we’re working on it, but we can’t even give an estimate on when that will be available.
Thanks Mike, I am looking forward to seeing vi/vim key bindings enabled in a near-future version of MATLAB!
I am using MATLAB tool for our work.
Now I want to integrate matlab desktop (command window) in our C/C++ program.
We developed C/C++ GUI and it has interface with the MATLAB.
Our intention is not use in build MATLAB Desktop, It should come inside of the C/C++ GUI.
In Linux we have integrated as mentioned above (using matlab -nodesktop).
But the problem in Windows. There is no such type of command.
How we can start MATLAB in our C/C++ GUI in WINDOWS XP..?.
Please let me know any other option available in windows.
Also I would like to have -nodesktop option in windows..
@Biswanath Senapati
matlab -nodesktop is supported on Windows, too. This page explains how to do it: http://www.mathworks.com/support/solutions/data/1-19ZXU.html
If it’s not working for you, please contact technical support.
- scott
Add me to the list of people asking for Vim keybindings.
Just adding my voice to the requests for vim bindings. Currently, I find myself switching back and forth between the Matlab editor and vim for matlab coding, as the Matlab editor has some great debugging features, but I need vim for any serious editing.
Isn’t the fundamental problem with using vi bindings that vi is a modal editor? How do folks think “:w” will work in a non-modal editor like medit? I’m not trying to say vi is bad, but you’re asking the desktop team to put another mode on top of the editor, and that seems like a lot to expect.
I’d prefer to see configurable keymaps. This could be relatively arcane, as the kind of folks who want to go whole hog changing keymaps aren’t likely to be put off coding it by hand in a configuration m-file.
It would be great to have vim key bindings in matlab!
I wanted to second the requests for vim keybindings. I need the debugger flexibility of the matlab editor, but wish I could edit much more fluidly.
At the very least a “Revert to Saved” button so that I could edit in vim and then instantly refresh in the Matlab editor before running the debugger would help a ton.
Hi Sarah,
You can have the MATLAB Editor automatically reload a file if that file has been changed externally. Goto:
Preferences -> Editor/Debugger
then check the Reload unedited files that have been externally modified checkbox.
-Ken
What’s the status of the customizable key-bindings that Ken mentions above?
Hi Christian,
We’re working on it. In fact, this beta feature is in a very mature state right now, so keep your eyes peeled.
-Ken
another vote for vim style keybindings!
i know that recreating vim inside the matlab editor would be a pretty huge undertaking. however, i do know that some work has been done so that vim can be “hosted” in ms visual studio. perhaps those same hooks or something similar could be used. (if it were compatible with the visual studio interface, that would probably give you support for a whole bunch of editors for free!) check out vim on windows and the “visvim” extension.
cheers!
Another vote for VIM.
For anyone interested in non-standard key bindings, look at my recent submission to the File Exchange called EditorMacro: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/24615
EditorMacro enables assigning user-defined macros to keyboard bindings in the Matlab editor. For sample usage look at the FEX page, or one of these webpages:
http://undocumentedmatlab.com/blog/EditorMacro
http://undocumentedmatlab.com/blog/non-textual-editor-actions
Yair Altman
Another vote for vim! I’m trying to decide on a software development framework for a university lab, but I am surprised to find that free Python IDE’s, e.g. Wing, allow editing code with vim “behavior” (modal) but MATLAB, which is a very expensive software package, does not. This seems very strange to me. In all the years that MATLAB has existed, why has no vi like option for editing code been implemented?
Yet another vote for vim keybidings. I understand that it’s difficult because of the modal nature of vim, but as a compromise, including some functionality of vim, and letting the user change the keybindings themselves, would be nice (is it possible to allow simple
keybindings?)
For example, I miss the search feature of vim where you can just type
(the asterisk) and it will search for the word under the cursor (and highlight all instances).
Also, deleting a line and putting it into temporary storage (
in vim) could be made into a single command In emacs mode, you need to first type
to get to the beginning of the line before you can do
to yank the link. I just want these commands combined!
But, anyhow, good job on R2009b with the customizable keybindings. I never memorized the cut/copy/paste shortcuts for emacs, so now I can just use the windows keybindings. Very nice. Thanks!
Another vote for vi keybindings. It may be a larger undertaking, but compare it to the sum(frustration(all_vi_users)).
Plus is it really that hard? I think tcsh.exe from the cygwin distribution had both vi and emacs bindings over 10 years ago.
Hi Jonathan,
It’s not quite that simple. Vi is more than just the keybindings — its a modal way to edit your text (insert mode and command mode). That modality is integral to the Vi experience, and is not a simple thing to retro-fit on the MATLAB Editor.
-Ken
Ken,
Thanks for keeping the thread updated and responding to people’s concerns directly. It makes a huge difference to know that you are being heard, even if things are slow to change.
Having said that… Where is VIM??? ;)
Do you at least have an ETA yet? I’ve actually only just started with Matlab and have been typing “Esc-DD” ALL. DAY. LONG.
Thank you!
I’d like to umpteenth the vim keybindings.
Not reinventing the wheel came up, why not incorporate readline or libedit? Then we’d get emacs, vim, and customization for free.
Another request for VIM!!
Yet another request for VI/VIM bindings. Muscle memory is a powerful thing to overcome, which is why I still use vi from the command line or MacVim to edit m-files.
Flash forward to R2009b. What if you’re a Mac user and you actually *want* emacs key bindings???! I think there are quite a few of us out there. I just upgraded and am completely discombobulated because (1) the emacs key bindings are gone and (2) there seems to be no easy way to get them back. My Matlab use is now completely hamstrung.
I’ve tried to add some emacs key bindings in the Keyboard Shortcuts Preferences pane and it doesn’t want to let me use the meta key (either esc or option on my mac keyboard) and it won’t let me enter multiple key combinations (e.g., C-x C-s). Surely, there must be a way to get emacs key bindings back? Is there a file I can load? (there is a “browse” button in this pane after all)
Another vote for Vim bindings! I’m using Octave most of the time now because of Vim bindings and better sound integration with OSX.
James, to add multi-stroke keybindings, use the context menu in the field where you type a keystroke to change the number of strokes allowed. You can also download the old sets from MATLAB Central (search for “configurable keyboard shortcut”).
I am able to use the option (alt) key to assign keyboard shortcuts on my Mac. Note though that many of these won’t work in the Editor because they insert extended characters. That’s one of the reasons we removed the Emacs set– a lot of the key bindings don’t work on the Mac.
Hope that helps,
Christina
Oh no! I’ve just installed Matlab r2010a, and the “emacs” style key bindings (which I’ve used for years) no longer seem to be available. Can anyone give me any advice on how to get them back? (I’m using a MacBook Pro laptop running OSX 10.5.8)
Hi Jonathan,
If you previously used the default settings on the Mac (which had some Emacs-based keybindings in the Command Window), select “R2009a Mac Default Set” from the “Active Settings” dropdown in the new Keyboard Shortcuts preference panel.
If you customized the keyboard shortcuts to use Emacs bindings in the Editor as well, download that set from MATLAB Central: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/25118-matlab-desktop-r2009a-non-default-keyboard-shortcut-sets
See this blog post for more information: http://blogs.mathworks.com/desktop/2009/09/28/configurable-keyboard-shortcuts-have-arrived/
Thanks,
Christina
Another vote for Vim keybindings. Been using matlab since 1990. Started then with vi in solaris. I eat speak and breath in VI. In the mean time the matlab editor has made significant strides in debuging and many other convenience items. Very frustrating to not have the best of both worlds.
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One further vote for VI/VIM key bindings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another vote for a vim keyboard layout!!
Yet another vote for vim-like key binding!!!!
I recently started using MATLAB and I thought I was being too picky about the editor. +1 for VIM :-)
Another request for vim keybindings!
My code is littered with :w:w:w, rolling across the screen like little ascii tumbleweeds. My job is half analyst and half digital janitor, sweeping up the detritus that the analyst half leaves behind when he tries to type vim commands into the matlab editor.
Please?
vim please!!!
vi
+1
I’m also a die hard vi (vim) user (and another vote for VI bindings!!!!). I’ve tried a couple times to switch to emacs, but just too difficult. Very frustrated that I can’t combine vi and the debugger power.
I notice in r2011b that there are larger changes to the keybindings, with the following added:
Check start -> preferences -> keyboard -> shortcuts -> active settings -> search file exchange for downloadable sets
I was hopeful at first when I saw this. But when I tried it only two “downloadable sets” show up, and they both look like legacy things.
Are more downloadable sets coming? Why add this in, but then leave it unutilized?
++vi;
thanks.