My DefaultKeyBinding.dict for Mac OS X

DefaultKeyBinding.dict

/* ~/Library/KeyBindings/DefaultKeyBinding.Dict

This file remaps the key bindings of a single user on Mac OS X 10.5 to more
closely match default behavior on Windows systems. This makes the Command key
behave like Windows Control key. To use Control instead of Command, either swap
Control and Command in Apple->System Preferences->Keyboard->Modifier Keys...
or replace @ with ^ in this file.

Here is a rough cheatsheet for syntax.
Key Modifiers
^ : Ctrl
$ : Shift
~ : Option (Alt)
@ : Command (Apple)
# : Numeric Keypad

Non-Printable Key Codes

Standard
Up Arrow:     \UF700        Backspace:    \U0008        F1:           \UF704
Down Arrow:   \UF701        Tab:          \U0009        F2:           \UF705
Left Arrow:   \UF702        Escape:       \U001B        F3:           \UF706
Right Arrow:  \UF703        Enter:        \U000A        ...
Insert:       \UF727        Page Up:      \UF72C
Delete:       \UF728        Page Down:    \UF72D
Home:         \UF729        Print Screen: \UF72E
End:          \UF72B        Scroll Lock:  \UF72F
Break:        \UF732        Pause:        \UF730
SysReq:       \UF731        Menu:         \UF735
Help:         \UF746

OS X
delete:       \U007F

For a good reference see http://osxnotes.net/keybindings.html.

NOTE: typically the Windows 'Insert' key is mapped to what Macs call 'Help'.
Regular Mac keyboards don't even have the Insert key, but provide 'Fn' instead,
which is completely different.
*/

{
    "@\UF72B"  = "moveToEndOfDocument:";                         /* Cmd  + End   */
    "~@\UF703" = "moveToEndOfDocument:";                         /* Cmd + Option + Right Arrow */

    "@$\UF72B" = "moveToEndOfDocumentAndModifySelection:";       /* Shift + Cmd  + End */

    "@\UF729"  = "moveToBeginningOfDocument:";                   /* Cmd  + Home  */
    "~@\UF702" = "moveToBeginningOfDocument:";                   /* Cmd + Option + Left Arrow */

    "@$\UF729" = "moveToBeginningOfDocumentAndModifySelection:"; /* Shift + Cmd  + Home */

    "\UF729"   = "moveToBeginningOfLine:";                       /* Home         */
    "~\UF702"  = "moveToBeginningOfLine:";                       /* Option + Left Arrow */

    "$\UF729"  = "moveToBeginningOfLineAndModifySelection:";     /* Shift + Home */
    "$~\UF702" = "moveToBeginningOfLineAndModifySelection:";     /* Shift + Option + Right Arrow */

    "\UF72B"   = "moveToEndOfLine:";                             /* End          */
    "~\UF703"  = "moveToEndOfLine:";                             /* Option + Right Arrow */

    "$\UF72B"  = "moveToEndOfLineAndModifySelection:";           /* Shift + End  */
    "$~\UF703" = "moveToEndOfLineAndModifySelection:";           /* Shift + Option + Left Arrow  */

    "\UF72C"   = "pageUp:";                                      /* PageUp       */
    "\UF72D"   = "pageDown:";                                    /* PageDown     */
    "$\UF728"  = "cut:";                                         /* Shift + Del  */
    "$\UF727"  = "paste:";                                       /* Shift + Ins */
    "@\UF727"  = "copy:";                                        /* Cmd  + Ins  */
    "$\UF746"  = "paste:";                                       /* Shift + Help */
    "@\UF746"  = "copy:";                                        /* Cmd  + Help (Ins) */

    "~j"       = "moveBackward:";                                /* Option + j */
    "~l"       = "moveForward:";                                 /* Option + l */
    "~i"       = "moveUp:";                                      /* Option + i */
    "~k"       = "moveDown:";                                    /* Option + k */

    "@~i"      = ("moveUp:","moveUp:","moveUp:","moveUp:","moveUp:","moveUp:","moveUp:","moveUp:",);                            /* Cmd + Option + j */
    "@~k"      = ("moveDown:","moveDown:","moveDown:","moveDown:","moveDown:","moveDown:","moveDown:","moveDown:",);                            /* Cmd + Option + j */

    "@\UF702"  = "moveWordBackward:";                            /* Cmd  + LeftArrow */
    "@~j"      = "moveWordBackward:";                            /* Cmd + Option + j */
    "@\U007F"  = "deleteWordBackward:";                          /* Cmd  + Backspace */

    "@\UF703"  = "moveWordForward:";                             /* Cmd  + RightArrow */
    "@~l"      = "moveWordForward:";                             /* Cmd + Option + l */
    "@\UF728"  = "deleteWordForward:";                           /* Cmd  + Delete */

    "@$\UF702" = "moveWordBackwardAndModifySelection:";          /* Shift + Cmd  + Leftarrow */
    "@$\UF703" = "moveWordForwardAndModifySelection:";           /* Shift + Cmd  + Rightarrow */
}

Yes it does, but it's worth mentioning that in pretty much all MacOS versions, there are some applications where the keybindings either work in part or not at all.

Yes it does, but it's worth mentioning that in pretty much all MacOS versions, there are some applications where the keybindings either work in part or not at all.

Yes, it really works. I reprogram the key cmd+e and it is default to find selection on Ventura. I change the key and it's working now. Thanks

I'm trying to use "^\U007F" = "deleteWordBackward:"; // ctrl-backspace and it works for most apps. However, in apps such as google docs and vscode, I think something overrides this hotkey and doesn't work. Does anyone know a solution to this issue?

I'm finding that the Option+i to move up shortcut is not working, the shortcut seems to be overridden by something that is inserting a caret. I'm having trouble identifying where this shortcut is defined so I can disable it. Any ideas?

I'm trying to use "^\U007F" = "deleteWordBackward:"; // ctrl-backspace and it works for most apps. However, in apps such as google docs and vscode, I think something overrides this hotkey and doesn't work. Does anyone know a solution to this issue?

@alvister88 Regarding Visual Studio for Mac and Visual Studio Code, they both have their own set of key bindings you need to fix separately since they don't seem to inherit everything from the DefaultKeyBinding.Dict file.

Here are VSC's default key bindings

In particular I am a heavy user of the "home" and "end" keys in VSC and the CTRL+Home and CTRL+End navigating to the top and bottom of the document was not working so I did the following steps:

1. Open VSC > Code menu > Preferences > Keyboard editor (also see https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/keybindings)
2. Search for “cursorTop” and “cursorBottom” (the entries with "When=textInputFocus") and you can right click on one of these existing entries > "add keybinding..." and then add your new shortcut and it'll clone it.

I didn't check how to do this within VS for Mac but I'm sure there are similar settings.

I'm finding that the Option+i to move up shortcut is not working, the shortcut seems to be overridden by something that is inserting a caret. I'm having trouble identifying where this shortcut is defined so I can disable it. Any ideas?

@evannjohnson I don't think that's re-mappable: That's for attaching an accent to a character, and it's not in the StandardKeyBinding file. It's pre-OS X.

@lotyp and @mrjoecastellon:

Can't find "space" key anywhere 😀 For example Cmd+Space to trigger Spotlight.

Upd. ok, will try to go with U+0020 \U0020

Just use the characters if they're printable. defaults write -g NSUserKeyEquivalents -dict-add "System Preferences…" "^ "

A couple other things to make life easier:

• -g above is shorthand for the global domain
• You can use defaults write -app Safari … (or whatever).

This link may be helpful:
https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/EventOverview/TextDefaultsBindings/TextDefaultsBindings.html

In a text file with 3 rows, when I use "Shift + Up Arrow" in the middle of the second row to select the first one, when I try "Shift + End" to deselect, it goes on the line below.
How do I reproduce windows actions in this case?

Here's some examples:

This is what is happening
https://gist.github.com/assets/37077552/89db4553-1c3e-465b-a6ce-052ff822d88c

This is what I trying to reproduce
https://gist.github.com/assets/37077552/1e1516a2-0247-4c73-a6f9-8f51c254bb85

Is there any way we can get this to affect the Chrome omnibox and all <textarea> elements? They support the opt+ctrl+b/f to jump by word but lack ctrl+opt+h to deletewordbackward.

Is there a moveParagraphForward action? I tried to set it to no avail. This should be what opt+downarrow do.

@joaobcjr It indeed is weird, but i don't think there's anything we can do....

using FileMonitor from objective-see we know that Chrome indeed reads DefaultKeyBinding.dict and actually uses them everywhere from omnibox to <textarea> !!!

see my dump of standardkeybinding.dict and AppKit symbols for bindable methods, maybe you will get some new ideas
https://gist.github.com/hym3242/8e8bc10a2fed8e55973c500f1798c234

here is my binding: explore for more yourself.

{
        "^~h" = "deleteWordBackward:"; //bash style...
        "^~d" = "deleteWordForward:"; //ibid
        "^u" = "deleteToBeginningOfParagraph:"; //unix style kill, ONLY THIS METHOD deleteToBeginningOfParagraph: CAN ADD SELECTION TO YANK BUFFER!(or so it seems...)
        "^w" = "deleteWordBackward:"; //unix style werase
        "~a" = "selectParagraph:"; //cocoa paragraph ≈ unix line
        "^m" = "insertNewline:";  //RETURN as in "Carriage Return"
        "^j" = "insertNewlineIgnoringFieldEditor:"; //default also bound to opt+return, alternate newline, bypasses some editor smart features
        "~v" = "pageUp:"; //you know your emacs.
        "~V" = "pageUpAndModifySelection:";  //shift+option+v
        "~A" = "selectWord:";
        "~c" = "capitalizeWord:";  //uppercaseWord: method does  not seem to work?
        "~t" = "convertToTraditionalChinese:"; //convert selection
        "~s" = "convertToSimplifiedChinese:"; //ibid.
        "^J" = "insertLineBreak:";  //linebreak is different from newline. default also bound to ctrl+return

// add these to your liking
//      "~h" = "deleteWordBackward:";
//      "~d" = "deleteWordForward:";
//      "~b" = "moveWordBackward:";
//      "~f" = "moveWordForward:";
}

"^\UF702" = "moveWordLeft:"; // ctrl-left
"^\UF703" = "moveWordRight:"; // ctrl-right

This doesn't work on BigSur. Anyone know the correct way?

@jlahijani These have changed to moveWordBackward and moveWordForward.

Odd. Those work for me on Monterey without changing "left" or "right" to "backward" / "forward"

🤔

Need to remove the default control-left/right shortcuts in mission control in Settings -> Keyboard -> Keyboard Shortcuts -> Mission Control -> Mission Control
https://superuser.com/a/657851/756769