Editor Pane Shortcut Keys

The shortcut keys listed in the following table are available from the editor pane. (See also "Using Function Keys", earlier in this chapter.)

Key Combinations Action
Right-click Displays the Edit menu.
Ctrl+0 Toggles the display of multiple-color or single color for the current editor pane.
Ctrl+A Selects all logic in the current method.
Ctrl+C Copies the selected portion of the method to the clipboard.
Ctrl+S Inserts the remainder of the syntax for a specified instruction.
Ctrl+Y Reapplies the last editor action.
Ctrl+Z or Alt+Backspace Undoes the last editor action.
Ctrl+V Pastes portion of method from the clipboard to the current position.
Ctrl+W Opens (splits) the lower editor pane view if it is not already open or switches focus between the two views if the lower view of the editor pane is already open.
Ctrl+X Cuts the selected portion of a method and copies it to the clipboard.
Ctrl+numeric + symbol Magnifies text size (zoom functionality).
Ctrl+numeric - symbol Reduces text size (zoom functionality).
Ctrl+numeric / symbol Restores text size to normal (zoom functionality).
Ctrl+Shift+1 Displays properties that are local to the class being accessed; that is, the properties of the root class, as subschema copies do not have properties.
Ctrl+Shift+2 Displays methods that are local to the type being accessed. If the nearest type is a subschema copy, only the methods that are in that subschema copy are displayed; otherwise the methods of the root type are displayed.
Ctrl+Shift+3 Displays constants that are local to the type being accessed. If the nearest type is a subschema copy, only the constants that are in that subschema copy are displayed; otherwise the constants of the root type are displayed.
Shift+Ctrl+I Indents the selected line or lines, replaces selected text with a tab character for a partially selected line, or inserts a tab character if no text is selected.
Shift+Ctrl+U Removes indentation from the selected line or lines.
Shift+Ctrl+W Opens or closes (that is, toggles) the horizontal editor pane view.
Shift+F3 Performs another search using your last set of search options but in the opposite direction.
Shift+Tab Removes indentation from the selected line or lines, or moves the caret to the left one tab character.
Shift+Alt+ arrow keys Makes a rectangular selection.
Alt+ dragging the mouse Makes a rectangular selection.
Shift+Alt+, Tab Selects multiple lines (without selecting any characters) and then adds tab characters into the lines.
Shift+Alt+, Backspace Selects multiple lines (without selecting any characters) and then removes tabs, moving text back to the prior tab position.
Tab Indents the selected line or lines, replaces selected text with a tab character for a partially selected line, or inserts a tab character if no text is selected.

In addition to the keyboard zoom functionality commands listed in the above table, you can use the Ctrl key and the mouse to increase, decrease, or restore text size; that is, Ctrl+ scrolling the mouse wheel forward increases the zoomed size, Ctrl+ scrolling the mouse wheel backward decreases the zoomed size, and Ctrl+ clicking the middle mouse button (pressing the mouse wheel) restores the editor pane to normal.

See also "Renaming or Changing an Entity", in Chapter 4.

Accelerator Shortcut Keys

The shortcut keys listed in the following table are the default accelerator keys available from the editor pane.

Key Combinations Inserts the …
Shift+Ctrl+A abortTransaction; instruction at the caret position
Shift+Ctrl+B beginTransaction; instruction at the caret position
Shift+Ctrl+C commitTransaction; instruction at the caret position
Shift+Ctrl+E endforeach; instruction at the caret position

You can define your own accelerator (short cut) keys for use in the editor pane. For example, you could define the F key to insert the foreach instruction when you press Shift+Ctrl+F. For details, see "Setting User Preferences", later in this chapter. Note, however, that in Compact JADE, defined menu accelerator keys are ignored and are not included in the displayed menu item text.

Context-Sensitive Options

The shortcut keys listed in the following table are available from the editor pane to perform context-sensitive actions.

Keys Caret positioned after… Displays…
Ctrl+1 variable-name. List of properties for the type of variable-name
  method-name( Method signature
  dictionary-name[ Keys (comma-separated) for the Dictionary class or subclass
  array-name[ indx] text
  string[ or binary[ startPos : forLength] text for the String or Binary primitive type
  Elsewhere… List of properties for the current type
Ctrl+2 variable-name. List of methods for the type of variable-name
  method-name( Method signature
  array-name[ indx] text
  dictionary-name[ Keys (comma-separated) for the Dictionary class or subclass
  string[ or binary[ startPos : forLength] text for the String or Binary primitive type
  Elsewhere… List of methods for the current type
Ctrl+3 variable-name. List of constants for the type of variable-name
  method-name( Method signature
  array-name[ indx] text
  dictionary-name[ Keys (comma-separated) for the Dictionary class or subclass
  string[ or binary[ startPos : forLength] text for the String or Binary primitive type
  Elsewhere… List of constants for the current type
Ctrl+4 Anywhere in method source window List of local variables and parameters of the method, which were valid at the time the method was last compiled
Ctrl+5 Anywhere in method source window Signature of the last method before the caret position; for example, when the caret is positioned after a comma between parameters
Extending Selected Blocks Shortcut Keys

The shortcut keys listed in the following table enable you to extend selected blocks in the editor pane.

Key Combinations Action
Ctrl+Shift+End Extends selection to end of text in the editor pane
Ctrl+Shift+Home Extends selection to start of text in the editor pane
Shift+ or Alt+Shift+ Reduces the selected block one character to the left
Shift+ or Alt+Shift+ Extends the selected block one character to the right
Shift+End or Alt+Shift+End Extends the selected block to the end of the current line
Shift+Home or Alt+Shift+Home Extends the selected block from the caret to start of text within the current line or extends the selection to the start of the line when pressed again (for example, to the start of any whitespace)
Shift+ or Alt+Shift+ Extends the selected block to the same column in the next line
Shift+ or Alt+Shift+ Extends the selected block to the same column in the previous line
Shift+Alt+ arrow keys Makes a rectangular selection
Alt+ dragging the mouse Makes a rectangular selection
Shift+Page Down Extends the selected block down one screen (page)
Shift+Page Up Extends the selected block up one screen (page)
Shift+Ctrl+ Moves (extends) the selected block left one word of the caret position
Shift+Ctrl+ Moves (extends) the selected block right one word of the caret position
Insert and Delete Shortcut Keys

The shortcut keys listed in the following table enable you to perform insert and delete functions in the editor pane by using the keyboard.

Key Action
Backspace Deletes the character to the left of the caret
DEL Deletes the character to the right of the caret
Ctrl+Backspace Deletes the word to the left of the caret, and deletes the word to the left of selected text if text is currently selected
Ctrl+Delete Deletes the word to the right of the caret, and deletes the word to the right of selected text if text is currently selected
Ctrl+Insert Copies the selected portion of the method to the clipboard
Ctrl+K Deletes the current line
Ctrl+N Inserts a line above the current line
Ctrl+S Inserts the remainder of the syntax for a specified instruction
Ctrl+Shift+Backspace Deletes to start of line
Ctrl+Shift+Delete Deletes to end of line
Insert Toggles the insert mode on or off
Shift+Alt+, Tab Selects multiple lines (without selecting any characters) and then adds tab characters into the lines
Shift+Alt+, Backspace Selects multiple lines (without selecting any characters) and then removes tabs, moving text back to the prior tab position.
Shift+Delete Cuts (logically deletes) selected portion of method, and copies it to the clipboard
Shift+Insert Pastes portion of method from the clipboard to the current position
Using the Mouse within the Editor Text Area

The mouse actions that you can perform in the text area of the JadeTextEdit control text editor are listed in the following table.

Mouse Action Result
Left-click Moves the caret to the cursor location and cancels the selection
Double-click Selects the word at the cursor location
Triple-click Selects the line at the cursor location
Left down and move Anchors the selection at the down position and extends to follow the cursor location
Right-click Opens the popup (context) menu
Shift+left-click Moves the caret to the cursor location and extends the selection to the new location
Alt+left down and move Anchors a rectangular selection at the down position and extends to follow the cursor location
Alt+ dragging the mouse Makes a rectangular selection
Using the Mouse or Shortcut Keys within the Fold Margin

The mouse or shortcut key actions that you can perform within the fold margin (visible if folding is enabled) of the editor pane are listed in the following table.

Mouse or Keyboard Action Toggles (expands or contracts)...
Ctrl+left-click The line if it is a fold point and makes all lower-level (child) fold points match.
Ctrl+Shift+left-click The first outer-level fold point and makes all other outer-level fold points match.
Shift+left-click All outer (parent) fold points.
Ctrl+Shift+ numeric keyboard * (asterisk) All outer (parent) fold points.
Left-click The fold point. If the line is not a fold point, toggles the parent fold point of the line.
Ctrl+ numeric keyboard * (asterisk) The fold point.
Using the Mouse within the Line Number Margin

The mouse actions that you can perform within the line number margin (visible if the line number display is enabled) of the editor pane are listed in the following table.

Mouse Action Result
Left-click Selects the line at the cursor location
Ctrl+left-click Selects all text in the editor pane
Shift+left-click

Extends the line-based selection from the current anchor point to the line at the cursor location

Using Multiple Clipboards when Refactoring Code

When you copy the same code fragments (snippets) into many different unrelated classes where the code cannot be inherited from a common superclass and you have more than one code fragment, multiple clipboards can be a useful refactoring tool. For details about the Editor Clipboard toolbar, see "Using the Editor Clipboard Toolbar", earlier in this chapter.

Using multiple clipboards is a two‑stage key sequence similar to the standard Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V copy and paste actions, as follows.

To copy selected code to one of the 10 multiple clipboards

  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+C and then release.

  2. Press one of the numeric keys 1 through 0, to copy the current selection to one of the 10 clipboards.

To paste code from one of the 10 multiple clipboards

  1. Press Ctrl+Alt+V and then release.

  2. Press one of the numeric keys 1 through 0 to paste the contents.

These clipboards operate independent of the standard Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V clipboard actions and they work only within a specific JADE development environment instance (that is, they do not work across different development environment instances).

As you do have to remember the contents of each clipboard, you may find it easier to use a smaller number of clipboards (for example, four or five).

You can also use keyboard bindings to replicate this; that is, use Ctrl+Alt+Insert and Shift+Alt+Insert to extend the standard Ctrl+Insert and Shift+Insert copy and paste actions with the extended clipboards.

When working with long methods, you may find it useful to use the method splitter (Ctrl+Shift+W or just dragging the resize bar at the bottom of the method source) and then sizing the top area of the split so that all of the parameters and local variables are visible while reviewing the rest of the method logic.