[Feature Request] Add Keyboard shortcuts to focus Staged/Unstaged Files and Commit Message

[opus131]

With those shortcuts, many of the common workflows can be completed without ever touching the mouse. Would be a tremendous improvement.

Thank you for creating a great product!

[DanPristupov]

I will investigate the behavior. May be Fork should focus to the Unstaged list automatically on opening the Changes view.

[opus131]

Thank for you looking into this. Automatically focusing the Unstaged list would definitely help a lot already, but a keyboard shortcut for focusing the commit message would still be great. Ideally, a user should not be required to ever touch the mouse/trackpad for this common workflow:

1. Cylce through repos for the one you want: ✔️ ctrl+tab
2. Focus "Changes": ✔️ ctrl+1
3. Focus file in "Unstaged files" list: ❌ no shortcut (yes, you can get there by hitting tab several times, but since there is no focus-highlight it's not great UX)
4. Do stuff with the staged/unstaged files: ✔️ enter, delete
5. Focus commit message: ❌ no shortcut
6. Commit: ✔️ ctrl+enter - (ideally there would be a dedicated shortcut for "Commit & Push", maybe smth like ctrl+shift+enter)

So as it stands, the workflow can be mostly completed with only using the keyboard, except for two steps.

[DanPristupov]

Focus commit message: ❌ no shortcut

Ctrl+1 when you are in the changes view (or double Ctrl+1 if you are not). This is a hidden one :).

(ideally there would be a dedicated shortcut for "Commit & Push", maybe smth like ctrl+shift+enter)

Good idea 👍

Actually I need to create a public available list of shortcuts.

[opus131]

Thank you again for your quick reply.

Ctrl+1 when you are in the changes view (or double Ctrl+1 if you are not). This is a hidden one :).

That's good to know - the trouble with this one is that it's one-way: after focusing the commit message via ctrl+1 you cannot get back to the unstaged/staged changes via a keyboard shortcut; however quite often while composing a commit message, a user might switch back to the changed files to check some details or copy smth from the code.

Having distinct shortcut to focus each of those panel, the way e.g. GitExtensions does it - is pretty much ideal:

[DanPristupov]

I forgot to mention that 1.32 contains many improvements related to keyboard navigation.

[DanPristupov]

Fork Keyboard Shortcuts

[TomGit27]

I second this request. A shortcut to focus the unstaged and staged files list allows for better keyboard navigation.

Example
Ctrl+1 focus commit message
Ctrl+2 focus unstaged file list
Ctrl+3 focus staged file list

Too bad Ctrl+2 is already in use. Maybe Ctrl+3 and Ctrl+4 can be used instead.

[DanPristupov]

Tab and Shift+Tab allow navigating between the commit message and the file lists.

[TomGit27]

It is hard to tell, where the focus actually is. Also it is possible that you get stuck in the file diff view. You need to press Ctrl+1 to exit. It is predictable and reliable having dedicated shortcuts.

[danspunkmeyer]

The whole keyboard experience in changes doesn't work well. An additional issue is TAB in Unstaged first goes to Staged, fine, but the actual selection bar stays in Unstaged, so if you hit Enter you end up Staging another file. Same scenario if you SHIFT-TAB from Staged and hit Enter, you unstage a file.

There is also considerable lag in both directions.

If the switches were fast and the focus was clearly indicated, TAB - SHIFT+TAB would be fine. As it is, I agree we need dedicated shortcuts. One for Amend would be good too.

[danieldownes]

I also don't want to use the mouse at all while using fork, and its impossible to do that currently....

[rhys-vdw]

Ctrl+1 when you are in the changes view (or double Ctrl+1 if you are not). This is a hidden one :).

This appears to have been removed in 1.72.3.0

[dday4thedeceiver]

Still works for me, although I need to admit I ran into a situation where it wouldn't work. Don't know how to repro, unfortunately.

On the larger issue of usability via keyboard - even though I'm now a licensed user, I still have LazyGit/Ungit in the back of my mind because there has been no improvements in this area.