Lynx invokes a built-in Line Editor for entering strings in response to prompts, in forms, and for email messages if an external editor has not been defined. Several sets of key-bindings can be offered by configuring with --enable-alt-bindings or by adding them in LYEditmap.c before compiling Lynx. If available, they may be selected via the 'o'ptions menu, or by editing lineedit_mode in the '.lynxrc' file.
Note: setting emacs/vi keys ON has no direct effect on line-editor bindings.
This is the Bash-like Binding keymap.
ENTER Input complete - Enter, RETURN
TAB Completion [2]/ Next - TAB, Do
ABORT Cancel / Undo Change - C-g, C-_
ERASE Erase the line - M-k, C-x k
BACK Cursor back char - Left-Arrow, C-b
FORW Cursor forward char - Right-Arrow, C-f
BACKW Cursor back word - M-b, C-r
FORWW Cursor forward word - M-f, C-s [5]
BOL Go to begin of line - C-a, Home, Find
EOL Go to end of line - C-e [4], End, Select
DELP Delete prev char - C-h, Backspace, Rubout
DELN Delete next [1] char - C-d, Delete, Remove
DELPW Delete prev word - C-w [3], M-Backspace, M-Delete (?)
DELNW Delete next word - M-d
DELBL Delete to beg of line - C-u
DELEL Delete to end of line - C-k [4]
UPPER Upper case the line - M-u
LOWER Lower case the line - M-l
LKCMD Invoke cmd prompt - C-v [FORM]
SWMAP Switch input keymap - C-^ (if compiled in)
Special commands for use in textarea fields [FORM]:
PASS! Textarea external edit - C-e C-e [4], C-x e
PASS! Insert file in textarea - C-x i
PASS! Grow textarea - C-x g
Here is a little textarea for practice:
Advanced emacs-like commands:
TPOS Transpose characters - C-t
SETMARK Set mark at current position in line - C-@
XPMARK Exchange current position with mark - C-x C-x
KILLREG Kill region between mark and position - C-x C-w [3]
YANK Insert text last killed (with KILLREG) - C-y
C-key means
Control+key.
C-x key means first
Control+x, then key.
M-key means Meta+key,
where Meta is a modifier that can be entered in a variety of
ways:
[1] "next" means the character "under" a box or underline style cursor; it
means "to the immediate right of" an I-beam (between characters) type
cursor.
[2] For entering strings in response to prompts (that is, when not editing
form text fields), some keys have different actions: TAB tries to
complete input based on previous response; Up-Arrow and Down-Arrow
may offer previous response and next response, respectively, from
recall buffer for some prompts.
[3] C-w can only be used for editing functions if its default KEYMAP
to REFRESH is changed. This can be done in the lynx.cfg file,
for example with the line "KEYMAP:^W:DO_NOTHING". This also applies
for other keys: as long as the key's action is mapped to REFRESH,
either with an explicit KEYMAP in lynx.cfg or by default, the
key's Line Editor binding is disabled.
[4] These keys invoke special behavior when pressed twice in a row:
C-e C-e calls the external editor for changing the text in a
textarea (if available). C-k C-k will move to the next link,
so that all lines in a textarea can be conveniently cleared by
repeating C-k.
[5] Key is likely unavailable for Lynx, because it is interpreted by
operating system, comm program, or curses library, or swallowed
as part of escape sequence recognition. Binding is provided for
the benefit of those where this doesn't apply.
[FORM] In form text fields, only. Ignored by Line Editor elsewhere.
More notes
When a text input field, including a textarea line, is selected,
the Line Editor functions get a first grab at the keys entered.
If a key has no function defined in the Line Editor binding, it
can either be ignored, or passed on for normal key command handling,
where modifiers like C-x or Meta currently have no effect (see the
Key Map Page accessible with the key K for current information).
Normal key action when used in form fields, subject to remapping
with KEYMAP: [FORM (except Up-Arrow, Down-Arrow)]
C-l [3], C-o, C-z [5], C-\ [5], C-] [5]
C-n [emacskey], C-p [emacskey]
Up-Arrow [2], Down-Arrow [2]
Page-Up, Page-Down, F1, Back-Tab
Normal key command with Meta modifier ignored when used in form fields,
subject to remapping with KEYMAP: [FORM (except Up-Arrow, Down-Arrow)]
M-C-l [3], M-C-o [!], M-C-z [5], M-C-\ [5], M-C-] [5]
M-C-u, M-/, M-n
M-Up-Arrow [2][!], M-Down-Arrow [2][!]
M-Page-Up [!], M-Page-Down [!], M-Home, M-End
Passed as specific command:
lynx action duplicates by default
----------- ---------------------
M-C-d NEXT_LINK Down-Arrow
M-C-e EDITTEXTAREA C-e C-e
M-C-k LPOS_NEXT_LINK (none, Down-Arrow suggested)
M-e EDITTEXTAREA C-e C-e
M-g GROWTEXTAREA (none, C-v $ suggested?)
M-i INSERTFILE (none, C-v # suggested?)
M-< HOME M-Home
M-> END M-End
M-F1 DWIMHELP F1
M-Find WHEREIS C-v /
M-Select NEXT C-v n
Duplicates function of other key(s):
edit action duplicates
----------- ----------
M-C-b BACKW M-b, C-r
M-C-f FORWW M-f
M-C-n FORWW M-f
M-C-p BACKW M-b, C-r
M-C-r BACKW M-b, C-r
M-a BOL C-a, Home, ...
Modifier ignored, and duplicates function of other key(s):
edit action duplicates
----------- ----------
M-C-a BOL C-a, Home, ...
M-C-g ABORT C-g, ...
M-TAB TAB C-i [!]
M-C-j ENTER C-m, C-j, Enter / RETURN
M-RETURN ENTER C-m, C-j, Enter / RETURN
M-C-y YANK C-y [!]
M-C-^ SWMAP C-^ [!] (if compiled in)
M-Right-Arrow FORW Right-Arrow [!], C-f
M-Left-Arrow BACK Left-Arrow [!], C-b
M-Do TAB C-i [!]
Key completely ignored:
C-q, Insert
M-C-q, M-C-s [5], M-C-t, M-C-v, M-ESC
M-C-@, M-C-_, M-Remove, M-Insert [!]
Meta + other (mostly, printable character) keys:
Modifier ignored, or sequence swallowed (see [5]).
M-@, M-E...M-Z [5], M-\, M-^, M-_ attempt to interpret
as 7-bit escape representation for character in 8-bit
control (C1) range if appropriate according to
Display Character Set.
[emacskey] Normal key action subject to emacs_keys setting.
[!] Action of key with Meta modifier follows action of key without
Meta. If you manage to enter the Meta key while Line-Editor
Binding is not set to Bash-Like, and the unmodified binding
is different from that listed here, M-<key> will act
like <key>.