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MAC KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS FOR CODING

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Essential keyboard shortcuts for developers using macOS.
Covers special characters, brackets, and productivity shortcuts.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS FOR CODING#


            

                        

                
BRACKETS & BRACES#

                
[           Option + Shift + (          # Left bracket
]           Option + Shift + )          # Right bracket
{           Option + (                  # Left curly brace
}           Option + )                  # Right curly brace
(           Shift + 9                   # Left parenthesis
)           Shift + 0                   # Right parenthesis
<           Shift + ,                   # Less than / Left angle
>           Shift + .                   # Greater than / Right angle

            

                        

                
PIPES & SLASHES#

                
|           Option + Shift + L          # Pipe (vertical bar)
\           Option + Shift + /          # Backslash
/           /                           # Forward slash
~           Option + N                  # Tilde

            

                        

                
QUOTES & APOSTROPHES#

                
"           Shift + '                   # Double quote
'           '                           # Single quote / Apostrophe
`           ` (top left key)            # Backtick / Grave accent

            

                        

                
SYMBOLS#

                
@           Option + 2                  # At sign (some layouts: Shift + 2)
#           Option + 3                  # Hash / Pound (some layouts: Shift + 3)
$           Shift + 4                   # Dollar sign
%           Shift + 5                   # Percent
^           Shift + 6                   # Caret
&           Shift + 7                   # Ampersand
*           Shift + 8                   # Asterisk
_           Shift + -                   # Underscore
+           Shift + =                   # Plus
=           =                           # Equals

            

                        

                
OPERATORS#

                
!           Shift + 1                   # Exclamation / Not
?           Shift + /                   # Question mark
:           Shift + ;                   # Colon
;           ;                           # Semicolon

NOTE: Keyboard layouts vary by country. Above is for US/International.
For other layouts (French, German, Swiss, etc.), see ALTERNATE LAYOUTS below.

            

                        

                
TEXT EDITING#

                

            

                        

                
                
Cmd + Left          Move to beginning of line
Cmd + Right         Move to end of line
Cmd + Up            Move to beginning of document
Cmd + Down          Move to end of document
Option + Left       Move one word left
Option + Right      Move one word right
Ctrl + A            Move to beginning of line (terminal)
Ctrl + E            Move to end of line (terminal)

            

                        

                
SELECTION#

                
Shift + Arrow       Select character by character
Shift + Cmd + Left  Select to beginning of line
Shift + Cmd + Right Select to end of line
Shift + Option + Left   Select word left
Shift + Option + Right  Select word right
Cmd + A             Select all

            

                        

                
DELETE#

                
Delete              Delete character before cursor
Fn + Delete         Delete character after cursor (Forward delete)
Option + Delete     Delete word before cursor
Cmd + Delete        Delete to beginning of line
Ctrl + K            Delete to end of line (terminal)

            

                        

                
UNDO/REDO#

                
Cmd + Z             Undo
Cmd + Shift + Z     Redo

            

                        

                
CLIPBOARD#

                
Cmd + C             Copy
Cmd + X             Cut
Cmd + V             Paste
Cmd + Shift + V     Paste without formatting
Cmd + Option + V    Move (cut + paste)

            

                        

                
IDE / CODE EDITOR SHORTCUTS#

                

            

                        

                
GENERAL (VS Code, Sublime, etc.)#

                
Cmd + S             Save file
Cmd + Shift + S     Save as
Cmd + W             Close tab/window
Cmd + N             New file
Cmd + O             Open file
Cmd + P             Quick open file
Cmd + Shift + P     Command palette
Cmd + ,             Preferences/Settings
Cmd + Q             Quit application

            

                        

                
FIND & REPLACE#

                
Cmd + F             Find
Cmd + G             Find next
Cmd + Shift + G     Find previous
Cmd + H             Replace (some apps)
Cmd + Option + F    Replace (VS Code)
Cmd + Shift + F     Find in files

            

                        

                
CODE EDITING#

                
Cmd + D             Select word / Add selection to next find match
Cmd + /             Toggle line comment
Cmd + Shift + /     Toggle block comment
Cmd + ]             Indent line
Cmd + [             Outdent line
Option + Up         Move line up
Option + Down       Move line down
Cmd + Shift + K     Delete line
Cmd + Enter         Insert line below
Cmd + Shift + Enter Insert line above
Cmd + Shift + D     Duplicate line
Ctrl + Space        Trigger autocomplete
Cmd + .             Quick fix / Code actions

            

                        

                
MULTI-CURSOR#

                
Option + Click      Add cursor
Cmd + Option + Up   Add cursor above
Cmd + Option + Down Add cursor below
Cmd + Shift + L     Select all occurrences

            

                        

                
                
Cmd + G             Go to line
Cmd + Shift + O     Go to symbol
Cmd + Click         Go to definition
Cmd + Option + Left Previous editor
Cmd + Option + Right Next editor
Ctrl + Tab          Switch between tabs
Ctrl + -            Go back
Ctrl + Shift + -    Go forward

            

                        

                
TERMINAL#

                

            

                        

                
BASIC#

                
Cmd + T             New terminal tab
Cmd + N             New terminal window
Cmd + W             Close terminal tab
Cmd + 1-9           Switch to tab N
Ctrl + C            Cancel current command
Ctrl + D            Exit / EOF
Ctrl + L            Clear screen
Ctrl + Z            Suspend process
Cmd + K             Clear terminal

            

                        

                
                
Ctrl + A            Beginning of line
Ctrl + E            End of line
Ctrl + U            Delete to beginning of line
Ctrl + K            Delete to end of line
Ctrl + W            Delete word before cursor
Option + Left       Move word left
Option + Right      Move word right
Ctrl + R            Reverse search history
Ctrl + P            Previous command
Ctrl + N            Next command

            

                        

                
TMUX (with Ctrl+B prefix)#

                
Ctrl+B c            New window
Ctrl+B n            Next window
Ctrl+B p            Previous window
Ctrl+B %            Split horizontal
Ctrl+B "            Split vertical
Ctrl+B Arrow        Switch pane
Ctrl+B d            Detach
Ctrl+B [            Scroll mode

            

                        

                
VIM MODE#

                
i                   Insert mode
Esc                 Normal mode
:w                  Save
:q                  Quit
:wq                 Save and quit
dd                  Delete line
yy                  Copy line
p                   Paste
/pattern            Search
n                   Next match
u                   Undo
Ctrl + R            Redo

            

                        

                
SYSTEM SHORTCUTS#

                

            

                        

                
SCREENSHOTS#

                
Cmd + Shift + 3     Screenshot entire screen
Cmd + Shift + 4     Screenshot selection
Cmd + Shift + 4 + Space  Screenshot window
Cmd + Shift + 5     Screenshot/recording menu
Ctrl + Cmd + Shift + 4   Screenshot to clipboard

            

                        

                
WINDOW MANAGEMENT#

                
Cmd + M             Minimize window
Cmd + H             Hide application
Cmd + Option + H    Hide other applications
Cmd + Tab           Switch applications
Cmd + `             Switch windows of same app
Ctrl + Up           Mission Control
Ctrl + Down         Application windows
Ctrl + Left/Right   Switch desktop/space
F11                 Show desktop

            

                        

                
SYSTEM#

                
Cmd + Space         Spotlight search
Cmd + Option + Esc  Force quit dialog
Ctrl + Cmd + Q      Lock screen
Cmd + Option + D    Toggle Dock hiding

            

                        

                
ALTERNATE KEYBOARD LAYOUTS#

                

            

                        

                
FRENCH (AZERTY)#

                
[           Option + Shift + (
]           Option + Shift + )
{           Option + (
}           Option + )
|           Option + Shift + L
\           Option + Shift + /
@           Option + à (or Option + 2)
#           Shift + 3 (UK) or Option + Shift + 3
~           Option + N

            

                        

                
GERMAN (QWERTZ)#

                
[           Option + 5
]           Option + 6
{           Option + 8
}           Option + 9
|           Option + 7
\           Option + Shift + 7
@           Option + L
~           Option + N

            

                        

                
SWISS#

                
[           Option + 5
]           Option + 6
{           Option + 8
}           Option + 9
|           Option + 7
\           Option + Shift + 7
@           Option + G
~           Option + N

            

                        

                
QUICK REFERENCE - CODING SYMBOLS#

                
Symbol  US Layout           Alt (some layouts)
------  ---------           ------------------
[       Option + Shift + (  Option + 5
]       Option + Shift + )  Option + 6
{       Option + (          Option + 8
}       Option + )          Option + 9
|       Option + Shift + L  Option + 7
\       Option + Shift + /  Option + Shift + 7
~       Option + N          Option + N
`       Top-left key        Top-left key
@       Option + 2          Option + G/L
#       Option + 3          Shift + 3

            

                        

                
TIPS#

                
# Check your keyboard layout
System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources

# Show keyboard viewer
Menu bar > Input menu > Show Keyboard Viewer

# Use Karabiner-Elements for custom mappings
https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/

# VS Code: Show keyboard shortcut reference
Cmd + K, Cmd + S

            

                    

                
        
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