From 976dbec9ff80748a888c8b886a90ba76c34498e0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Stefan Haller <stefan@haller-berlin.de>
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2026 22:03:50 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Make edit keybindings for move-by-word and backspace-word
 configurable

And make them platform dependent so that they are with ctrl on Windows and
Linux, but alt on Mac.
---
 docs-master/Config.md     |  9 +++++++++
 pkg/config/user_config.go |  6 ++++++
 pkg/gocui/edit.go         | 12 +++++++++---
 pkg/gocui/gui.go          |  6 ++++++
 pkg/gui/gui.go            |  6 ++++++
 schema-master/config.json | 15 +++++++++++++++
 6 files changed, 51 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/docs-master/Config.md b/docs-master/Config.md
index a0f531654..ebe2524ae 100644
--- a/docs-master/Config.md
+++ b/docs-master/Config.md
@@ -630,6 +630,15 @@ keybinding:
     nextMatch: "n"
     prevMatch: "N"
     startSearch: /
+
+    # <a-left> on Mac
+    moveWordLeft: <c-left>
+
+    # <a-right> on Mac
+    moveWordRight: <c-right>
+
+    # <a-backspace> on Mac
+    backspaceWord: <c-backspace>
     optionMenu: <disabled>
     optionMenu-alt1: '?'
     select: <space>
diff --git a/pkg/config/user_config.go b/pkg/config/user_config.go
index 72c6bb742..c0b086d98 100644
--- a/pkg/config/user_config.go
+++ b/pkg/config/user_config.go
@@ -454,6 +454,9 @@ type KeybindingUniversalConfig struct {
 	NextMatch                         string   `yaml:"nextMatch"`
 	PrevMatch                         string   `yaml:"prevMatch"`
 	StartSearch                       string   `yaml:"startSearch"`
+	MoveWordLeft                      string   `yaml:"moveWordLeft"`  // <a-left> on Mac
+	MoveWordRight                     string   `yaml:"moveWordRight"` // <a-right> on Mac
+	BackspaceWord                     string   `yaml:"backspaceWord"` // <a-backspace> on Mac
 	OptionMenu                        string   `yaml:"optionMenu"`
 	OptionMenuAlt1                    string   `yaml:"optionMenu-alt1"`
 	Select                            string   `yaml:"select"`
@@ -933,6 +936,9 @@ func GetDefaultConfigForPlatform(platform string) *UserConfig {
 				NextMatch:                         "n",
 				PrevMatch:                         "N",
 				StartSearch:                       "/",
+				MoveWordLeft:                      platformKeyBinding(platform, map[string]string{"darwin": "<a-left>"}, "<c-left>"),
+				MoveWordRight:                     platformKeyBinding(platform, map[string]string{"darwin": "<a-right>"}, "<c-right>"),
+				BackspaceWord:                     platformKeyBinding(platform, map[string]string{"darwin": "<a-backspace>"}, "<c-backspace>"),
 				OptionMenu:                        "<disabled>",
 				OptionMenuAlt1:                    "?",
 				Select:                            "<space>",
diff --git a/pkg/gocui/edit.go b/pkg/gocui/edit.go
index 32593957d..7180aba18 100644
--- a/pkg/gocui/edit.go
+++ b/pkg/gocui/edit.go
@@ -22,10 +22,16 @@ func (f EditorFunc) Edit(v *View, key Key) bool {
 // DefaultEditor is the default editor.
 var DefaultEditor Editor = EditorFunc(SimpleEditor)
 
+var (
+	moveWordLeftKeybinding  = NewKey(KeyArrowLeft, "", ModCtrl)
+	moveWordRightKeybinding = NewKey(KeyArrowRight, "", ModCtrl)
+	backspaceWordKeybinding = NewKey(KeyBackspace, "", ModCtrl)
+)
+
 // SimpleEditor is used as the default gocui editor.
 func SimpleEditor(v *View, key Key) bool {
 	switch {
-	case key.Equals(NewKey(KeyBackspace, "", ModAlt)),
+	case key.Equals(backspaceWordKeybinding),
 		key.Equals(NewKeyStrMod("w", ModCtrl)):
 		v.TextArea.BackSpaceWord()
 	case key.Equals(NewKeyName(KeyBackspace)):
@@ -38,13 +44,13 @@ func SimpleEditor(v *View, key Key) bool {
 	case key.Equals(NewKeyName(KeyArrowUp)):
 		v.TextArea.MoveCursorUp()
 	case key.Equals(NewKeyStrMod("b", ModAlt)),
-		key.Equals(NewKey(KeyArrowLeft, "", ModAlt)):
+		key.Equals(moveWordLeftKeybinding):
 		v.TextArea.MoveLeftWord()
 	case key.Equals(NewKeyName(KeyArrowLeft)),
 		key.Equals(NewKeyStrMod("b", ModCtrl)):
 		v.TextArea.MoveCursorLeft()
 	case key.Equals(NewKeyStrMod("f", ModAlt)),
-		key.Equals(NewKey(KeyArrowRight, "", ModAlt)):
+		key.Equals(moveWordRightKeybinding):
 		v.TextArea.MoveRightWord()
 	case key.Equals(NewKeyName(KeyArrowRight)),
 		key.Equals(NewKeyStrMod("b", ModCtrl)):
diff --git a/pkg/gocui/gui.go b/pkg/gocui/gui.go
index 9aaca3e2a..eb3eb738c 100644
--- a/pkg/gocui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gocui/gui.go
@@ -1629,3 +1629,9 @@ func (g *Gui) Snapshot() string {
 
 	return builder.String()
 }
+
+func (g *Gui) SetEditKeybindings(moveWordLeft, moveWordRight, backspaceWord Key) {
+	moveWordLeftKeybinding = moveWordLeft
+	moveWordRightKeybinding = moveWordRight
+	backspaceWordKeybinding = backspaceWord
+}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index cf024a728..7fb732d99 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -474,6 +474,12 @@ func (gui *Gui) onUserConfigLoaded() error {
 	gui.g.NextSearchMatchKey = config.GetValidatedKeyBindingKey(userConfig.Keybinding.Universal.NextMatch)
 	gui.g.PrevSearchMatchKey = config.GetValidatedKeyBindingKey(userConfig.Keybinding.Universal.PrevMatch)
 
+	gui.g.SetEditKeybindings(
+		config.GetValidatedKeyBindingKey(userConfig.Keybinding.Universal.MoveWordLeft),
+		config.GetValidatedKeyBindingKey(userConfig.Keybinding.Universal.MoveWordRight),
+		config.GetValidatedKeyBindingKey(userConfig.Keybinding.Universal.BackspaceWord),
+	)
+
 	gui.g.ShowListFooter = userConfig.Gui.ShowListFooter
 
 	gui.g.Mouse = userConfig.Gui.MouseEvents
diff --git a/schema-master/config.json b/schema-master/config.json
index 757a23e27..5830772bb 100644
--- a/schema-master/config.json
+++ b/schema-master/config.json
@@ -1410,6 +1410,21 @@
           "type": "string",
           "default": "/"
         },
+        "moveWordLeft": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "\u003ca-left\u003e on Mac",
+          "default": "\u003cc-left\u003e"
+        },
+        "moveWordRight": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "\u003ca-right\u003e on Mac",
+          "default": "\u003cc-right\u003e"
+        },
+        "backspaceWord": {
+          "type": "string",
+          "description": "\u003ca-backspace\u003e on Mac",
+          "default": "\u003cc-backspace\u003e"
+        },
         "optionMenu": {
           "type": "string",
           "default": "\u003cdisabled\u003e"