LazyGit Keybindings: Display Custom Commands

by Alex Johnson 45 views

Hey there, fellow code wranglers! Ever found yourself staring at the LazyGit keybindings screen, wishing you could see all your custom commands right there alongside the built-in ones? You're not alone! This article dives into a fantastic feature request that could seriously streamline your LazyGit experience: showing custom commands in the keybindings listing. We'll explore why this is such a game-changer, the proposed solution, and why it's better than the alternatives.

The Problem: Hidden Custom Commands

Right now, when you hit '?' in LazyGit, you get a helpful list of keybindings. This is super useful for quickly recalling those essential shortcuts. However, there's a bit of a blind spot: it only shows the built-in LazyGit commands. What about those awesome custom commands you've painstakingly set up in your configuration file? They're practically invisible when you're looking for them in the UI. This can be a real pain point, especially when you're trying to:

  • Troubleshoot a new custom command that isn't working as expected. You might spend valuable time digging through YAML files, when a quick glance at the keybindings screen could tell you if the command is even recognized or if there's a typo in your setup. It's like trying to find a specific tool in a cluttered workshop without a proper inventory list – frustrating and time-consuming!
  • Remember an infrequently used custom command. We all have those handy custom commands that we don't use every single day. When you suddenly need one, instead of having to rifle through your configuration files, wouldn't it be infinitely more convenient to just check the LazyGit interface? It’s about making your workflow smoother and reducing those moments of mental friction.
  • Discover new ways to interact with LazyGit. Seeing all available commands in one place can spark ideas and encourage users to leverage the full power of customization that LazyGit offers. It fosters a more intuitive and discoverable user experience.

The current setup forces users to maintain a mental map of their custom commands or constantly refer back to their configuration files. This isn't ideal for productivity and can be a barrier to entry for those who aren't as familiar with YAML or who prefer a more visual, interactive approach to learning and using their tools.

The Solution: Integrating Custom Commands into Keybindings

The proposed solution is elegant and straightforward: add all the custom commands for a given section to the bottom of the Keybindings window. Imagine hitting '?' and seeing not just the standard LazyGit shortcuts but also your personalized commands neatly listed below. This would provide a comprehensive overview of all available actions within that context, making it much easier to:

  • Verify custom command syntax and existence. If you've set up a custom command, you'd be able to instantly see if LazyGit recognizes it. This can help catch typos or configuration errors much faster than trying to debug by trial and error or by manual inspection of your config files.
  • Recall and utilize custom shortcuts efficiently. For those commands you don't use daily, this feature acts as a readily accessible cheat sheet. No more hunting through ~/.config/lazygit/config.yml (or wherever your config lives) to remember that one specific command you set up months ago.
  • Discover and learn about custom commands set by others. If you're working in a team or sharing configurations, seeing the custom commands listed would make it easier to understand the extended functionality available.

This approach directly addresses the problem of discoverability and accessibility for custom commands. By integrating them into the existing '?' help screen, LazyGit leverages a familiar interface element to enhance its own customizability. The suggestion to place them at the bottom of the list is particularly smart. It ensures that the core, built-in commands remain prominent and easily accessible, while custom commands are available without cluttering the primary view. This respects the existing UI hierarchy while significantly improving the utility of the help screen for users who have extended LazyGit's functionality.

It’s a small change with a potentially large impact on user experience, making LazyGit even more powerful and user-friendly for those who go the extra mile to tailor it to their specific workflows. This enhancement would turn the keybindings listing from a basic reference into a complete command reference, covering both default and user-defined actions.

Alternatives Considered: A Different Shortcut?

While the primary suggestion is to integrate custom commands directly into the existing '?' keybindings window, the team also considered alternative approaches. One such alternative was to print all available custom commands using a different shortcut, perhaps something like '!' instead of '?'. This would still achieve the goal of making custom commands visible, but it introduces a new keybinding to remember and manage.

  • Pros of a separate shortcut: It clearly delineates between built-in and custom commands, potentially offering a dedicated space for more detailed information about custom actions if needed in the future. It avoids potentially making the '?' screen too long if a user has a very extensive list of custom commands.
  • Cons of a separate shortcut: It requires users to learn and remember an additional shortcut. It breaks the mental model of '?' being the universal