Add a mark / select mode

[failable]

Check for existing issues

• Completed

Describe the feature

Currently node selection is handy in Zed. But other (random) selection generally require pressing the shift key. Although it's possible to assign shortcuts to selection without using the shift key, in order to maintain consistency between selection and movement, they usually differ by just one shift key.

This is pain when editing text file or markdown file where one is not always selecting some "syntax node".

Suggest to add a standalone mark mode, like the visual selection in vim or transient-mark-mode in emacs.

Note that this mode is not bound with vim-mode. The transient-mark-mode in emacs can also activated independently.

This feature can greatly reduce the frequency of continuously holding down the shift key to protect the little finger.

When the mode is activated, the shift in the key bindings can be ignored. Normal movements like ctrl-n acts like ctrl-shift-n.

If applicable, add mockups / screenshots to help present your vision of the feature

No response

[ozanmakes]

Add emacs keybindings for mark emulation #22904 implements %95 of Emacs set-mark + movement commands without an explicit "mark-mode". I've been using these for a few days and it is working great in practice.

The "selection" context that enables this is already merged (#21927), so you can test this and provide feedback by copying these keybindings to your keymap.json.

[gree7]

Together with

  {
    "context": "Editor",
    "bindings": {
    [...]
      "ctrl-space": "editor::SelectRight",
  }

this is really nice for Emacs. I didn't find anything like editor::Unselect though. That would be perfect to add as ctrl+space in the "context": "Editor && selection" which would emulate emacs reset of the selection mark.

[dmvianna]

this is really nice for Emacs. I didn't find anything like editor::Unselect though.

Have a look at #4856 for many keybinding options. I just tested and my ctrl-g works just fine to unselect an editor selection.

  {
    "bindings": {
      "ctrl-g": "menu::Cancel",
      "alt-x": "app_menu::OpenApplicationMenu",
      "ctrl-?": null
    }
  },

[gree7]

Thanks. "menu::Cancel" didn't work for me, but "editor::Cancel" works nicely.

[notpeter]

There is an initial implementation of this behavior for the emacs keybinding here:

• Add emacs keybindings for mark emulation #22904

With this change (available in Preview 0.170 on Wednesday 2025-01-15) if you press ctrl-space and then movement direction it will create a selection and any subsequent cursor will select without requiring holding space. Similarly if create a selection with the mouse you will be in mark mode and can further expand the selection with your keyboard. Cancel the selection with ctrl-g or ctrl-space.

Some known drawbacks of this approach:

• After pressing ctrl-space you must press do the directional move relatively quickly so it is detected as a chorded keystroke.
• If you move through the mark character by characters (e.g. ctrl-space right, right, right, left, left, left) the selection mark will be unset.
• In emacs if you begin a selection using shift (e.g. shift-right) subsequent movements also require holding shift (e.g. emacs does not enter Mark mode) moving the cursor without shift will clear the selection.

[gree7]

Aah, I see. The solution with the chords is pretty elegant. I'll try it for a while instead of simple "ctrl-space": "editor::SelectRight", whether I hit the problem with not pressing the direction key fast enough. Thanks for the pointer.

[failable]

After pressing ctrl-space you must press do the directional move relatively quickly so it is detected as a chorded keystroke.

Even thought I have the following setting and move very quickly, sometimes (> 70%) the selection is disappeared after being shown.

Screen.Recording.2025-01-14.at.10.51.07.mov

[dmvianna]

@failable Why are you putting your keybindings under Editor && (mode == full) && !selection when you want to use them with a selection? I would rather have them under "context": "Editor" and use them under any circumstance within it. I wonder if the !selection isn't kicking you out of it when you start the selection.

[failable]

I just copied them from the assets/keymaps/macos/emacs.json.