documentation/options.md

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   2 This is part of the VimFx documentation.
   3 Copyright Simon Lydell 2015.
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   6
   7 # Options
   8
   9 VimFx has many options that can be configured, but they all have nice defaults
  10 so you shouldn’t need to.
  11
  12 You might also be interested [styling] VimFx and writing a [config file].
  13
  14 [styling]: styling.md
  15 [config file]: config-file.md
  16
  17
  18 ## Regular options
  19
  20 These options are available in VimFx’s settings page in the Add-ons Manager
  21 (where you can also customize all [keyboard shortcuts]).
  22
  23 [keyboard shortcuts]: shortcuts.md
  24
  25 ### Hint chars
  26
  27 The characters used for the hints in Hints mode, which can be entered using one
  28 of the many `f` commands. See also [The `f` commands].
  29
  30 [The `f` commands]: commands.md#the-f-commands-1
  31
  32 ### Previous/Next page patterns
  33
  34 Space separated lists of patterns that match links to the previous/next page.
  35 Used by the `[` and `]` commands.
  36
  37 There is a standardized way for websites to tell browsers the URLs to the
  38 previous and next page. VimFx looks for that information in the first place.
  39 Unfortunately, many websites don’t provide this information. Then VimFx falls
  40 back on looking for links on the page that seem to go to the previous/next page
  41 using patterns.
  42
  43 The patterns are matched at the beginning and end of link text (and the
  44 attributes defined by the advanced setting [`pattern_attrs`]). The patterns do
  45 not match in the middle of words, so “previous” does not match “previously”.
  46 The matching is case <strong>in</strong>sensitive.
  47
  48 Actually, the patterns are regular expressions. If you do not know what a
  49 regular expression is, that’s fine. You can type simple patterns like the
  50 default ones without problems. If you do know what it is, though, you have the
  51 possibility to create more advanced patterns if needed.
  52
  53 Some of the default patterns are English words. You might want to add
  54 alternatives in your own language.
  55
  56 Note: If you need to include a space in your pattern, use `\s`. For example:
  57 `next\spage`.
  58
  59 [`pattern_attrs`]: #pattern_attrs
  60
  61 ### Blacklist
  62
  63 Space separated list of URLs where VimFx should automatically enter Ignore mode.
  64
  65 Note that the URLs in the list must match the current URL _entirely_ for it to
  66 apply. Therefore it is easiest to always use the `*` wildcard (which matches
  67 zero or more characters).
  68
  69 You might also want to read about the [Ignore mode `<s-f1>` command][s-f1].
  70
  71 [s-f1]: commands.md#ignore-mode-s-f1
  72
  73 ### Prevent autofocus
  74
  75 Many sites autofocus their search box, for example. This might be annoying when
  76 browsing using the keyboard, as you do with VimFx, because it often feels like
  77 VimFx isn’t responding, until you realize that you are typing in a text box—not
  78 running VimFx commands!
  79
  80 For this reason VimFx can prevent autofocus. It’s not enabled by default,
  81 though, since one of VimFx’s key features is to be nice to your browser and your
  82 habits.
  83
  84 If enabled, all focusing that occurs on page load, or after you’ve just switched
  85 back to a tab from another, until you interact with the page is prevented.
  86
  87 #### Technical notes and trivia
  88
  89 Autofocus on page load and when coming back to a tab are the two most common
  90 cases. Some sites, though, automatically focus a text input in other cases as
  91 well. Trying to catch those cases as well, VimFx used to prevent all focusing
  92 that didn’t occur within a fixed number of milliseconds after your last
  93 interaction (click or keypress). However, this proved to be too aggressive,
  94 preventing too much focusing. In other words, the time-based check was not
  95 sufficent to distinguish between inteded focusing and automatic unwanted
  96 focusing. It made things worse more than it helped. Since these cases are so
  97 difficult (if not impossible) to detect, it is better to leave them. Thankfully
  98 they are not very common.
  99
 100 On page load or when coming back to a tab, before you have interacted with the
 101 page in any way, we can be _sure_ that any focusing is automatic (not caused by
 102 you), which makes it safe to prevent all focusing in those time spans.
 103
 104 ### Ignore keyboard layout
 105
 106 If you use more than one keyboard layout, you probably want to enable this
 107 option.
 108
 109 People who use a keyboard layout _without_ the letters A–Z usually also use the
 110 standard en-US QWERTY layout as well.
 111
 112 This option makes VimFx ignore your current layout and pretend that the standard
 113 en-US QWERTY layout is _always_ used. This way the default shortcuts work even
 114 if your layout doesn’t contain the letters A–Z and all shorcuts can be typed by
 115 the same physical keys on your keyboard regardless of your current keyboard
 116 layout.
 117
 118 (If you’d like VimFx to pretend that some other keyboard layout than the
 119 standard en-US QWERTY is always used, you may do so with the special option
 120 [`translations`].)
 121
 122 [`translations`]: #translations
 123
 124 ### Timeout
 125
 126 The maximum amount of time (in milliseconds) that may pass between two
 127 keypresses of a shortcut.
 128
 129 It’s easy to press, say, `a` by mistake while browsing. Without a timeout, you
 130 might be surprised that all search results are highlighted when you a bit later
 131 try to search using the `/` command. (That’s what `a/` does.) _With_ a timeout,
 132 the `a` would be cancelled when the timeout has passed.
 133
 134
 135 ## Advanced options
 136
 137 These options are _not_ available in VimFx’s settings page in the Add-ons
 138 Manager. They can only be changed in [about:config] or using the [public API].
 139 They all start with `extensions.VimFx.`.
 140
 141 (There are actually a few more advanced options than those listed here. You can
 142 see them all in [defaults.coffee].)
 143
 144 [about:config]: http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config
 145 [public API]: api.md
 146 [defaults.coffee]: ../extension/lib/defaults.coffee
 147
 148 ### `notifications_enabled`
 149
 150 Some commands may show a notification, such as the `n` and `N` commands which
 151 tell when they wrap around the page, or the phrase you searched for could not be
 152 found. Set this option to `false` to disable such notifications.
 153
 154 ### `prevent_target_blank`
 155
 156 You might have noticed that some links open in new tabs when you click them.
 157 That is not the case if you “click” them using VimFx’s `f` command, though. If
 158 you dislike that, disable this option.
 159
 160 ### `prevent_autofocus_modes`
 161
 162 Space separated list of modes where `prevent_autofocus` should be used.
 163
 164 ### `hints_timeout`
 165
 166 The number of milliseconds a matched hint marker should stay on screen before
 167 disappearing (or resetting).
 168
 169 ### Scrolling prefs
 170
 171 If you want to customize Firefox’s smooth scrolling, adjusting
 172 `general.smoothScroll.{lines,pages,other}.duration{Min,Max}MS` is the way to
 173 go. VimFx has similar prefs for the scrolling commands, but they work like
 174 `layout.css.scroll-behavior.spring-constant`.
 175
 176 Basically, the higher the value, the faster the scrolling.
 177
 178 These are VimFx’s variants, and the commands they affect:
 179
 180 - `smoothScroll.lines.spring-constant`: `h`, `l`, `j`, `k`
 181 - `smoothScroll.pages.spring-constant`: `d`, `u`, `<space>`, `<s-space>`
 182 - `smoothScroll.other.spring-constant`: `gg`, `G`, `0`, `^`, `$`
 183
 184 Note that the value of these prefs are _strings,_ not numbers!
 185
 186 VimFx’s scrolling commands also respect a few built-in Firefox prefs.
 187
 188 `general.smoothScroll` lets you turn off smooth scrolling entirely, including
 189 all of VimFx’s scrolling commands.
 190
 191 `general.smoothScroll.lines`, `general.smoothScroll.pages`, and
 192 `general.smoothScroll.other` lets you selectively disable smooth scrolling.
 193 VimFx’s scrolling commands follow the same “lines,” “pages” and “other”
 194 categorization as in the above list.
 195
 196 By default you can scroll using the arrow keys in Firefox. You can control how
 197 much they scroll by adjusting the following prefs:
 198
 199 - `toolkit.scrollbox.horizontalScrollDistance`: `<left>`, `<right>`, `h`, `l`
 200 - `toolkit.scrollbox.verticalScrollDistance`:   `<down>`, `<up>`,    `j`, `k`
 201
 202 (VimFx used to have a `scroll_step` pref, but is has been replaced by the
 203 above.)
 204
 205 ### `pattern_selector`
 206
 207 A CSS selector that targets candidates for a previous/next page link.
 208
 209 ### `pattern_attrs`
 210
 211 A space-separated list of attributes that the previous/next page patterns should
 212 be matched against.
 213
 214 ### `hints_toggle_in_tab`
 215
 216 If the keypress that matched a hint starts with this string, toggle whether to
 217 open the matched link in the current tab or a new tab. See [The `f` commands]
 218 for more information.
 219
 220 ### `hints_toggle_in_background`
 221
 222 If the keypress that matched a hint starts with this string, open the matched
 223 link in a new tab and toggle whether to open that tab in the background or
 224 foreground. See [The `f` commands] for more information.
 225
 226 ### `activatable_element_keys`
 227
 228 Keys that should not trigger VimFx commands but be sent through to the page if
 229 an “activatable” element (link or button) is focused.
 230
 231 ### `adjustable_element_keys`
 232
 233 Keys that should not trigger VimFx commands but be sent through to the page if
 234 an “adjustable” element (form control or video player) is focused.
 235
 236
 237 ## Special options
 238
 239 These options are available in neither VimFx’s settings page in the Add-ons
 240 Manager nor in [about:config]. The only way to change them is by using the
 241 [public API].
 242
 243 ### `translations`
 244
 245 See the description of the `translations` option in [vim-like-key-notation].
 246
 247 [vim-like-key-notation]: https://github.com/lydell/vim-like-key-notation#api
 248
 249 ### `categories`
 250
 251 See the documentation for [`vimfx.get('categories')`][categories].
 252
 253 [categories]: api.md#vimfxgetcategories