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