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 prevents autofocus. If you dislike that, or think the
  78 prevention is too aggressive, you may disable it, returning to the standard
  79 behavior.
  80
  81 What is meant by “aggressive”? Well, in fact it is very hard to tell if a focus
  82 was an “autofocus” or a “regular focus” caused by you. VimFx prevents all
  83 focusing that doesn’t happen reasonably close (200ms by default) to an
  84 interaction by you (such as clicking something or using one of the `f`
  85 commands). (You may change what “reasonably close” means through the advanced
  86 setting [`autofocus_limit`]).
  87
  88 [`autofocus_limit`]: #autofocus_limit
  89
  90 ### Ignore keyboard layout
  91
  92 If you use more than one keyboard layout, you probably want to enable this
  93 option.
  94
  95 People who use a keyboard layout without the letters A-Z usually also use the
  96 standard en-US QWERTY layout as well.
  97
  98 This option makes VimFx ignore your current layout and pretend that the standard
  99 en-US QWERTY layout is always used. This way the default shortcuts work even if
 100 your layout doesn’t contain the letters A-Z and all shorcuts can be typed by the
 101 same physical keys on your keyboard regardless of your current keyboard layout.
 102
 103 (If you’d like VimFx to pretend that some other keyboard layout than the
 104 standard en-US QWERTY is always used, you may do so with the special option
 105 [`translations`].)
 106
 107 [`translations`]: #translations
 108
 109 ### Timeout
 110
 111 The maximum amount of time (in milliseconds) that may pass between two
 112 keypresses of a shortcut.
 113
 114 It’s easy to press, say, `a` by mistake while browsing. Without a timeout, you
 115 might be surprised that all search results are highlighted when you a bit later
 116 try to search using the `/` command. (That’s what `a/` does.) _With_ a timeout,
 117 the `a` would be cancelled when the timeout has passed.
 118
 119
 120 ## Advanced options
 121
 122 These options are _not_ available in VimFx’s settings page in the Add-ons
 123 Manager. They can only be changed in [about:config] or using the [public API].
 124 They all start with `extensions.VimFx.`.
 125
 126 (There are actually a few more advanced options than those listed here. You can
 127 see them all in [defaults.coffee].)
 128
 129 [about:config]: http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config
 130 [public API]: api.md
 131 [defaults.coffee]: ../extension/lib/defaults.coffee
 132
 133 ### `prevent_target_blank`
 134
 135 You might have noticed that some links open in new tabs when you click them.
 136 That is not the case if you “click” them using VimFx’s `f` command, though. If
 137 you dislike that, disable this option.
 138
 139 ### `autofocus_limit`
 140
 141 If `prevent_autofocus` is enabled, all focus events except those that occur
 142 within this number of milliseconds after a user interaction are suppressed.
 143
 144 If you set i to 0, _all_ programmaticly invoked focus events in web pages will
 145 be prevented. Only focus events as the result of you clicking or pressing a key
 146 are allowed. Some sites automatically focuses inputs after clicking some button,
 147 which might make this undesireable.
 148
 149 Setting it to a very large value basically has the same effact as turning of
 150 `prevent_autofocus`.
 151
 152 ### `prevent_autofocus_modes`
 153
 154 Space separated list of modes where `prevent_autofocus` should be used.
 155
 156 ### `hints_timeout`
 157
 158 The number of milliseconds a matched hint marker should stay on screen before
 159 disappearing (or resetting).
 160
 161 ### Scrolling prefs
 162
 163 If you want to customize Firefox’s smooth scrolling, adjusting
 164 `general.smoothScroll.{lines,pages,other}.duration{Min,Max}MS` is the way to
 165 go. VimFx has similar prefs for the scrolling commands, but they work like
 166 `layout.css.scroll-behavior.spring-constant`.
 167
 168 Basically, the higher the value, the faster the scrolling.
 169
 170 These are VimFx’s variants, and the commands they affect:
 171
 172 - `smoothScroll.lines.spring-constant`: `h`, `l`, `j`, `k`
 173 - `smoothScroll.pages.spring-constant`: `d`, `u`, `<space>`, `<s-space>`
 174 - `smoothScroll.other.spring-constant`: `gg`, `G`, `0`, `^`, `$`
 175
 176 Note that the value of these prefs are _strings,_ not numbers!
 177
 178 VimFx’s scrolling commands also respect a few built-in Firefox prefs.
 179
 180 `general.smoothScroll` lets you turn off smooth scrolling entirely, including
 181 all of VimFx’s scrolling commands.
 182
 183 `general.smoothScroll.lines`, `general.smoothScroll.pages`, and
 184 `general.smoothScroll.other` lets you selectively disable smooth scrolling.
 185 VimFx’s scrolling commands follow the same “lines,” “pages” and “other”
 186 categorization as in the above list.
 187
 188 By default you can scroll using the arrow keys in Firefox. You can control how
 189 much they scroll by adjusting the following prefs:
 190
 191 - `toolkit.scrollbox.horizontalScrollDistance`: `<left>`, `<right>`, `h`, `l`
 192 - `toolkit.scrollbox.verticalScrollDistance`:   `<down>`, `<up>`,    `j`, `k`
 193
 194 (VimFx used to have a `scroll_step` pref, but is has been replaced by the
 195 above.)
 196
 197 ### `pattern_selector`
 198
 199 A CSS selector that targets candidates for a previous/next page link.
 200
 201 ### `pattern_attrs`
 202
 203 A space-separated list of attributes that the previous/next page patterns should
 204 be matched against.
 205
 206 ### `activatable_element_keys`
 207
 208 Keys that should not trigger VimFx commands but be sent through to the page if
 209 an “activatable” element (link or button) is focused.
 210
 211 ### `adjustable_element_keys`
 212
 213 Keys that should not trigger VimFx commands but be sent through to the page if
 214 an “adjustable” element (form control or video player) is focused.
 215
 216
 217 ## Special options
 218
 219 These options are available in neither VimFx’s settings page in the Add-ons
 220 Manager nor in [about:config]. The only way to change them is by using the
 221 [public API].
 222
 223 ### `translations`
 224
 225 See the description of the `translations` option in [vim-like-key-notation].
 226
 227 [vim-like-key-notation]: https://github.com/lydell/vim-like-key-notation#api