starred/terminal
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/microsoft/terminal.git synced 2026-02-03 21:25:34 +00:00
Code Issues 19.0k Packages Projects Releases 20 Wiki Activity

Remapping Default Console Keys #5770

New Issue
Closed
opened 2026-01-31 00:21:13 +00:00 by claunia · 1 comment
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:21:13 +00:00
Owner
Copy Link

Originally created by @FancyKillerPanda on GitHub (Jan 5, 2020).

Description of the new feature/enhancement

Having the ability to remap the default keys of the host console (CMD, Powershell, etc.). Right now, it is only possible to remap some keys from the Windows Terminal UI. One example of a key I'd like to be able to remap is F8, which in Command Prompt cycles through the history based on the characters you've already typed. I'd like to remap it to something like ctrl+up.

If you know of a workaround for this, it'd be much appreciated if you let me know.

Proposed technical implementation details (optional)

The code currently calls _cycleMatchingCommandHistoryToPrompt when it detects a VK_F8 event. It might be possible to allow this to be changed dynamically.

Originally created by @FancyKillerPanda on GitHub (Jan 5, 2020). <!-- 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 I ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLLOWING BEFORE PROCEEDING: 1. If I delete this entire template and go my own path, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement. 2. If I list multiple bugs/concerns in this one issue, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement. 3. If I write an issue that has many duplicates, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement (and without necessarily spending time to find the exact duplicate ID number). 4. If I leave the title incomplete when filing the issue, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement. 5. If I file something completely blank in the body, the core team may close my issue without further explanation or engagement. All good? Then proceed! --> # Description of the new feature/enhancement Having the ability to remap the default keys of the host console (CMD, Powershell, etc.). Right now, it is only possible to remap some keys from the Windows Terminal UI. One example of a key I'd like to be able to remap is `F8`, which in Command Prompt cycles through the history based on the characters you've already typed. I'd like to remap it to something like `ctrl+up`. If you know of a workaround for this, it'd be much appreciated if you let me know. <!-- A clear and concise description of what the problem is that the new feature would solve. Describe why and how a user would use this new functionality (if applicable). --> # Proposed technical implementation details (optional) The code currently calls `_cycleMatchingCommandHistoryToPrompt` when it detects a `VK_F8` event. It might be possible to allow this to be changed dynamically. <!-- A clear and concise description of what you want to happen. -->
claunia added the Issue-FeatureNeeds-TriageNeeds-Tag-FixResolution-Won't-Fix labels 2026-01-31 00:21:14 +00:00
claunia commented 2026-01-31 00:21:14 +00:00
Author
Owner
Copy Link

@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (Jan 9, 2020):

Hey @FancyKillerPanda! Thanks for the investigation and for the feature request. This is a tough nut, though it might not seem like that on the surface. Here's what's up.

Those key bindings (F6-F9) are part of a legacy part of the console host we all wish we'd never committed to. Back in what feels like 1965 a decision was made: that the console host would store command history and aliases and handle a "cooked" line discipline on behalf of any console application that asks for it.

Since people view those behaviors as being so deeply intertwined with CMD and PowerShell, we can't rip them out of conhost and move them into the shells where they belong. Since they're so deeply integrated in conhost, however, we have to give them a cautious berth. I'm not likely to greenlight work to make them configurable in conhost.

Now, here's the rub. "Conhost isn't terminal!" you might protest. This is where the lines blur a little bit. Terminal doesn't have any idea what the result of sending F8 or Ctrl+Up or what-have-you is going to be. It's not secretly telling conhost that it should pop up the history dialog... it's just telling it "hey the user pressed F8" (which I presume you already know, but I'm in exposition mode) so on the flipside of that, there's no way to tell it not to pop up the history dialog without plumbing a new configuration option down into conhost and a bit of infrastructure to support it. That'd have to come after all the other "we need to be able to tell conhost x, y, or z" issues (like #1882, which needs to tell its nested conhost that "hey the user wanted to delete the buffer, you keen?)

All that to say- this one probably won't make the cut, so I'm going to close it out with an unfortunate Won't Fix. Sorry!

@DHowett-MSFT commented on GitHub (Jan 9, 2020): Hey @FancyKillerPanda! Thanks for the investigation and for the feature request. This is a tough nut, though it might not seem like that on the surface. Here's what's up. Those key bindings (<kbd>F6</kbd>-<kbd>F9</kbd>) are part of a legacy part of the console host we all wish we'd never committed to. Back in what feels like 1965 a decision was made: that the _console host_ would store command history and aliases and handle a "cooked" line discipline on behalf of any console application that asks for it. Since people view those behaviors as being so deeply intertwined with CMD and PowerShell, we can't rip them out of conhost and move them into the shells where they belong. Since they're so deeply integrated in _conhost_, however, we have to give them a cautious berth. I'm not likely to greenlight work to make them configurable in conhost. Now, here's the rub. "Conhost isn't terminal!" you might protest. This is where the lines blur a little bit. Terminal doesn't have any idea what the result of sending <kbd>F8</kbd> or <kbd>Ctrl+Up</kbd> or what-have-you is going to be. It's not secretly telling conhost that it should pop up the history dialog... it's just telling it "hey the user pressed <kbd>F8</kbd>" (which I presume you already know, but I'm in exposition mode) so on the flipside of that, there's no way to tell it _not_ to pop up the history dialog without plumbing a new configuration option down into conhost and a bit of infrastructure to support it. That'd have to come after all the other "we need to be able to tell conhost x, y, or z" issues (like #1882, which needs to tell its nested conhost that "hey the user wanted to delete the buffer, you keen?) All that to say- this one probably won't make the cut, so I'm going to close it out with an _unfortunate_ Won't Fix. Sorry!
Sign in to join this conversation.
No Branch/Tag Specified
Branches Tags
Labels
Clear labels
⛺ Reserved
A11yCO
A11yMAS
A11ySev1
A11ySev2
A11ySev3
A11yTTValidated
A11yUsable
A11yVoiceAccess
A11yWCAG
Area-Accessibility
Area-AtlasEngine
Area-AzureShell
Area-Build
Area-Build
Area-Chat
Area-CmdPal
Area-CodeHealth
Area-Commandline
Area-CookedRead
Area-DefApp
Area-Extensibility
Area-Fonts
Area-GroupPolicy
Area-i18n
Area-Input
Area-Interaction
Area-Interop
Area-Localization
Area-Output
Area-Performance
Area-Portable
Area-Quality
Area-Remoting
Area-Rendering
Area-Schema
Area-Server
Area-Settings
Area-SettingsUI
Area-ShellExtension
Area-ShellExtension
Area-ShellExtension
Area-Suggestions
Area-Suggestions
Area-TerminalConnection
Area-TerminalControl
Area-Theming
Area-UserInterface
Area-VT
Area-Windowing
Area-WPFControl
AutoMerge
Blocking-Ingestion
Culprit-Centennial
Culprit-WinUI
Disability-All
Disability-Blind
Disability-LowVision
Disability-Mobility
External-Blocked-WinUI3
Fixed
Gathering-Data
good first issue
HCL-E+D
HCL-WindowsTerminal
Help Wanted
Impact-Compatibility
Impact-Compliance
Impact-Correctness
Impact-Visual
In-PR
InclusionBacklog
InclusionBacklog-Windows TerminalWin32
InclusionCommitted-202206
Issue-Bug
Issue-Docs
Issue-Feature
Issue-Feature
Issue-Question
Issue-Samples
Issue-Scenario
Issue-Task
Needs-Attention
Needs-Author-Feedback
Needs-Bisect
Needs-Discussion
Needs-Repro
Needs-Tag-Fix
Needs-Tag-Fix
Needs-Triage
No-Recent-Activity
Priority-0
Priority-1
Priority-2
Priority-3
Product-Cmd.exe
Product-Colortool
Product-Colortool
Product-Colortool
Product-Conhost
Product-Conpty
Product-Meta
Product-Powershell
Product-Terminal
Product-WSL
pull-request
Mirrored from GitHub Pull Request
 Resolution-Answered
Resolution-By-Design
Resolution-Duplicate
Resolution-External
Resolution-Fix-Available
Resolution-Fix-Committed
Resolution-No-Repro
Resolution-Won't-Fix
Severity-Blocking
Severity-Crash
Severity-DataLoss
spam
this-will-be-a-breaking-change
Tracking-External
WindowsTerminal_Win32
Work-Item
zAskModeBug
zInbox-Bug
No Label Issue-Feature Needs-Tag-Fix Needs-Triage Resolution-Won't-Fix
Milestone
No items
No Milestone
Projects
Clear projects
No project
Assignees
Clear assignees
claunia
No Assignees
1 Participants
Notifications
Due Date
No due date set.
Dependencies

No dependencies set.

Reference: starred/terminal#5770
Delete Branch "%!s()"

Deleting a branch is permanent. Although the deleted branch may continue to exist for a short time before it actually gets removed, it CANNOT be undone in most cases. Continue?