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Leveraging Terminal Shortcuts

Key techniques for establishing shortcuts across terminal, shell, editors, and development environments.

Shell Aliases​

Basic Aliases​

  • Create aliases in shell configuration files (.bashrc, .zshrc, .bash_profile)
  • Shorten frequently used commands
  • Add flags to common commands
  • Example: alias ll='ls -lah', alias gs='git status'

Git Aliases​

  • Configure git aliases via git config --global alias.st status
  • Create complex git command shortcuts
  • Example: alias gco='git checkout', alias gcm='git commit -m'

Shell Functions​

Custom Functions​

  • Create reusable shell functions in configuration files
  • Functions can accept parameters (unlike aliases)
  • Combine multiple commands with logic
  • Example: function mkcd() { mkdir -p "$1" && cd "$1"; }

Shell Scripts​

Executable Scripts​

  • Create standalone shell scripts in ~/bin or ~/.local/bin
  • Add scripts to PATH for global access
  • Use shebang (#!/bin/bash or #!/usr/bin/env bash)
  • Make scripts executable with chmod +x script.sh
  • Shell script shortcut alias to directly edit override variables

Text Expansions & Replacements​

Shell Expansion Tools​

  • Use zsh abbreviations with zsh-abbr plugin
  • Configure text expansion tools (espanso, aText, TextExpander)
  • Create snippets for code patterns
  • Set up IDE/editor snippets

Editor Snippets​

  • VSCode snippets (.code-snippets files)
  • Vim snippets (UltiSnips, SnipMate)
  • Emacs abbreviations and yasnippet

Vim/Editor Keybindings​

Vim Shortcuts​

  • Custom key mappings in .vimrc or init.vim
  • Leader key combinations
  • Plugin-specific shortcuts
  • Custom commands and functions
  • Example: nnoremap <leader>w :w<CR>

Editor Keybindings​

  • VSCode keybindings (.vscode/keybindings.json)
  • Custom keyboard shortcuts in IDEs
  • Command palette shortcuts
  • Multi-cursor and selection shortcuts

Terminal Multiplexer Shortcuts​

tmux/screen​

  • Configure tmux keybindings in .tmux.conf
  • Custom prefix key combinations
  • Window and pane navigation shortcuts
  • Session management shortcuts

Configuration Files​

Shell Configuration​

  • .bashrc / .bash_profile (Bash)
  • .zshrc (Zsh)
  • .profile (POSIX-compliant shells)
  • Source configuration files: source ~/.zshrc

Editor Configuration​

  • .vimrc / init.vim (Vim/Neovim)
  • .emacs / init.el (Emacs)
  • VSCode settings and keybindings JSON files

System-Level Shortcuts​

macOS Shortcuts​

  • System Preferences → Keyboard → Shortcuts
  • Application-specific shortcuts
  • Automator workflows
  • AppleScript shortcuts

Linux Shortcuts​

  • Window manager keybindings
  • Desktop environment shortcuts
  • Custom keyboard shortcuts via xbindkeys or similar

Best Practices​

  • Keep shortcuts consistent across environments
  • Document custom shortcuts
  • Use version control for configuration files
  • Organize shortcuts by category/function
  • Test shortcuts after configuration changes
  • Share useful shortcuts with team