Keyboard Shortcuts

Master zxwdb with keyboard shortcuts for faster workflow.

Shortcuts Overview

Display Shortcuts Overlay

Hold Cmd (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows/Linux) to show all available shortcuts on screen.

Global Shortcuts

Navigation

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux	Description
New Table	Cmd+N	Ctrl+N	Create new table
Browse Data	Cmd+B	Ctrl+B	Open data browser
Preview SQL	Cmd+P	Ctrl+P	Show SQL preview
Close Modal	ESC	ESC	Close any modal/dialog
Deselect	ESC	ESC	Deselect selected table

Editing

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux	Description
Undo	Cmd+Z	Ctrl+Z	Undo last action
Redo	Cmd+Shift+Z	Ctrl+Shift+Z	Redo undone action
Delete Table	Delete	Delete	Delete selected table
Save	Cmd+S	Ctrl+S	Save (auto-save enabled)

Canvas

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux	Description
Fit View	F	F	Fit all tables in view
Zoom In	Scroll Up	Scroll Up	Zoom in canvas
Zoom Out	Scroll Down	Scroll Down	Zoom out canvas
Pan Canvas	Click+Drag	Click+Drag	Move canvas

Modal Shortcuts

Connection Modal

Action	Shortcut	Description
Connect	Enter	Submit connection
Test	Cmd+Enter	Test connection
Close	ESC	Cancel connection
Next Field	Tab	Move to next field
Previous Field	Shift+Tab	Move to previous field

Add/Edit Table Modal

Action	Shortcut	Description
Save	Enter	Save table
Cancel	ESC	Cancel changes
Add Column	Cmd+Enter	Add new column
Focus Next	Tab	Next input field
Focus Previous	Shift+Tab	Previous input field

Data Browser

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux	Description
Add Row	Cmd+N	Ctrl+N	Create new row
Edit Row	Cmd+E	Ctrl+E	Edit selected row
Delete Row	Delete	Delete	Delete selected row
Save Edit	Cmd+Enter	Ctrl+Enter	Save changes
Cancel Edit	ESC	ESC	Cancel editing
Search	Cmd+F	Ctrl+F	Focus search

SQL Editor

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux	Description
Run Query	Cmd+Enter	Ctrl+Enter	Execute SQL query
Clear Console	Cmd+K	Ctrl+K	Clear console output
New Query	Cmd+N	Ctrl+N	New query tab
Format SQL	Cmd+Shift+F	Ctrl+Shift+F	Format query (future)

Context-Specific Shortcuts

When Table is Selected

Action	Shortcut	Description
Edit Structure	E	Open edit modal
Browse Data	B	Open data browser
Delete Table	Delete	Delete table (with confirm)
Duplicate	Cmd+D	Duplicate table (future)

When in Canvas

Action	Shortcut	Description
Select All	Cmd+A	Select all tables (future)
Copy	Cmd+C	Copy selected (future)
Paste	Cmd+V	Paste table (future)
Cut	Cmd+X	Cut selected (future)

When Editing Text

Action	Shortcut	Description
Select All	Cmd+A	Select all text
Copy	Cmd+C	Copy text
Paste	Cmd+V	Paste text
Undo	Cmd+Z	Undo text change

Mouse Shortcuts

Click Actions

Action	Mouse	Description
Select Table	Click	Select single table
Edit Table	Double-Click	Open edit modal
Pan Canvas	Click+Drag (background)	Move canvas
Create Relationship	Drag (from handle)	Draw FK line

Wheel Actions

Action	Mouse	Description
Zoom	Wheel Up/Down	Zoom in/out
Pan Horizontal	Shift+Wheel	Pan left/right
Smooth Zoom	Pinch (trackpad)	Smooth zoom

Multi-Select (Future)

Action	Mouse	Description
Multi-Select	Cmd+Click	Add to selection
Range Select	Shift+Click	Select range
Box Select	Click+Drag	Draw selection box

Shortcut Customization

Future Feature

Custom shortcut mapping coming soon:

{
  "shortcuts": {
    "newTable": "Cmd+T",
    "browseData": "Cmd+D",
    "previewSQL": "Cmd+L"
  }
}

Platform Differences

macOS vs Windows/Linux

Action	macOS	Windows/Linux
Command Key	Cmd	Ctrl
Option Key	Option	Alt
Delete Forward	Fn+Delete	Delete
Delete Backward	Delete	Backspace

Browser Shortcuts

Some shortcuts may conflict with browser:

Shortcut	Conflict	Solution
Cmd+N	New Window	Works in app
Cmd+W	Close Tab	Not used
Cmd+T	New Tab	Not used
Cmd+F	Find	Not used in canvas

Shortcut Reference Card

Quick Reference

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           zxwdb Keyboard Shortcuts              │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ TABLES                                          │
│   Cmd+N        New Table                        │
│   Delete       Delete Selected                  │
│   E            Edit Structure                   │
│   B            Browse Data                      │
│                                                 │
│ EDITING                                         │
│   Cmd+Z        Undo                             │
│   Cmd+Shift+Z  Redo                             │
│   Cmd+S        Save (auto)                      │
│                                                 │
│ CANVAS                                          │
│   F            Fit View                         │
│   Scroll       Zoom In/Out                      │
│   Click+Drag   Pan Canvas                       │
│                                                 │
│ MODALS                                          │
│   ESC          Close/Cancel                     │
│   Enter        Submit/Save                      │
│   Tab          Next Field                       │
│                                                 │
│ DATA                                            │
│   Cmd+B        Browse Data                      │
│   Cmd+Enter    Run Query                        │
│   Cmd+P        Preview SQL                      │
│                                                 │
│ HELP                                            │
│   Hold Cmd     Show Shortcuts                   │
│   ?            Help Modal (future)              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Tips for Efficiency

Learn These First

Master these 5 shortcuts for 80% efficiency:

1. Cmd+N - New Table
2. Cmd+B - Browse Data
3. Cmd+Z - Undo
4. F - Fit View
5. ESC - Close/Cancel

Power User Workflow

1. Cmd+N           → Create table
2. Tab, Tab, Tab   → Fill fields quickly
3. Enter           → Save
4. Drag handles    → Create relationships
5. F               → Fit view
6. Cmd+B           → Add sample data
7. Cmd+P           → Preview SQL

Avoid Mouse

Try working without mouse:

Start:    Cmd+N (new table)
Add:      Tab through fields
Save:     Enter
Navigate: F (fit view)
Data:     Cmd+B (browse)
Edit:     Tab to Edit button, Enter
Undo:     Cmd+Z

Accessibility

Screen Readers

All actions accessible via keyboard:

• ✅ Tab navigation
• ✅ ARIA labels
• ✅ Focus indicators
• ✅ Keyboard-only workflow

Focus Management

• Focus visible with blue outline
• Logical tab order
• Skip links for long lists
• Modal focus trap

Conflict Resolution

Shadowed Shortcuts

Some shortcuts might be intercepted by browser:

Browser Takes Priority:

• Cmd+Q - Quit application
• Cmd+W - Close tab
• Cmd+R - Reload page
• Cmd+T - New tab

Solution: Use alternative shortcuts or browser in app mode:

# Chrome app mode
google-chrome --app=http://localhost:20256

OS Shortcuts

System-level shortcuts override app:

macOS:

• Cmd+Space - Spotlight
• Cmd+Tab - Switch apps
• Cmd+H - Hide window

Windows:

• Win+D - Show desktop
• Alt+Tab - Switch windows
• Ctrl+Alt+Del - Task manager

Future Enhancements

Coming Soon

• Custom key bindings: Remap any shortcut
• Vim mode: hjkl navigation
• Command palette: Cmd+K for all actions
• Macro recording: Record action sequences
• Shortcut hints: Show hints on hover

Requested Features

Vote for features you want:

• [ ] Emacs keybindings
• [ ] Customizable shortcuts
• [ ] Shortcut search
• [ ] Cheat sheet export
• [ ] Multi-cursor editing

Practice Mode

Learn by Doing

Try the interactive shortcut tutorial:

1. Help → Shortcut Tutorial (future)
2. Practice each shortcut
3. Track your progress
4. Earn badges

Shortcut Philosophy

Why Keyboard Shortcuts?

1. Speed: 10x faster than mouse
2. Flow: Stay in the zone
3. Precision: Exact actions
4. Professional: Power user tools
5. Accessibility: For all users

Design Principles

• Mnemonic: N for New, B for Browse
• Standard: Follow platform conventions
• Discoverable: Hold Cmd to see all
• Consistent: Same patterns throughout
• Learnable: Start simple, add advanced

Cheat Sheet Download

Print Reference

Download printable cheat sheet:

• PDF (Letter) - Coming soon
• PDF (A4) - Coming soon
• PNG (Desktop Wallpaper) - Coming soon

Related Resources

• Visual Designer →
• Data Management →
• SQL Editor →
• Configuration →

Feedback

Suggest new shortcuts:

• GitHub Issues
• GitHub Discussions