Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#41

Post by yshrestha » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:24 AM UTC

I have a Moonlander keyboard. Here is my layout: https://configure.zsa.io/moonlander/layouts/wEX6q/latest/0

Anyone care to share theirs?

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#42

Post by screye » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:28 AM UTC

Along the same lines:

1. How often do people use 'home' and 'end' keys ? I don't, but I know quite a lot who swear by them. Do they actually increase productivity ?

2. Should caps lock be removed as a large button in the most valuable real-estate-area on the keyboard ? I literally never use it. Even when typing long ALL-CAPS sequences. I just use 'shift' instead.

3. Do you use space bars with both hands ? I only use space with the right, and IMO, it could be shorter.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#43

Post by blacksmith_tb » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:29 AM UTC

aeoleonn wrote: post #33

Nah, no need-- I just use a text expander, but it's the same idea. Set up a "macro" where you write a shortcut and it expands, such as writing ";gita" and having it expand to "git add -A" Currently I like Espanso (mac) for its simplicity. Previously I used aText (mac) and PhraseExpress (windows) https://espanso.org/

Ooh, Espanso seems very nice - simple, and easy to work with (cool that it works on all three OSes). Nice to be able to insert the output of shell commands into text, anywhere.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#44

Post by axiosgunnar » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:30 AM UTC

screye wrote: post #42

Along the same lines: 1. How often do people use 'home' and 'end' keys ? I don't, but I know quite a lot who swear by them. Do they actually increase productivity ? 2. Should caps lock be removed as a large button in the most valuable real-estate-area on the keyboard ? I literally never use it. Even when typing long ALL-CAPS sequences. I just use 'shift' instead. 3. Do you use space bars with both hands ? I only use…

I thought everyone remaps CAPS LOCK to ESCAPE?

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#45

Post by chrisseaton » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:31 AM UTC

axiosgunnar wrote: post #44

screye wrote: post #42

Along the same lines: 1. How often do people use 'home' and 'end' keys ? I don't, but I know quite a lot who swear by them. Do they actually increase productivity ? 2. Should caps lock be removed as a large button in the most valuable real-estate-area on the keyboard ? I literally never use it. Even when typing long ALL-CAPS sequences. I just use 'shift' instead. 3. Do you use space bars with both hands ? I only use…

I thought everyone remaps CAPS LOCK to ESCAPE?

The vast vast majority of people aren't remapping any keys at all.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#46

Post by grzm » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:31 AM UTC

axiosgunnar wrote: post #44

screye wrote: post #42

Along the same lines: 1. How often do people use 'home' and 'end' keys ? I don't, but I know quite a lot who swear by them. Do they actually increase productivity ? 2. Should caps lock be removed as a large button in the most valuable real-estate-area on the keyboard ? I literally never use it. Even when typing long ALL-CAPS sequences. I just use 'shift' instead. 3. Do you use space bars with both hands ? I only use…

I thought everyone remaps CAPS LOCK to ESCAPE?

Mapping CAPS LOCK to CONTROL is another popular option. But I suspect when one takes into account the entire population of computer users, CAPS LOCK remains CAPS LOCK and likely largely unused.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#47

Post by WesleyLivesay » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:37 AM UTC

screye wrote: post #42

Along the same lines: 1. How often do people use 'home' and 'end' keys ? I don't, but I know quite a lot who swear by them. Do they actually increase productivity ? 2. Should caps lock be removed as a large button in the most valuable real-estate-area on the keyboard ? I literally never use it. Even when typing long ALL-CAPS sequences. I just use 'shift' instead. 3. Do you use space bars with both hands ? I only use…

As a 60% kB user I use caps as my fN and can’t say I miss it at all.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#48

Post by winrid » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:39 AM UTC

Some ideas, here's what I have dedicated buttons for, using Jetbrains IDEs:

    - start/run
    - stop
    - restart
    - back/forward
    - inspect/go to impl.

That's it. Always looking for new ideas. :)

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#49

Post by chaosmachine » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:41 AM UTC

screye wrote: post #42

Along the same lines: 1. How often do people use 'home' and 'end' keys ? I don't, but I know quite a lot who swear by them. Do they actually increase productivity ? 2. Should caps lock be removed as a large button in the most valuable real-estate-area on the keyboard ? I literally never use it. Even when typing long ALL-CAPS sequences. I just use 'shift' instead. 3. Do you use space bars with both hands ? I only use…

On my laptops (Windows and Mac) I remap right-ctrl/right-alt to home/end. Couldn't live without it, I use them hundreds of times a day to jump around code and the command line. Also very handy when combined with shift to select everything before/after your cursor.

Re: Ask HN: Does anyone use keyboard/mouse extra buttons for coding?

#50

Post by rileytg » Wed, Jul 28, 2021, 12:41 AM UTC

screye wrote: post #42

Along the same lines: 1. How often do people use 'home' and 'end' keys ? I don't, but I know quite a lot who swear by them. Do they actually increase productivity ? 2. Should caps lock be removed as a large button in the most valuable real-estate-area on the keyboard ? I literally never use it. Even when typing long ALL-CAPS sequences. I just use 'shift' instead. 3. Do you use space bars with both hands ? I only use…

1. I use cmd + arrow or alt + arrow ALL the time. to the point where i fumbled around on non macs.