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PowerShell

PowerShell Keybindings

PowerShell uses the PSReadLine module for command-line editing. These shortcuts work in PowerShell 5.1+ and PowerShell 7+ (cross-platform). The default editing mode is Windows-style; Emacs and Vi modes are also available.

Movement

  • Beginning of Line (Home): Move cursor to the start of the line.
  • End of Line (End): Move cursor to the end of the line.
  • Forward One Word (Ctrl+Right): Jump to the start of the next word.
  • Backward One Word (Ctrl+Left): Jump to the start of the previous word.
  • Forward One Character (Right): Move cursor forward.
  • Backward One Character (Left): Move cursor backward.

Editing

  • Delete Character (Delete): Delete the character under the cursor.
  • Backspace (Backspace): Delete the character before the cursor.
  • Delete Word Forward (Ctrl+Delete): Delete from the cursor to the end of the current word.
  • Delete Word Backward (Ctrl+Backspace): Delete the word before the cursor.
  • Delete to End of Line (Ctrl+End): Delete from the cursor to the end of the line.
  • Delete to Beginning of Line (Ctrl+Home): Delete from the cursor to the beginning of the line.
  • Cut Selection (Ctrl+X): Cut the selected text.
  • Copy Selection (Ctrl+C): Copy the selected text (when text is selected; otherwise sends break).
  • Paste (Ctrl+V): Paste from the clipboard.
  • Select All (Ctrl+A): Select the entire command line.
  • Undo (Ctrl+Z): Undo the last edit.
  • Redo (Ctrl+Y): Redo the last undone edit.

History

  • Previous Command (Up): Scroll to the previous command in history.
  • Next Command (Down): Scroll to the next command in history.
  • Search History (Ctrl+R): Reverse incremental search through history.
  • Search History Forward (Ctrl+S): Forward incremental search through history.
  • History by Prefix (F8): Search history for commands starting with the current input.
  • Previous History by Prefix (Shift+F8): Search backward by prefix.
  • First Command (Alt+<): Go to the first command in history.
  • Last Command (Alt+>): Go to the last (most recent) command in history.

Completion

  • Tab Completion (Tab): Auto-complete the current word. Press repeatedly to cycle through options.
  • Reverse Tab (Shift+Tab): Cycle backward through completion options.
  • Show All Completions (Ctrl+Space): Display a menu of all possible completions.
  • Menu Complete (Tab in MenuComplete mode): Show completions in a menu you can navigate with arrow keys.

Prediction & IntelliSense

  • Accept Prediction (Right Arrow): Accept the inline prediction (PSReadLine 2.1+).
  • Accept Next Word (Ctrl+F): Accept the next word from the prediction.
  • Show Tooltip (F1): Show the full help for the current command.
  • Show Parameter Help (Alt+H): Display parameter information for the current command.

Control

  • Cancel (Ctrl+C): Cancel the current command (when no text is selected).
  • Clear Screen (Ctrl+L or cls): Clear the terminal.
  • Exit (exit or Ctrl+D): Close the PowerShell session.
  • Abort Line (Esc): Clear the current line.

Selection

  • Select Forward (Shift+Right): Extend selection one character to the right.
  • Select Backward (Shift+Left): Extend selection one character to the left.
  • Select Word Forward (Ctrl+Shift+Right): Extend selection to the next word.
  • Select Word Backward (Ctrl+Shift+Left): Extend selection to the previous word.
  • Select to End (Shift+End): Select from cursor to end of line.
  • Select to Start (Shift+Home): Select from cursor to start of line.

Multiline Editing

  • New Line (Shift+Enter): Insert a new line without executing.
  • Execute (Enter): Execute the command (if the syntax is complete).

Customization

  • Config File: Edit your PowerShell profile ($PROFILE).
  • View Current Bindings: Get-PSReadLineKeyHandler
  • Switch Edit Mode: 
    Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Emacs   # Emacs-style
Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Vi       # Vim-style
Set-PSReadLineOption -EditMode Windows  # Default
  • Custom Keybinding: 
    # Bind Ctrl+D to delete character (Unix-like behavior)
Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Key Ctrl+d -Function DeleteChar

# Bind F2 to switch between prediction sources
Set-PSReadLineKeyHandler -Key F2 -Function SwitchPredictionView

# Enable prediction from history
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionSource History
Set-PSReadLineOption -PredictionViewStyle ListView
  • Profile Location: $PROFILE typically points to:
    • Windows: ~\Documents\PowerShell\Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
    • Linux/macOS: ~/.config/powershell/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1