# Key Bindings and Inline Shortcuts

Input using a physical keyboard can be sped using two methods:

• key bindings
• inline shortcuts

## Key bindings

A key binding is a combination of keys pressed simultaneously that triggers a command.

For example, pressing alt/option and the V key at the same time will insert a square root. Pressing ctrl/cmd and the Z key at the same time will undo the last command.

MathLive has an extensive set of default key bindings.

To override, customize or add to the list of supported key bindings, provide a onKeystroke handler.

import 'mathlive'; const mf = document.getElementById('mf'); mf.setOptions({ onKeystroke: (mathfield, keystroke, ev) => { if (keystroke === 'alt+[KeyS]') { mf.insert('\\sum^\\infty_{n=0}'); return false; } else if (keystroke === 'meta+[KeyK]') { mf.executeCommand('toggleVirtualKeyboard'); return false; } // Keystroke not handled, return true for default handling to proceed. return true; } });
<math-field id="mf"> x=\frac{-b\pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a} </math-field>

The onKeystroke handler is invoked when a keystroke is about to be processed.

• keystroke is a string describing the keystroke, for example alt-[KeyS]
• ev is the native JavaScript keyboard event.

Return false to stop handling of the event, otherwise the default command (if any) associated with this keystroke will be processed.

## Inline Shortcuts

An inline shortcut is a sequence of keystrokes typed on the keyboard that get replaced with another symbol. Unlike keystroke shortcuts they cannot be used to trigger a command, but only to insert a Latex fragment.

For example, typing the p key followed by the i key will result in the π (\pi) symbol being inserted.

If a substitution was undesirable, use undo to revert to the raw input.

MathLive has some built-in inline shortcuts defined, but they can be replaced or enhanced with new shortcuts.

import 'mathlive'; const mf = document.getElementById('mf'); mf.setOptions({ inlineShortcuts: { "infty": { mode: 'math', value: '\\infty' }, } });
<math-field id="mf"> x=\frac{-b\pm \sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a} </math-field>

The mode key, if present, indicate the mode in which this shortcut should apply, either 'math' or 'text'. If the key is not present the shortcut apply in both modes.

To constraint the context in which a shortcut should apply, use the after key:

mf.setOptions({
inlineShortcuts: {
in: {
mode: 'math',
after: 'space | letter | digit | symbol | fence',
value: '\\in',
},
}
});


The 'after' key indicate in what context the shortcut should apply. One or more values can be specified, separated by a ‘|’ sign. If any of the values match, the shortcut will be applicable. Possible values are:

• 'space' A spacing command, such as \quad
• 'nothing' The begining of a group
• 'surd' A square root or n-th root
• 'frac' A fraction
• 'function' A function such as \sin or f
• 'letter' A letter, such as x or n
• 'digit' 0 through 9
• 'binop' A binary operator, such as +
• 'relop' A relational operator, such as =
• 'punct' A punctuation mark, such as ,
• 'array' An array, such as a matrix or cases statement
• 'openfence' An opening fence, such as (
• 'closefence' A closing fence such as }
• 'text' Some plain text

### Customizing the Inline Shortcut Sensitivity

To change how quickly a set of keys must be typed to be considered a shortcut set the inlineShortcutTimeout option.

It represents the maximum amount of time, in milliseconds, between consecutive characters for them to be considered part of the same shortcut sequence.

A value of 0 is the same as infinity: any consecutive character will be candidate for an inline shortcut, regardless of the interval between this character and the previous one.

A value of 750 will indicate that the maximum interval between two characters to be considered part of the same inline shortcut sequence is 3/4 of a second.

This is useful to enter “±” as a sequence of two characters, while also supporting the “±” shortcut with the same sequence.

The first result can be entered by pausing slightly between the first and second character if this option is set to a value of 250 or so.

Note that some operations, such as clicking to change the selection, or losing the focus on the mathfield, will automatically timeout the shortcuts.

### ASCIIMath Inline Shortcuts

ASCIIMath defines a series of shortcuts that can be typed with ASCII characters to represent mathematical symbols and expressions.

The most common ASCIIMath shortcuts are part of the default inline shortcuts.

To support additional ASCIIMath shortcuts, add them to the inlineShortcuts setting.

mf.setOptions({
inlineShortcuts: {
//
// ASCIIIMath
//
// Binary operation symbols
'*': '\\cdot',
'**': '\\ast',
'***': '\\star',
'//': '\\slash',
'\\\\\': '\\backslash',
'setminus': '\\backslash',
'|><': '\\ltimes',
'><|': '\\rtimes',
'|><|': '\\bowtie',
'-:': '\\div',
'divide': '\\div',
'@': '\\circ',
'o+': '\\oplus',
'ox': '\\otimes',
'o.': '\\odot',
'^^': '\\wedge',
'^^^': '\\bigwedge',
'vv': '\\vee',
'vvv': '\\bigvee',
'nn': '\\cap',
'nnn': '\\bigcap',
'uu': '\\cup',
'uuu': '\\bigcup',

// Binary relation symbols
'-=': '\\equiv',
'~=': '\\cong',
'lt': '<',
'lt=': '\\leq',
'gt': '>',
'gt=': '\\geq',
'-<': '\\prec',
'-lt': '\\prec',
'-<=': '\\preceq',
// '>-': '\\succ',
'>-=': '\\succeq',
'prop': '\\propto',
'diamond': '\\diamond',
'square': '\\square',
'iff': '\\iff',

'sub': '\\subset',
'sup': '\\supset',
'sube': '\\subseteq',
'supe': '\\supseteq',
'uarr': '\\uparrow',
'darr': '\\downarrow',
'rarr': '\\rightarrow',
'rArr': '\\Rightarrow',
'larr': '\\leftarrow',
'lArr': '\\Leftarrow',
'harr': '\\leftrightarrow',
'hArr': '\\Leftrightarrow',
'aleph': '\\aleph',

// Logic
'and': '\\land',
'or': '\\lor',
'not': '\\neg',
'_|_': '\\bot',
'TT': '\\top',
'|--': '\\vdash',
'|==': '\\models',

// Other functions
'|__': '\\lfloor',
'__|': '\\rfloor',

'|~': '\\lceiling',
'~|': '\\rceiling',

// Arrows
'>->': '\\rightarrowtail',