* Ivy Generic Help
=ivy= is an Emacs incremental completion framework.
- Narrow the list by typing some pattern,
- Multiple patterns are allowed by separating with a space,
- Select with ~C-n~ and ~C-p~, choose with ~RET~.
** Help
- ~C-h m~ :: Pop to this generic help buffer.
** Basic Operations
*** Key bindings for navigation
- ~C-n~ (=ivy-next-line=) :: next candidate.
- ~C-p~ (=ivy-previous-line=) :: previous candidate.
- ~C-v~ (=ivy-scroll-up-command=) :: next page.
- ~M-v~ (=ivy-scroll-down-command=) :: previous page.
- ~M-<~ (=ivy-beginning-of-buffer=) :: first candidate.
- ~M->~ (=ivy-end-of-buffer=) :: last candidate.
*** Key bindings for single selection
When selecting a candidate, an action is called on it. You can think
of an action as a function that takes the selected candidate as an
argument and does something with it.
Ivy can offer several actions from which to choose. This can be
independently composed with whether you want to end completion when
the action is called. Depending on this, the short term is either
"calling an action" or "exiting with action".
~C-m~ or ~RET~ (=ivy-done=) - exit with the current action.
~M-o~ (=ivy-dispatching-done=) - select an action and exit with it.
~C-j~ (=ivy-alt-done=) - when the candidate is a directory, enter
it. Otherwise, exit with the current action.
~TAB~ (=ivy-partial-or-done=) - attempt partial completion, extending
the current input as much as possible. ~TAB TAB~ is the same as ~C-j~.
~C-M-j~ (=ivy-immediate-done=) - exit with the current action, calling
it on the /current input/ instead of the current candidate. This is
useful especially when creating new files or directories - often the
input will match an existing file, which you don't want to select.
~C-'~ (=ivy-avy=) - select a candidate from the current page with avy
and exit with the current action.
** Advanced Operations
*** Key bindings for multiple selection
For repeatedly applying multiple actions or acting on multiple
candidates, Ivy does not close the minibuffer between commands. It
keeps the minibuffer open for applying subsequent actions.
Adding an extra meta key to the normal key chord invokes the special
version of the regular commands that enables applying multiple
actions.
~C-M-m~ (=ivy-call=) is the non-exiting version of ~C-m~ (=ivy-done=).
~C-M-n~ (=ivy-next-line-and-call=) combines ~C-n~ and ~C-M-m~.
~C-M-p~ (=ivy-previous-line-and-call=) combines ~C-p~ and ~C-M-m~.
~C-M-o~ (=ivy-dispatching-call=) is a non-exiting version of ~M-o~
(=ivy-dispatching-done=).
*** Key bindings that alter the minibuffer input
~M-n~ (=ivy-next-history-element=) select the next history element or
symbol/URL at point.
~M-p~ (=ivy-previous-history-element=) select the previous history
element.
~C-r~ (=ivy-reverse-i-search=) start a recursive completion session to
select a history element.
~M-i~ (=ivy-insert-current=) insert the current candidate into the
minibuffer. Useful for copying and renaming files, for example: ~M-i~
to insert the original file name string, edit it, and then ~C-m~ to
complete the renaming.
~M-j~ (=ivy-yank-word=) insert the sub-word at point into the
minibuffer.
~S-SPC~ (=ivy-restrict-to-matches=) deletes the current input, and
resets the candidates list to the currently restricted matches. This
is how Ivy provides narrowing in successive tiers.
*** Other key bindings
~M-w~ (=ivy-kill-ring-save=) copies the selected candidates to the
kill ring; when the region is active, copies the active region.
*** Saving the current completion session to a buffer
~C-c C-o~ (=ivy-occur=) saves the current candidates to a new buffer;
the list is active in the new buffer.
~RET~ or ~mouse-1~ in the new buffer calls the appropriate action on
the selected candidate.
Ivy has no limit on the number of active buffers like these.
Ivy takes care of making these buffer names unique. It applies
descriptive names, for example: =*ivy-occur counsel-describe-variable
"function$*=.
*** Global key bindings
=ivy-resume= recalls the state of the completion session just before
its last exit. Useful after an accidental ~C-m~ (=ivy-done=).
Recommended global binding: ~C-c C-r~.
*** Hydra in the minibuffer
~C-o~ (=hydra-ivy/body=) invokes Hydra menus with key shortcuts.
When in Hydra, ~C-o~ or ~i~ resumes editing.
Hydra reduces key strokes, for example: ~C-n C-n C-n C-n~ is ~C-o
jjjj~ in Hydra. Besides certain shorter keys, Hydra shows useful info
such as case folding and the current action.
Additionally, here are the keys that are otherwise not bound:
- ~<~ and ~>~ adjust the height of the minibuffer.
- ~c~ (=ivy-toggle-calling=) - toggle calling the current action each
time a different candidate is selected.
- ~m~ (=ivy-rotate-preferred-builders=) - rotate regex matcher.
- ~w~ and ~s~ scroll the actions list.
Minibuffer editing is disabled when Hydra is active.
