Cursor Crane
Overview

Input Mode

Input Mode temporarily disables claw machine behavior so text goes where you expect. When you are done, Control + Esc returns you to Command Mode with your position intact, which is why this beats exiting and reactivating.

Enter it with command.enterTextMode, or assign a dedicated shortcut.

Raw Input Mode#

Raw Input Mode is a stricter variant, entered with command.enterRawInputMode (default sequence I).

It disables all Input Mode shortcuts, including the text shortcuts below, so every key combination reaches the foreground app untouched. Use it in terminals, shells, and editors that have their own full keymap.

When a secure input field is active, macOS blocks keyboard events from reaching Cursor Crane. The app shows a secure-input status hint when that happens.

Input Mode shortcuts work with most native macOS text fields and text areas, and some web-based fields. In custom editors, terminals, and other unsupported surfaces, use Raw Input Mode or the app's own shortcuts.

Text find#

Input Mode can move the cursor to matching text. The default find shortcut is Control + W, which opens the find flow and jumps to a match.

With no active query, Control + N and Control + P find the next and previous match by using the selected text first, then the token under the cursor.

If no token is available, a nearby single symbol becomes the seed. With the cursor next to +=, the implicit seed is +, not the whole +=.

Text find also matches the other half of paired characters, in both directions: ( with ), [ with ], { with }, and matching quotes. That makes it a quick way to cross a block of code.

While the find panel is open, hold Shift to select from the current selection to the target match instead of replacing the selection. This works with Return, Down, and Up. Press Control + Shift + Return to search upward and select to the previous match.

Text shortcuts#

Input Mode adds a richer set of editing shortcuts, disabled in Raw Input Mode and each customizable in Settings → Input. They cover:

  • Exiting Input Mode back to Command Mode.
  • Moving by character, line, word, and to document start or end.
  • Moving to line start and line end.

Default bindings are listed in the app's settings. Text shortcuts, text search, and Text Area Portal are Unlocked features; normal text input is free. See Plans and Licensing.

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