Keyboard Shortcuts in the MPLAB® X IDE

Last modified by Microchip on 2023/11/09 09:12

Keyboard shortcuts are customizable via the Keymap category of the Options window (Preferences window on macOS®).

​To access the Options window, select from the main menu:

  • Tools > Options (Windows® and Linux®)
  • mplab_ide > Preferences (macOS)

Tools options

The Keymap category allows you to map editor functions to keyboard shortcuts.

Profile

Choose a pre-defined profile (for example, Eclipse) or even create your own by clicking on the Manage Profiles… button.

Search

This will search the Actions column. Any action that matches the letter or word types will be displayed.

Search in Shortcuts

This will search the shortcuts column. Any key or key combination typed into the box will cause a list of shortcuts to be displayed that use those keys.

Keymap dialog box

Window Navigation Shortcuts

The IDE uses JFC/Swing keyboard shortcuts to navigate, activate, and select operations in Windows in the IDE. The JFC/Swing keyboard shortcuts are not configurable in the IDE.
The following table lists the keystrokes needed for various window operations.

KeysAction
Up arrowMoves keyboard focus to the previous item in a group of items. Navigates to the previous setting in a combo box in a property sheet.
Down arrowMoves keyboard focus to the next item in a group of items. Navigates to the next setting in a combo box in a property sheet.
Left arrowCloses a folder (node).
Right arrowOpens a folder (node).
Ctrl-0Switches to the Source Editor, if it is open.
Ctrl-1
Ctrl-Shift-1
Opens the Projects window.
Ctrl-2
Ctrl-Shift-2
Opens the Files window.
Ctrl-3
Ctrl-Shift-3
Opens the Favorites window.
Ctrl-4Opens the Output window.
Ctrl-5Opens the Services window.
Ctrl-Shift-5Opens the HTTP Monitor.
Ctrl-6Opens the Tasks List.
Ctrl-7Opens the Navigator.
Ctrl-8Opens the Versioning window.
Ctrl-Shift-8Opens the Palette.
Alt-Shift-1Opens the Variables debugger window.
Alt-Shift-2Opens the Watches debugger window.
Alt-Shift-3Opens the Call Stack debugger window.
Alt-Shift-4Opens the Classes debugger window.
Alt-Shift-5Opens the Breakpoints debugger window.
Alt-Shift-6Opens the Sessions debugger window.
Alt-Shift-7Opens the Threads debugger window.
Alt-Shift-8Opens the Sources window.
Ctrl-Tab (Ctrl-')Toggles through the open windows in the order that they were last used. The dialog box displays all open windows and each of the open documents in the Source Editor.
Shift-EscapeToggles the maximizing of the Source Editor or the present window.
Ctrl-WCloses the current tab in the current window. If the window has no tabs, the whole window is closed.
Ctrl-Shift-F4Closes all open documents in the Source Editor.
Shift-F4Opens the Documents dialog box, in which you can save and close groups of open documents.
Alt-rightDisplays the next tab in the current window.
Alt-leftDisplays the previous tab in the current window.