The gnaw TUI is modal and vim-flavoured. This page lists every binding,
grouped by the mode or tab it applies in. Launch the interface with:
gnaw --tui # current directorygnaw ./my-repo --tui # a specific path
Modes
gnaw has three top-level interaction modes. Only the command line is stored;
the rest is derived from context, so you rarely think about modes explicitly —
but they explain which keys are live at any moment.
Mode
You're in it when…
What keys do
Normal
Browsing a tab, nothing being typed
Navigation and single-key actions
Insert
A text field is focused — file-tree search, a template variable value, or the template editor
Characters go into the field; Esc leaves it
Command
The : command line is open
Characters build a command; Enter runs it, Esc cancels
Global (Normal mode, any tab)
Key
Action
1 … 5
Jump straight to a tab (see below)
Tab
Next tab
Shift+Tab
Previous tab
:
Open the command line
Ctrl+Q
Quit immediately
Esc
Nothing (does not quit)
The five tabs, in order: 1 File tree · 2 Settings · 3 Statistics ·
4 Template · 5 Prompt output.
Command line
Open with :. While it's open:
Key
Action
(type)
Build the command
Enter
Execute
Backspace
Delete a character
Esc
Cancel and close
Commands
Command
Effect
:q · :q! · :quit
Quit
:sort
Toggle tree ordering (path ↔ token weight)
:sort tokens · :sort weight
Order the tree by token weight, heaviest first
:sort path · :sort name
Order the tree by path (directories first, then alphabetical)
:collapse
Collapse every folder
:size >N
Show only files larger than N tokens
:size <N
Show only files smaller than N tokens
:size 0 · :size
Clear the size filter
N accepts k and m suffixes — :size >500, :size <2k, :size <1m.
Size filtering compares against each file's counted token total, so files that
haven't been counted yet are hidden while a filter is active.
File tree — 1
The default tab. Browse the repository, select what goes into the prompt.
Browsing
Key
Action
↑ / k · ↓ / j
Move the cursor
PageUp / PageDown
Move by 10
Home / g · End / G
Jump to top / bottom
Space
Toggle selection of the file or directory at the cursor
→ / l
Expand a directory
← / h
Collapse a directory
/ or s
Enter search
a
Select every currently matched file
d
Deselect every currently matched file
r
Refresh the tree from disk
Enter
Generate the prompt from the current selection
Search
Key
Action
(type)
Edit the query — the tree filters live
Backspace
Delete a character
Ctrl+P
Recall the previous search from history
Enter
Apply the filter and leave search
Esc
Leave search
Settings — 2
Key
Action
↑ · ↓
Move the cursor
Space
Toggle the highlighted setting
← · →
Cycle the highlighted setting's value
Enter
Generate the prompt
Statistics — 3
Three views, cycled in place.
Key
Action
← · →
Cycle view: Overview → Token map → Extensions
↑ · ↓
Scroll
PageUp · PageDown
Scroll by 5
Home · End
Top / bottom
Enter
Generate the prompt
Template — 4
A three-pane tab: a picker (choose a built-in or saved template), an editor,
and a variable list. From Normal focus:
Key
Action
e
Focus the editor and start editing
v
Focus the variable list and start editing
p
Focus the template picker
s
Save the current template to a timestamped file
r
Reload the default template
Enter
Generate the prompt
Picker focus
Key
Action
↑ · ↓
Move the selection
Enter / l / Space
Load the highlighted template
r
Refresh the template list
Variable focus
Key
Action
↑ · ↓
Move between variables
Enter / Space
Start editing the highlighted (missing) variable
(type) / Backspace
Edit the value
Enter
Commit the value
Esc
Cancel the edit / leave editing
Editor focus
Plain text entry into the template body. Esc leaves the editor.
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