ADS specializes in using Ruby on Rails to build advanced, scalable, database-backed web sites for organizations of all sizes. Find out more at our website.

Mar: 06; 2008

TextMate Tips: Opening and Moving Around in Files with Bonus!

By: Chris Kaukis | Tags:

I did not say this previously, but I am trying to compile a list of posts for picking up TextMate keystrokes. The goal is to NOT use the mouse or at least less often. No matter how simple the tip, the idea is to use that tip or tips for that day to help get in the habit of not using the mouse.

Here are a couple tips for opening and moving around in files.

1. Opening a file

 + t

2. Moving around in Files

Depending on the editor mode (Ruby, Python, HTML, etc), this will work slightly different. For example, this will jump to a method in a Ruby file or a specific HTML DOM Id in HTML mode.

 + shift + T

3. Bonus Tip: Changing the Editor Mode

In case you didn’t notice the key combination shown in the TextMate editor mode drop down:

shift + ctrl + option + SOME_KEY

By SOME_KEY I mean “H” or “R” or “D” or … get the idea?

Basically, if you wanted Ruby mode, you would use the following key strokes:

shift + ctrl + option + R

Then just hit the number for the format you want to use. It seems sort of limited with 0 through 9 though.

Some of my favorites are “D” for Django HTML, “R” for Ruby and Rails, and “P” for Python and Python Django. You can use these when TextMate does not recognize the file correctly or you don’t want to crete/save a file for TextMate to autodetect the format.

I hope you found this useful.

If you have any suggestions for future postings let me know. Today’s was quite simple, but I have talked to quite a few people who didn’t know it existed. So, I decided to post this one today.

Share this post