Keyboard navigation for all the lists in sidebar

Feature requests
1

Use case or problem

I do not want to leave the keyboard for selecting a search result, a tag, a backlink, or a outgoing link in the sidebar.

Proposed solution

Create sidebar focus mode. I do not have to remember many keyboard shortcuts but only KEY1 and KEY2.

  1. Editor
    • KEY1 to go 2. Sidebar list. Focus on last visited pane.
  2. Sidebar list
    • Arrow key to move through list.
    • Enter to select the item (same as click)
      • Open file to go 1. Editor
      • Collapse or Expand folder
      • go to Search pane (from Starred or Tag pane)
        • then focus on 3. Sidebar search bar now, but change it to stay in 2. Sidebar list, focusing on search results.
    • “Search current file” shortcut key to go 3. Sidebar search bar.
    • Tab to
      • go 4. Sidebar menu. Focus on last visited menu.
      • focus “Link this file” button in Unlinked mentions.
        • Enter to link.
    • Shift + Arrow key to “Show more context”
    • Esc to go 1. Editor.
    • “Focus on pane xxxx” shortcuts to move through panes.
      • KEY1 to go to previous pane. Switch between 2 panes.
  3. Sidebar search bar
    • Esc to go 2. Sidebar list
  4. Sidebar menu (icons on top)
    • Tab to focus the next menu (to the right).
    • Enter
      • to toggle on/off
      • to open the menu list (“Change sort order”)
        • Arrow key to move
        • Enter to toggle on/off
        • Esc to go 4. Sidebar menu
    • Esc to go 2. Sidebar list

Add a KEY2 after the known shortcuts to show a pane in the sidebar; then they also move focus to 2. Sidebar list. (if it is possible to chain character keys in keyboard shortcuts like Logseq)

Related feature requests (optional)

Selecting search results with keyboard - Help - Obsidian Forum
Navigate search results without using the mouse - Feature requests - Obsidian Forum

I hope my English makes sense and am sorry for the long message.

17 Likes
2

@uxiun

Hi, I just write a plugin that adds shortcuts for cycling among tabs in left/ right sidebars.

Here is the link: GitHub - houcheng/obsidian-cycle-in-sidebar-plugin: Cycle through tabs of left/ right sidebar panel

3 Likes
3

how to install this plugin?

1 Like
4

I’ve asked approval for becoming a community plugin. Before that happens, you could download the main.js and manifest.json from my release here:

Then create a folder in Obsidian.obsidian\plugins\cycle-plugin, copy the 2 files to it and restart obsdian.

1 Like
5

Has this plug-in already been published as a community plug-in? Thanks