feat(ui): improve keyboard shortcuts discoverability and centralized management

artifacts/2026-02-22/centralized_keyboard_shortcuts.md

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+# Centralizing Keyboard Shortcuts
+
+**Date:** 2026-02-22
+
+## Objective
+Centralize the definitions of all keyboard shortcuts into a single configuration file (`client/plugins/constants.js`). Currently, hotkeys are scattered across various components (e.g., `Appbar.vue`, `ContextMenuDropdown.vue`, `ShortcutsModal.vue`), with hardcoded keys like `Ctrl+K`, `Alt+H`, etc.
+
+## Proposed Strategy
+1. **Extend `$hotkeys` in `client/plugins/constants.js`:**
+   Add a new section `App` or `Global` and `Batch` to store the exact combination of keys for each action.
+   Example:
+   ```javascript
+   const hotkeys = {
+     // ... existings ones ...
+     Global: {
+       Home: 'Alt-H',
+       Library: 'Alt-L',
+       Series: 'Alt-S',
+       Collections: 'Alt-C',
+       Authors: 'Alt-A',
+       ShortcutsHelper: 'Shift-/'
+     },
+     Batch: {
+       SelectAll: 'Ctrl-A',
+       Consolidate: 'Ctrl-K',
+       Merge: 'Ctrl-M',
+       MoveToLibrary: 'Alt-M',
+       ResetMetadata: 'Alt-R',
+       QuickMatch: 'Alt-Q',
+       Cancel: 'Escape'
+     },
+     ItemView: {
+        // ...
+     }
+   }
+   ```
+
+2. **Refactor Event Listeners:**
+   Modify `handleKeyDown` in `Appbar.vue` and `keyDown` in `default.vue` to check against these constants instead of relying on hardcoded `e.key` checks. They can use the existing `this.getHotkeyName(e)` (which returns format `Ctrl-K` or `Alt-K`) from `default.vue`.
+
+3. **Refactor Visual Components:**
+   Components like `ContextMenuDropdown.vue` and `ShortcutsModal.vue` should import or use `this.$hotkeys` mapping to display the combination in the UI, rendering the exact combination so if it changes in `constants.js`, it updates automatically everywhere. 
+
+## Expected Outcome
+- Easier to manage and modify shortcuts in the future.
+- Reduced risk of conflicts.
+- A single source of truth for the codebase and documentation.

artifacts/index.md

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ This index provides a quick reference for specification and documentation files
 | **2026-02-17** | [ui_enhancements.md](2026-02-17/ui_enhancements.md) | Specification for "View All" shortcuts on Home view shelves with specific sorting. |
 | **2026-02-20** | [promote_file_to_book.md](2026-02-20/promote_file_to_book.md) | Specification for "promoting" files from an existing book into a standalone library item, including a "Split Book" wizard. |
 | **2026-02-20** | [move_to_library_keyboard_shortcuts.md](2026-02-20/move_to_library_keyboard_shortcuts.md) | Specification for keyboard-shortcut-enabled library buttons in the "Move to Library" dialog. |
+| **2026-02-22** | [centralized_keyboard_shortcuts.md](2026-02-22/centralized_keyboard_shortcuts.md) | Specification for centralizing keyboard shortcut definitions into a single configuration file. |
 | **General** | [docs/consolidate_feature.md](docs/consolidate_feature.md) | Comprehensive documentation for the "Consolidate" feature, including conflict resolution and technical details. |
 | **General** | [docs/item_restructuring_guide.md](docs/item_restructuring_guide.md) | Guide for Moving, Merging, and Splitting (Promoting) library items. |
 | **General** | [docs/metadata_management_tools.md](docs/metadata_management_tools.md) | Documentation for Reset Metadata and Batch Reset operations. |