audiobookshelf/artifacts/2026-02-22/centralized_keyboard_shortcuts.md

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:

   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.