Document Alacritty's features

README.md

@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ a daily driver.
 
 Precompiled binaries are available from the [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/alacritty/alacritty/releases).
 
+## Features
+
+You can find an overview over the features available in Alacritty [here](./docs/features.md).
+
 ## Further information
 
 - [Announcing Alacritty, a GPU-Accelerated Terminal Emulator](https://jwilm.io/blog/announcing-alacritty/) January 6, 2017

docs/features.md

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# Features
+
+This document gives an overview over Alacritty's features beyond its terminal
+emulation capabilities. To get a list with supported control sequences take a
+look at [Alacritty's escape sequence support](./escape_support.md).
+
+## Vi Mode
+
+The vi mode allows moving around Alacritty's viewport and scrollback using the
+keyboard. It also serves as a jump-off point for other features like search and
+opening URLs with the keyboard. By default you can launch it using
+<kbd>Ctrl</kbd> <kbd>Shift</kbd> <kbd>Space</kbd>.
+
+### Motion
+
+The cursor motions are setup by default to mimic vi, however they are fully
+configurable. If you don't like vi's bindings, take a look at the [configuration
+file] to change the various movements.
+
+### Selection
+
+One useful feature of vi mode is the ability to make selections and copy text to
+the clipboard. By default you can start a selection using <kbd>v</kbd> and copy
+it using <kbd>y</kbd>. All selection modes that are available with the mouse can
+be accessed from vi mode, including the semantic (<kbd>Alt</kbd> <kbd>v</kbd>),
+line (<kbd>Shift</kbd> <kbd>v</kbd>) and block selection (<kbd>Ctrl</kbd>
+<kbd>v</kbd>). You can also toggle between them while the selection is still
+active.
+
+### Opening URLs
+
+While in vi mode you can open URLs using the <kbd>Enter</kbd> key. If some text
+is recognized as a URL, it will be underlined once you move the vi cursor above
+it. The program used to open these URLs can be changed in the [configuration
+file].
+
+## Search
+
+Search allows you to find anything in Alacritty's scrollback buffer. You can
+search forward using <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> <kbd>Shift</kbd> <kbd>f</kbd> and
+backward using <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> <kbd>Shift</kbd> <kbd>b</kbd>.
+
+### Vi Search
+
+In vi mode the search is bound to <kbd>/</kbd> for forward and <kbd>?</kbd> for
+backward search. This allows you to move around quickly and help with selecting
+content. The `SearchStart` and `SearchEnd` keybinding actions can be bound if
+you're looking for a way to jump to the start or the end of a match.
+
+### Normal Search
+
+During normal search you don't have the opportunity to move around freely, but
+you can still jump between matches using <kbd>Enter</kbd> and <kbd>Shift</kbd>
+<kbd>Enter</kbd>. After leaving search with <kbd>Escape</kbd> your active match
+stays selected, allowing you to easily copy it.
+
+## Selection expansion
+
+After making a selection, you can use the right mouse button to expand it.
+Double-clicking will expand the selection semantically, while triple-clicking
+will perform line selection. If you hold <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> while expanding the
+selection, it will switch to the block selection mode.
+
+## Opening URLs with the mouse
+
+You can open URLs with your mouse by clicking on them. The modifiers required to
+be held and program which should open the URL can be setup in the configuration
+file. If an application captures your mouse clicks, which is indicated by a
+change in mouse cursor shape, you're required to hold <kbd>Shift</kbd> to bypass
+that.
+
+[configuration file]: ../alacritty.yml