Glossary

Karabiner and Vimputer terms used across these docs.

Terms marked with a dotted underline elsewhere in the docs link here.

Binding

A trigger and what it does at each moment. Each binding becomes one Karabiner manipulator.

Chord

Keys pressed together, such as J and K at once. Karabiner calls these simultaneous keys.

Group

A layer that's on while its conditions hold, such as while Chrome is frontmost. Shown as While.

Hyper

All four modifiers (⌘⌥⌃⇧) sent by one key, often Caps Lock. No app uses it, so it's free for your own shortcuts.

Manipulator

Karabiner's unit of remapping: one input, the events it sends, and the conditions it needs.

Mode

A layer you enter with a key and leave with Escape or an Exit mode action. Shown as Modal.

Moment

When a binding acts: on press, tap, hold, release, after a delay, when canceled, or when another key goes down.

Sequence

Keys pressed one after another, such as G then G.

Variable

A named value that bindings set and conditions read, such as a Vim mode.

Which-key

A panel listing the keys you can press next. Vimputer's HUD shows one when you enter a mode.