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useShortcuts

The useShortcuts hook manages keyboard shortcuts throughout your application, supporting complex key combinations including modifier keys (Ctrl, Shift, Alt) and providing a clean API for mapping shortcuts to actions.

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Type Signature

type Shortcut = { keys: string[]; action: string }
type ActionMap = Record<string, () => void>

function useShortcuts(
  shortcuts: Shortcut[],
  actionMap: ActionMap
): void

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Parameters

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shortcuts
Shortcut[]
required
Array of shortcut definitions, each containing:
  • keys: Array of key names (e.g., ['ctrl', 's'])
  • action: String identifier for the action to trigger
​
actionMap
ActionMap
required
Object mapping action identifiers to callback functions that execute when shortcuts are triggered

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Return Value

This hook doesn’t return any value. It sets up global keyboard event listeners that trigger the mapped actions.

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Usage Examples

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Basic Save Shortcut

import { useShortcuts } from '@hooks/useShortcuts'

const Editor = () => {
  const handleSave = () => {
    console.log('Saving document...')
    saveDocument()
  }

  useShortcuts(
    [{ keys: ['ctrl', 's'], action: 'save' }],
    { save: handleSave }
  )

  return <textarea placeholder="Start typing..." />
}

​
Multiple Shortcuts

const VideoPlayer = () => {
  const handlePlay = () => togglePlayPause()
  const handleFullscreen = () => toggleFullscreen()
  const handleMute = () => toggleMute()

  useShortcuts(
    [
      { keys: ['space'], action: 'play' },
      { keys: ['f'], action: 'fullscreen' },
      { keys: ['m'], action: 'mute' },
    ],
    {
      play: handlePlay,
      fullscreen: handleFullscreen,
      mute: handleMute,
    }
  )

  return <video src="anime-episode.mp4" />
}

const AnimeGallery = () => {
  const [currentIndex, setCurrentIndex] = useState(0)

  useShortcuts(
    [
      { keys: ['arrowleft'], action: 'prev' },
      { keys: ['arrowright'], action: 'next' },
      { keys: ['escape'], action: 'close' },
    ],
    {
      prev: () => setCurrentIndex((i) => Math.max(0, i - 1)),
      next: () => setCurrentIndex((i) => i + 1),
      close: () => navigate('/'),
    }
  )

  return <ImageViewer index={currentIndex} />
}

​
Complex Modifier Combinations

const AdvancedEditor = () => {
  useShortcuts(
    [
      { keys: ['ctrl', 's'], action: 'save' },
      { keys: ['ctrl', 'shift', 's'], action: 'saveAs' },
      { keys: ['ctrl', 'z'], action: 'undo' },
      { keys: ['ctrl', 'shift', 'z'], action: 'redo' },
      { keys: ['ctrl', 'b'], action: 'bold' },
      { keys: ['ctrl', 'i'], action: 'italic' },
    ],
    {
      save: () => saveDocument(),
      saveAs: () => openSaveDialog(),
      undo: () => undoLastAction(),
      redo: () => redoLastAction(),
      bold: () => toggleBold(),
      italic: () => toggleItalic(),
    }
  )

  return <RichTextEditor />
}

​
Search Shortcut

const AnimeSearch = () => {
  const searchInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null)

  useShortcuts(
    [
      { keys: ['ctrl', 'k'], action: 'focusSearch' },
      { keys: ['escape'], action: 'clearSearch' },
    ],
    {
      focusSearch: () => searchInputRef.current?.focus(),
      clearSearch: () => {
        if (searchInputRef.current) {
          searchInputRef.current.value = ''
          searchInputRef.current.blur()
        }
      },
    }
  )

  return <input ref={searchInputRef} type="search" placeholder="Search anime..." />
}

const ModalWithShortcuts = ({ isOpen, onClose, children }) => {
  useShortcuts(
    [{ keys: ['escape'], action: 'close' }],
    { close: onClose }
  )

  if (!isOpen) return null

  return (
    <div className="modal">
      <div className="modal-content">
        {children}
        <button onClick={onClose}>Close (Esc)</button>
      </div>
    </div>
  )
}

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Supported Keys

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Modifier Keys

  • ctrl - Control key (Cmd on Mac)
  • shift - Shift key
  • alt - Alt key (Option on Mac)

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Special Keys

  • escape - Escape key
  • enter - Enter/Return key
  • space - Spacebar
  • arrowup, arrowdown, arrowleft, arrowright - Arrow keys
  • tab - Tab key
  • backspace - Backspace key
  • delete - Delete key

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Character Keys

  • Any letter: a, b, c, etc. (automatically lowercased)
  • Numbers: 0, 1, 2, etc.
  • Function keys: f1, f2, f3, etc.
All key names are automatically converted to lowercase for consistent matching. Use lowercase in your shortcut definitions.

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Use Cases

  • Video player controls - Play/pause, volume, fullscreen
  • Image galleries - Navigation, zoom, close
  • Text editors - Save, undo/redo, formatting
  • Search interfaces - Focus search, clear input
  • Modal dialogs - Close with Escape
  • Application navigation - Quick access to different sections
  • Accessibility - Keyboard-only navigation support

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How It Works

  1. Event Registration: The hook sets up a global keydown event listener on window
  2. Key Combination: When a key is pressed, it builds a combination string like ctrl+s
  3. Action Lookup: It looks up the combination in the shortcuts map
  4. Prevention: If a match is found, it prevents the default browser behavior
  5. Execution: It executes the corresponding action from the action map
  6. Cleanup: Event listeners are removed when the component unmounts
Always prevent default browser behavior for common shortcuts like Ctrl+S to avoid conflicts with browser save functionality.

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Best Practices

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Document Your Shortcuts

const KeyboardHelp = () => (
  <div className="keyboard-shortcuts">
    <h3>Keyboard Shortcuts</h3>
    <ul>
      <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>S</kbd> - Save</li>
      <li><kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>K</kbd> - Search</li>
      <li><kbd>Esc</kbd> - Close</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
)

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Conditional Shortcuts

const ConditionalShortcuts = ({ isEditMode }) => {
  useShortcuts(
    isEditMode
      ? [{ keys: ['ctrl', 's'], action: 'save' }]
      : [],
    { save: handleSave }
  )
}

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Avoid Conflicts

Be careful not to override critical browser shortcuts:
  • Ctrl+T (new tab)
  • Ctrl+W (close tab)
  • Ctrl+N (new window)
  • Ctrl+Tab (switch tabs)

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Accessibility Considerations

  • Always provide visible indicators for keyboard shortcuts
  • Ensure shortcuts don’t conflict with screen reader commands
  • Test with keyboard-only navigation
  • Document all shortcuts in your help documentation
  • Consider providing customizable shortcuts for power users
Combine with tooltip components to show keyboard shortcuts in your UI:
<Tooltip content="Save (Ctrl+S)">
  <button onClick={handleSave}>Save</button>
</Tooltip>

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Source

Location: src/domains/shared/hooks/useShortCuts.ts:6

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