Coding with Steno

A steno code editing "keybinding" model.

I like modal editing. Being in a mode adds context to your keypresses, which is needed to distinguish between typing and editing. There are other ways you could add this context, like prefixing every editing keybinding with a modifier. I'll be talking about these two approaches - the vim vs emacs keybindings, if you will.

What these keybinds have in common is that they both [do something special] to add context to your keypresses, since on a normal keyboard, you only have ~30 keys.

In steno, we have millions of strokes available at any given moment, we can do better.

Automatically Modal Editing

Instead of requiring context, such as a mode switching stroke or dedicated key, you can take a set of strokes and make it place you in a separate, ephemeral mode.