Criterion allows you to personalize your workflow by customizing keyboard shortcuts. This feature gives you full control over how you interact with the application, enhancing efficiency, reducing repetitive actions, and adapting interface to your preferences.

All changes saved automatically to user profile and take effect immediately—no restart required.

<note tip>On macOS, Keyboard menu appears under application name (e.g., Criterion > Customize Shortcuts).</note>

1. Click on **Keyboard** menu in top application bar
2. Select **Customize Shortcuts**

New window titled “Keyboard Shortcuts” opens, organized into three main sections:

• Categories (left panel)
• Commands (center panel)
• Default Keyboard Shortcut (right panel)

Panel lists all main menu categories<note tip>All functionalities accessible through Edit menu will not support shortcut customization, as these commands adhere to standard and universal conventions shared across all text editors.</note> available in Criterion:

<note tip>* Platform-specific menus only shown on relevant operating system.</note>

When you select a category, this panel displays all available commands within it (e.g., New, Save, Copy, Bold, etc.).

Click any command to view or modify its assigned keyboard shortcut.

When a command is selected, this section shows:

• The default shortcut (e.g., Ctrl+N on Windows/Linux, ⌘+N on macOS)
• A “New Keyboard Shortcut” input field
• An “Assign” button
• A short description of what command does

Contextual help message appears in input field:

• Windows/Linux: “Press a key combination (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+Z). You cannot use modifiers alone.”
• macOS: “Press a key combination (e.g., ⌘+Shift+Z). You cannot use modifiers alone.”

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Select a command from Commands list
2. Click inside "New Keyboard Shortcut" field
3. Press your desired key combination (e.g., Ctrl+Alt+T)
  * You must include at least one base key (letter, number, F1–F12, Enter, Space, etc.)
  * Only simultaneous key presses accepted (no sequences like "A then B")
  * Valid modifiers: Ctrl (or ⌘ on Mac), Alt, Shift – entered in that order
4. Click **Assign** to save your new shortcut

Your new shortcut now active and appears next to command on list.

<note warning>If shortcut already in use, warning appears: “This shortcut is already assigned to [Command Name].” You cannot assign it without first resolving conflict.</note>

Criterion prevents duplicate shortcuts to avoid confusion:

• If you try to assign shortcut already used by another command, system blocks assignment and shows warning
• You must choose different combination or reassign shortcut manually after reviewing conflict

Restore all shortcuts to original defaults:

1. Click **Reset All** button at bottom of window
2. Confirmation dialog appears: "Are you sure you want to reset all shortcuts to default? This action cannot be undone."
3. Click **OK** to confirm

All custom shortcuts removed, defaults restored immediately.

• Click OK to save all changes and close window
• Click Exit to discard unsaved changes and close window

<note tip>Changes not applied until you click OK.</note>

• No dropdown-menu shortcuts: Cannot assign shortcuts to menu headers that open submenus (e.g., File > Open Recent, Insert > Line Number)
• Simultaneous input only: Sequences like “Ctrl+A then B” not supported
• Modifier-only combinations (e.g., just Ctrl or Shift+Alt) rejected
• Supported base keys include:
  • Letters (A–Z)
  • Numbers (0–9)
  • Function keys (F1–F12)
  • Special keys: Enter, Space, Tab, Backspace, Delete, Escape, and arrow keys

File Operations:

Editing:

Formatting:

Apparatus & References:

Navigation & Utilities: