# Hints URL: https://tuios.dev/docs/hints > Put a short label on each URL, path, hash, address and number in a pane, then type the label to copy, paste or open the text. Hints mode puts a short label on the useful text in the focused pane. Type a label to copy the text. It works like tmux-fingers and the kitty hints kitten. ## Use it 1. Press Ctrl+B F. The labels show and the rest of the pane dims. 2. Type a label. TUIOS copies the text and closes hints mode. | Keys | Does | | ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | A label, such as a or ls | Copy the text | | The label with Shift, such as A | Copy the text and type it into the pane | | The label with Ctrl, such as Ctrl+A | [Open](https://tuios.dev/docs/hints#open) a URL or a path | | Backspace | Remove the last letter you typed | | Esc, or the leader key | Close hints mode | | q | Close hints mode, when q is not a label letter | | Ctrl+C, Ctrl+G | Close hints mode, when c or g is not a label letter | The text nearest to the cursor gets the shortest label. The same text gets the same label each time it shows. A key that starts no label does nothing. When c or g is a label letter, Ctrl+C and Ctrl+G open that label. g is in the default letters, so Ctrl+G opens the label `g`. Use Esc to close. The leader key always closes hints mode. You can also open hints mode from the command palette. Search for `hints`. > **Caps Lock** > > A terminal that reports Caps Lock (the Kitty keyboard protocol) lets TUIOS read an upper case letter from Caps Lock as a plain label letter. In other terminals, turn Caps Lock off before you type a label. Hints mode keeps all input from the pane while the labels show. TUIOS drops a paste, a key release and a mouse move over the pane. A click or the mouse wheel closes hints mode first and then works as usual. Hints mode also closes when its pane closes, when focus moves to a different pane, and when you change the workspace. The copy uses the same path as a mouse copy. TUIOS writes the clipboard with OSC 52. On a local client, it also uses the system clipboard tool. ## What hints mode finds | Name | Examples | | -------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | | `url` | `https://example.com/a`, `git@github.com:user/repo.git` | | `path` | `/etc/hosts`, `./run.sh`, `~/notes.md`, `main.go:12:5` | | `diff` | The file in `diff --git a/x b/x`, `--- a/x` and `modified: x` | | `sha` | `149c8a8f`, a full 40-character hash | | `ip` | `10.0.0.1`, `10.0.0.0/8`, `192.168.1.2:8080`, `fe80::1` | | `uuid` | `550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000` | | `color` | `#1e1e2e`, `#fa0` | | `hex` | `0xdeadbeef` | | `number` | Numbers of 4 digits or more | | `email` | `ops@example.com` | | `id` | `pod/web-1`, `deployment.apps/web`, pod names, `sha256:` digests | `path` and `email` accept letters in all scripts, with accents and combining marks. The other built-in patterns use only ASCII. Hints mode reads only the text on the screen. If you scroll the pane back, it reads the lines you scrolled to. A URL that wraps onto the next row is one match. TUIOS joins two rows only when the terminal wrapped the text. A line that fills the row and then ends is not joined to the next line. ## Open Ctrl and a label opens the text: - A URL opens in your browser. A remote client (`tuios ssh`, the web client) copies the URL, because it cannot open a browser on your machine. - A path or a `file://` URL opens in a new pane with `$EDITOR`. TUIOS removes a `:line:col` at the end. A relative path starts in the directory of the pane. - Other text is copied. TUIOS opens a file only when the file is on this machine. In these cases, it copies the path and tells you why: - The pane runs on another machine. - The session runs on another machine (`tuios attach` to a host). - The client is remote (`tuios ssh`, the web client). - The pane runs `ssh`, `autossh`, `mosh`, `et`, `telnet`, `tsh`, `kitten` (for example `kitten ssh`), `docker`, `kubectl` or `podman`. - The shell reported a folder on another machine. - The path is relative and a program runs in front of the shell. TUIOS knows only the folder that the shell reported. - The path is relative and TUIOS does not know the folder of the pane. TUIOS never gives the text to a shell. It gives the text to the opener as one argument. Only `http`, `https`, `mailto`, `ftp` and `ftps` URLs open. ## Settings Put the settings in the `[hints]` table of `config.toml`: ```toml [hints] # Built-in patterns: "all", "none", or names such as "url,path,sha". builtins = "all" # More patterns, as Go regular expressions. A group named "match" # sets the part that is copied. patterns = ['JIRA-\d+', 'branch: (?P\S+)'] # The letters of the labels, easiest first. Lowercase letters only. alphabet = "asdfghjkl" # Let Ctrl and a label open the text. open = true # How much the text around the labels dims, in percent (10 to 90). dim = 60 ``` Your own patterns come before the built-in patterns. When a pattern does not compile, TUIOS shows a warning when it reads the config, and hints mode skips that pattern. `hints.builtins`, `hints.alphabet`, `hints.open` and `hints.dim` are also on the settings page (Selection tab) and work with `tuios set-config`. `hints.patterns` is a list, so you set it in the file. ## Change the key The action is `hints` in `[keybindings.prefix_mode]`. To use a different key, bind it: ```toml [keybindings.prefix_mode] hints = ["f"] ``` If your config already binds F in `[keybindings.prefix_mode]` to a different action, TUIOS keeps your binding and gives `hints` no key. `tuios keybinds doctor` tells you when this happens. ## Related *[An interactive figure goes here. Open the page to use it.](https://tuios.dev/docs/hints)*