Navigation

Master the Record Editor's navigation system to move through fields quickly and efficiently. Learn all movement commands, search techniques, and visual indicators.

Basic Movement

Navigate between fields using vim-style keybindings.

Up and Down

Key	Action	Example
j	Move down one field	Go to next field
k	Move up one field	Go to previous field

How It Works:

• Fields are ordered as they appear in the page layout
• System fields (Id, CreatedDate, etc.) appear first
• Custom fields appear after standard fields
• Related lists are separate (toggle with :togglerelated)

Example:

Starting at Name field (5/42)
Press j → Email (6/42)
Press j → Phone (7/42)
Press k → Email (6/42)
Press k → Name (5/42)

Visual Feedback:

• Current field has blue border
• Field counter updates (e.g., "6/42")
• Field scrolls into view automatically

Smooth Scrolling

The editor automatically scrolls to keep the current field visible. No need to manually scroll—just press j or k and the field comes to you.

Jump to First and Last

Key	Action	Example
gg	Jump to first field	Usually "Id"
G	Jump to last field	Last visible field

Usage:

Press gg → Field 1/42 (Id or first field)
Press G → Field 42/42 (last field)

Common Workflow:

1. Open record (starts at first field)
2. Press G to jump to bottom
3. Check last modified date
4. Press gg to return to top

Special Cases:

• If filtered search is active, gg goes to first visible field
• If related lists panel is open, G goes to last field in main panel
• Read-only mode doesn't affect gg/G behavior

Repeat Commands

Some implementations support count prefixes:

5j → Move down 5 fields
10k → Move up 10 fields
3gg → Jump to field 3

Implementation Note

Count prefixes depend on the vim implementation. If they don't work, just press the key multiple times (e.g., j j j j j for 5 fields down).

Search Features

Find fields by name using two search modes: regular and filtered.

Regular Search (/)

Highlights matching fields but keeps all fields visible.

How to Use:

1. Press / in Normal mode
2. Type field name (e.g., "Email")
3. All fields remain visible
4. Matching fields highlighted in green
5. Press Ctrl+N to jump to next match
6. Press Ctrl+P to jump to previous match
7. Press Esc to exit search

Example:

Press /
Type: phone
Results:
  - Phone (highlighted in green)
  - MobilePhone (highlighted in green)
  - HomePhone (highlighted in green)
  - AccountPhone (highlighted in green)

Press Ctrl+N → Jump to Phone
Press Ctrl+N → Jump to MobilePhone
Press Ctrl+N → Jump to HomePhone
Press Ctrl+P → Jump back to MobilePhone

Search Behavior:

• Case-insensitive matching
• Partial matches included (e.g., "phone" matches "MobilePhone")
• Searches both Label and API Name
• Highlights persist until search cleared

When to Use Regular Search

Use regular search (/) when you want to see all fields for context while highlighting matches. Great for exploring the record structure.

Filtered Search (Ctrl+/)

Shows only matching fields, hiding non-matches.

How to Use:

1. Press Ctrl+/ in Normal mode
2. Type field name (e.g., "Email")
3. Only matching fields shown
4. Navigate with j/k as usual
5. Press Esc to clear filter and show all fields

Example:

Before Ctrl+/:
  1. Id
  2. Name
  3. Email
  4. Phone
  5. Address
  ...
  42. LastModifiedDate

Press Ctrl+/
Type: email

After filter:
  1. Email
  2. Email__c (custom field)
  3. Secondary_Email__c
  (all other fields hidden)

Press Esc → All 42 fields visible again

Filtered Search Benefits:

• Faster navigation with fewer fields
• Less scrolling
• Focus on specific field types
• Quick edits to related fields

When to Use Filtered Search

Use filtered search (Ctrl+/) when you know exactly which field you need and want to edit it quickly without distraction.

Search Navigation

Once search matches are highlighted, navigate between them:

Key	Action
Ctrl+N	Jump to next match
Ctrl+P	Jump to previous match

Example Workflow:

1. Press / and type "custom"
2. All custom fields highlighted
3. Press Ctrl+N repeatedly to visit each
4. Press i to edit any field
5. Press Esc to return to Normal mode
6. Press Ctrl+N to continue to next match

Wraparound:

• Ctrl+N at last match wraps to first match
• Ctrl+P at first match wraps to last match

Search Counter:

While searching, the field counter shows match count:

3 / 8 matches
│   └── Total matches
└────── Current match number

Clear Search

Exit search mode and clear highlights:

Action	Keys
Clear search	Esc
Clear filtered search	Esc

What Happens:

• Search highlighting removed
• All fields become visible (if filtered)
• Return to Normal mode
• Focus stays on current field

Field Counter

The field counter in the bottom-right corner provides position information.

Normal Mode Counter

Shows current position out of total fields:

10 / 42
│    └── Total fields visible
└─────── Current field number

Updates:

• When navigating with j/k
• When jumping with gg/G
• When focusing fields with mouse

Search Mode Counter

Shows match count during search:

3 / 8 matches
│   └── Total search matches
└────── Current match number

Example:

Press / and type "date"
Counter shows: 1 / 5 matches

Press Ctrl+N
Counter shows: 2 / 5 matches

Press Ctrl+N
Counter shows: 3 / 5 matches

Filtered Search Counter

Shows visible fields after filter:

5 / 42 (filtered)
│   └── Total fields (unfiltered)
└────── Visible fields (filtered)

Interpretation:

• 5 fields match the filter
• 42 total fields in the record
• Currently showing only the 5 matches

Counter Uses

The counter helps you:

• Track progress through long records
• Know how many fields remain
• Verify you're on the correct field
• Understand filter results

Visual Indicators

The editor uses color and styling to communicate state.

Focus Indicators

Indicator	Meaning
Blue border	Current field in Normal mode
Dark blue border	Current field in Insert mode
No border	Field not focused

Example:

Normal Mode:
  Name [====blue border====]
  Email
  Phone

Insert Mode (editing Email):
  Name
  Email [====dark blue====]
  Phone

Change Indicators

Indicator	Meaning
Orange border	Field has unsaved changes
Normal border	Field unchanged or saved

Example:

After editing:
  Name [====blue====]           (current, unchanged)
  Email [====orange====]         (modified, unsaved)
  Phone [====orange====]         (modified, unsaved)

After :w (save):
  Name [====blue====]           (current, unchanged)
  Email                          (saved)
  Phone                          (saved)

Search Indicators

Indicator	Meaning
Green highlight	Field matches search
Green border	Current match in search
Dimmed	Field hidden by filter (Ctrl+/)

Example (Regular Search):

After / and typing "email":
  Name
  Email [====green border====]   (current match)
  Phone
  Email__c [====green====]        (other match)

Example (Filtered Search):

After Ctrl+/ and typing "email":
  Email [====green border====]   (current match, visible)
  Email__c [====green====]        (other match, visible)
  (all other fields hidden)

Read-Only Indicators

Indicator	Meaning
Gray text	Read-only field (formula, system)
Lock icon	Field locked by admin
White text	Editable field

Example:

Id                     [gray] (system field)
Name                   [white] (editable)
Formula_Field__c       [gray] (formula field)
CreatedDate            [gray] (system field)

Quick Glance

With practice, you'll instantly recognize field states by color: blue = current, orange = modified, green = search match, gray = read-only.

Advanced Navigation

Field Type Filtering

Navigate only to specific field types (future feature):

:filter text        → Show only text fields
:filter number      → Show only number fields
:filter date        → Show only date fields
:filter reference   → Show only lookup fields
:clearfilter        → Show all fields

Recently Modified Fields

Jump to recently changed fields (future feature):

:changes    → Show only fields with unsaved changes
]c          → Next changed field
[c          → Previous changed field

Required Fields

Navigate to required fields (future feature):

:required   → Show only required fields
]r          → Next required field
[r          → Previous required field

Keyboard Shortcuts Reference

Basic Movement

Key	Action
j	Move down one field
k	Move up one field
gg	Jump to first field
G	Jump to last field

Search

Key	Action
/	Regular search (highlight matches)
Ctrl+/	Filtered search (show only matches)
Ctrl+N	Jump to next search match
Ctrl+P	Jump to previous search match
Esc	Exit search, clear highlights

Navigation Info

Display	Meaning
10 / 42	Field 10 of 42 total
3 / 8 matches	Match 3 of 8 search results
5 / 42 (filtered)	5 visible of 42 total

Common Workflows

Quick Edit Specific Field

1. Press Ctrl+/ (filtered search)
2. Type field name (e.g., "Email")
3. Press Esc to focus list
4. Press i to edit
5. Type new value
6. Press Esc to exit Insert mode
7. Type :w to save

Browse All Date Fields

1. Press / (regular search)
2. Type "date"
3. All date fields highlighted
4. Press Ctrl+N to jump to each
5. Review values
6. Press Esc to clear search

Navigate Long Record

1. Press gg to go to top
2. Press j to scan fields
3. Press G to jump to bottom
4. Check LastModifiedDate
5. Press gg to return to top

Find and Edit Multiple Related Fields

1. Press / and type "phone"
2. Phone, MobilePhone, HomePhone highlighted
3. Press Ctrl+N to go to Phone
4. Press i, edit, press Esc
5. Press Ctrl+N to go to MobilePhone
6. Press i, edit, press Esc
7. Press Ctrl+N to go to HomePhone
8. Press i, edit, press Esc
9. Type :w to save all changes

Tips and Tricks

Stay in Normal Mode

Tip: Keep hands on j and k keys

• Most time spent navigating, not editing
• Quick scan of fields with rapid j presses
• Only enter Insert mode when ready to edit

Use Filtered Search for Speed

Tip: Ctrl+/ is faster than scrolling

Instead of:
  j j j j j j j j j j (10 fields down)

Use:
  Ctrl+/ → type "field" → Esc → i (instant)

Combine Search with Edit

Tip: Search, edit, repeat workflow

1. Ctrl+/ → type "custom__c" (filter to custom fields)
2. i → edit first → Esc
3. j → next custom field
4. i → edit → Esc
5. Repeat steps 3-4
6. :w to save all

Use Field Counter for Audits

Tip: Track progress through record reviews

"I've reviewed 15 of 42 fields (35% complete)"
Use counter to know when you're done

Learn Field Order

Tip: After a few sessions, you'll memorize field positions

"Email is always around field 5-7"
"Custom fields start at field 25"
"Dates are at the bottom"

Use j/k to navigate without looking

Troubleshooting

Navigation Not Working

Symptom: j/k keys don't move focus Solution:

1. Ensure you're in Normal mode (blue border)
2. Press Esc to exit Insert or Command mode
3. Check that focus is on the editor (click anywhere)
4. Verify extension is active

Search Not Finding Fields

Symptom: No highlights after typing search Solution:

1. Check spelling (case-insensitive, but must match)
2. Try API name instead of label (e.g., "Email__c")
3. Press Esc and restart search
4. Verify field exists on page layout

Can't See Current Field

Symptom: Field counter updates but field not visible Solution:

1. Wait for auto-scroll (500ms delay)
2. Manually scroll to field
3. Use gg then navigate to desired field
4. Check if filtered search is hiding the field

Counter Shows Wrong Number

Symptom: Counter says "5/42" but feels like wrong field Solution:

1. Field order matches page layout, not alphabetical
2. System fields come first
3. Custom fields grouped together
4. Use / to search by name if unsure

Next Steps

• Editing - Insert mode, undo/redo, copy/paste
• Command Mode - All colon commands
• Field Types - How different fields are edited
• Advanced Features - Split-screen, related lists

Practice Makes Perfect

Spend 10 minutes navigating a test record with just j, k, gg, G, and /. Muscle memory develops quickly, and soon you'll navigate faster than clicking.