MiKTeX and proTeXt ⇒ key bindings (a la bbcode)

[zerospinboson]

I recently started using latex again, and it struck me that it would be somewhat convenient if it were possible if a menu was added in which you could define key bindings to certain actions (like macros, I suppose).. For instance, I would find it very useful to be able to select one or more words/characters, and press ctrl-I to wrap \emph{ } around it, or ctrl-e (or whatever, but it's easily accessible with my left hand) in order to wrap quote tags around something.. similarly with chapter headings, etc.
Does this sound like a useful feature to have to others, or am I missing something?

[josephwright]

Which editor are we talking about here?

[zerospinboson]

miktex? (I thought I was posting in that forum, anyway)
using TeXworks, if that's what you mean.

[torbjorn t.]

That is what he meant I should think, MikTeX is not an editor. The editor is where you write your code, MikTeX is "everything" -- LaTeX-packages, class-files, program files, etc.

While I could be wrong, I do not think TeXworks has anything like that, though it does have some command completion. E.g you can type bf, and when hitting the tab-key you cycle through several "related" commands, like \textbf and \begin{figure}. More info about this can be found in the manual.

TexMaker, another editor, on the other hand, allows you to select text, and use shortcut keys to apply some formatting to it, like Ctrl + Shift + E for \emph{}. Keyboard shortcuts can also be changed.

[josephwright]

TeXworks is still very much being developed. When scripting gets added (which is on the list to do), then I'd expect you'll be able to add what you like. I doubt fixed key-binding will be added to the TeXworks core, as it is a general TeX editor, so no basics are tided to LaTeX. (The auto-complete data is separate from the code itself, for example.)