Entering Commands

Commands are either entered using the keys on the keyboard in conjunction with 0 or more metakeys, or when using the keyboard in different modes. A separate keystroke is used to move from one mode to the next; by default this is defined to be Ctrl+x. When Dyalog APL is started, you are in mode 0. Except Move/Resize in the editor/tracer, all mode changes are effective for one keystroke only.

Example

assume that you have just started APL
assume that the Windows key is used to enter APL characters
+ represents one keystroke, so Ctrl+xp means: first hit Ctrl and x together, then p

Keystrokes entered	How described in documentation	Outcome in Dyalog APL session
`p`	p	`p` appears in the session
`Shift`+`p`	P	`P` appears in the session
`Windows`+`p`	APL p	`*` appears in the session
`Windows`+`Shift`+`p`	APL P	`⍣` appears in the session
`Ctrl`+`xp`	Cmd-p	No noticeable effect. This is the command "Previous" (PV) used for search/replace. Note how Nrm in status line changes to Cmd when `Ctrl`+`x` is hit and then back to Nrm when the `p` is hit.
`Ctrl`+`xCtrl`+`xp`	CMD-p	No noticeable effect. This is the command "Paste" (PT). Note how Nrm in status line changes to Cmd when `Ctrl`+`x` is hit, and then changes to CMD when `Ctrl`+`x` hit again, and then back to Nrm when the `p` is hit.
`Ctrl`+`x`	N/A	Nothing; this is an invalid character in Cmd mode. Note how Nrm in status line changes to Cmd when `Ctrl`+`x` is hit, and then back to Nrm when the `g` is hit.

Notes

the words "Nrm", "Cmd" and "CMD" are configurable.
in this example each mode is temporary, lasting for only one subsequent keystroke.