hjkl

hjkl are four keys on a standard QWERTY keyboard, located in a vertical line on the home row. They are most famously associated with the modal editing capabilities of the Vim text editor. In Vim, hjkl serve as the primary movement keys. 'h' moves the cursor one character to the left, 'j' moves it down, 'k' moves it up, and 'l' moves it one character to the right. This arrangement is designed to allow efficient cursor navigation without requiring the user to move their hands away from the home row.

Beyond their use in Vim, the hjkl keys have found application in other command-line tools and software that emulate Vim's modal editing behavior. This includes certain terminal emulators, file managers, and web browsers that offer Vim-like keybindings. The concept of using these keys for navigation has become a notable convention within a segment of the developer community. The placement of hjkl also means they are adjacent to each other, facilitating rapid, one-handed cursor adjustments. While primarily known for movement, in some contexts, these keys can also be bound to other commands or actions.