Better Ctrl-W

Closes highlighted tabs. To replace ctrl-w on Windows/Linux for Vim users!

What is Better Ctrl-W?

'Better Ctrl-W' is a Chrome extension designed for Vim users on Windows and Linux machines. It primarily solves the issue of the 'Ctrl-W' shortcut that, apart from deleting the last word in Vim's insert mode, it also closes a window in chrome - a shortcut absent on Mac OS. The extension reassigns the tab closing function to a different shortcut and disables 'Ctrl-W' from closing tabs.

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Stats

By: thalesmello

View on Chrome Web Store

Users: 1,000+

Rating: 4.00 (15)

Version: 0.1 (Last updated: 2020-05-03)

Creation date: 2020-05-02

Risk impact: Very low risk impact

Risk likelihood: Very low risk likelihood

Manifest version: 2

Size: 7.24K

URLs: Website

Stats date:

Chrome-Stats Rank

# 24633 ▼ 47

Other rankings

#1661 in Developer Tools ▲ 11 #77 in problem keyword 3 ▲ 4 #134 in close keyword 14 ▲ 7

Other platforms

Not available on Firefox

Not available on Edge

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Summary

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Better Ctrl-W

Vim users are used to using the Ctrl-w key combination for deleting the last word when in insert mode. That's no problem for Mac OS users when using chrome, as the keyboard shortcut for closing a tab is Cmd+w. This is a problem when using the browser on either Linux or Windows machines, as Ctrl-w is the shortcut for closing a window. So, when editing a text, a Vim user might accidentally close the current tab by issuing a Ctrl-w command, sometimes losing important text that was being edited.

That annoyance motivated people to discuss solutions on [a StackOverflow thread][1], in which user [samson][2] commented he created [a Chrome extension][3] precisely to:

Assign Ctrl-w to an extension shortcut that does absolutely nothing
Assign a hotkey to close the current tab (I like to use Alt-w to mimic Mac OS's Cmd+w)

User reviews

User reviews summary

These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews. Chrome Web Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.

Pros

The extension works perfectly when configured correctly.
Useful for browser-based terminal applications without closing tabs.
Helpful for users who interchangeably use Mac and Windows with the same keyboard.

Cons

Does not work automatically and requires configuration post-installation.
Some users report the extension doesn't work on Chrome version 105.x.
Changes made by the extension can be permanent, leading to an inability to reset Ctrl W to close tabs.
Extension may disable Ctrl-W globally, impacting other programs outside Chrome.

Most mentioned

The necessity to configure the extension for it to work.
Request for instructions to be more visible, preferably at the top of the description.
Reports of the extension not functioning on specific Chrome versions.
Users find it useful for preventing accidental tab closures while using browser-based terminals or games.
Some users express desire for additional features, like deleting the word before the cursor in an input field.

Recent reviews

Make sure to follow usage instructions

Andrew Breidenbach, 2024-01-15

This extension does not work automatically after installation. You have to find the "Usage" instructions in the Overview to configure it. The configuration is simple and this extension works perfectly. I can finally use the browser-based terminal application without constantly closing the browser tab.