Better Ctrl-W

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

Better Ctrl-W: Enhance the way you close tabs in Chrome

'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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Extension stats

By: thalesmello

Users: 2,000+

Rating: 4.06

(16)

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

Ranking

# 19,826 ▲ 704

Other rankings

#1833 in Developer Tools ▲ 1 #126 in problem keyword 3 ▼ 3 #222 in close keyword 16 ▼ 8

Other platforms

Not available on Android

Not available on Firefox

Not available on Edge

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Extension summary

Analyze keywords

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

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 Chrome Web Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate, spammy, or outdated.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

Works perfectly after configuration
Helps use browser-based terminal applications without closing tabs
Users appreciate the functionality in browser games
Users experience improved workflow by preventing accidental tab closures
Positive feedback on its effectiveness and usefulness

Cons

Does not work automatically after installation requiring manual configuration
Changes to keybindings cannot be undone
Issues with functionality on Chrome 105.x
Disables Ctrl-W even outside of Chrome

Most mentioned

Configuration is needed after installation
The inability to reset Ctrl-W functionality
It does not work on Chrome 105.x
Disables Ctrl-W outside of Chrome

User reviews

Vladislav (wennerryle), 2024-10-27

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.