Visual Studio Code waiting for second key of chord. (Ctrl + A)

Question

When I try to select all of the text in a file, I receive a notification that says:

(Ctrl + A) was pressed. Waiting for second key of chord...

Here is a screenshot of my "select all" keyboard shortcuts. How can I use Ctrl + A to select all text instead of getting a chord notification?

Answer 1

    import * as React from 'react';
import { styled, alpha } from '@mui/material/styles';
import AppBar from '@mui/material/AppBar';
import Box from '@mui/material/Box';
import Toolbar from '@mui/material/Toolbar';
import IconButton from '@mui/material/IconButton';
import Typography from '@mui/material/Typography';
import InputBase from '@mui/material/InputBase';
import Badge from '@mui/material/Badge';
import MenuItem from '@mui/material/MenuItem';
import Menu from '@mui/material/Menu';
import MenuIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Menu';
import SearchIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Search';
import AccountCircle from '@mui/icons-material/AccountCircle';
import MailIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Mail';
import NotificationsIcon from '@mui/icons-material/Notifications';
import MoreIcon from '@mui/icons-material/MoreVert';

const Search = styled('div')(({ theme }) => ({
  position: 'relative',
  borderRadius: theme.shape.borderRadius,
  backgroundColor: alpha(theme.palette.common.white, 0.15),
  '&:hover': {
    backgroundColor: alpha(theme.palette.common.white, 0.25),
  },
  marginRight: theme.spacing(2),
  marginLeft: 0,
  width: '100%',
  [theme.breakpoints.up('sm')]: {
    marginLeft: theme.spacing(3),
    width: 'auto',
  },
}));

const SearchIconWrapper = styled('div')(({ theme }) => ({
  padding: theme.spacing(0, 2),
  height: '100%',
  position: 'absolute',
  pointerEvents: 'none',
  display: 'flex',
  alignItems: 'center',
  justifyContent: 'center',
}));

const StyledInputBase = styled(InputBase)(({ theme }) => ({
  color: 'inherit',
  '& .MuiInputBase-input': {
    padding: theme.spacing(1, 1, 1, 0),
    // vertical padding + font size from searchIcon
    paddingLeft: `calc(1em + ${theme.spacing(4)})`,
    transition: theme.transitions.create('width'),
    width: '100%',
    [theme.breakpoints.up('md')]: {
      width: '20ch',
    },
  },
}));

export default function PrimarySearchAppBar() {
  const [anchorEl, setAnchorEl] = React.useState(null);
  const [mobileMoreAnchorEl, setMobileMoreAnchorEl] = React.useState(null);

  const isMenuOpen = Boolean(anchorEl);
  const isMobileMenuOpen = Boolean(mobileMoreAnchorEl);

  const handleProfileMenuOpen = (event) => {
    setAnchorEl(event.currentTarget);
  };

  const handleMobileMenuClose = () => {
    setMobileMoreAnchorEl(null);
  };

  const handleMenuClose = () => {
    setAnchorEl(null);
    handleMobileMenuClose();
  };

  const handleMobileMenuOpen = (event) => {
    setMobileMoreAnchorEl(event.currentTarget);
  };

  const menuId = 'primary-search-account-menu';
  const renderMenu = (
    <Menu
      anchorEl={anchorEl}
      anchorOrigin={{
        vertical: 'top',
        horizontal: 'right',
      }}
      id={menuId}
      keepMounted
      transformOrigin={{
        vertical: 'top',
        horizontal: 'right',
      }}
      open={isMenuOpen}
      onClose={handleMenuClose}
    >
      <MenuItem onClick={handleMenuClose}>Profile</MenuItem>
      <MenuItem onClick={handleMenuClose}>My account</MenuItem>
    </Menu>
  );

  const mobileMenuId = 'primary-search-account-menu-mobile';
  const renderMobileMenu = (
    <Menu
      anchorEl={mobileMoreAnchorEl}
      anchorOrigin={{
        vertical: 'top',
        horizontal: 'right',
      }}
      id={mobileMenuId}
      keepMounted
      transformOrigin={{
        vertical: 'top',
        horizontal: 'right',
      }}
      open={isMobileMenuOpen}
      onClose={handleMobileMenuClose}
    >
      <MenuItem>
        <IconButton size="large" aria-label="show 4 new mails" color="inherit">
          <Badge badgeContent={4} color="error">
            <MailIcon />
          </Badge>
        </IconButton>
        <p>Messages</p>
      </MenuItem>
      <MenuItem>
        <IconButton
          size="large"
          aria-label="show 17 new notifications"
          color="inherit"
        >
          <Badge badgeContent={17} color="error">
            <NotificationsIcon />
          </Badge>
        </IconButton>
        <p>Notifications</p>
      </MenuItem>
      <MenuItem onClick={handleProfileMenuOpen}>
        <IconButton
          size="large"
          aria-label="account of current user"
          aria-controls="primary-search-account-menu"
          aria-haspopup="true"
          color="inherit"
        >
          <AccountCircle />
        </IconButton>
        <p>Profile</p>
      </MenuItem>
    </Menu>
  );

  return (
    <Box sx={{ flexGrow: 1 }}>
      <AppBar position="static">
        <Toolbar>
          <IconButton
            size="large"
            edge="start"
            color="inherit"
            aria-label="open drawer"
            sx={{ mr: 2 }}
          >
            <MenuIcon />
          </IconButton>
          <Typography
            variant="h6"
            noWrap
            component="div"
            sx={{ display: { xs: 'none', sm: 'block' } }}
          >
            MUI
          </Typography>
          <Search>
            <SearchIconWrapper>
              <SearchIcon />
            </SearchIconWrapper>
            <StyledInputBase
              placeholder="Search…"
              inputProps={{ 'aria-label': 'search' }}
            />
          </Search>
          <Box sx={{ flexGrow: 1 }} />
          <Box sx={{ display: { xs: 'none', md: 'flex' } }}>
            <IconButton size="large" aria-label="show 4 new mails" color="inherit">
              <Badge badgeContent={4} color="error">
                <MailIcon />
              </Badge>
            </IconButton>
            <IconButton
              size="large"
              aria-label="show 17 new notifications"
              color="inherit"
            >
              <Badge badgeContent={17} color="error">
                <NotificationsIcon />
              </Badge>
            </IconButton>
            <IconButton
              size="large"
              edge="end"
              aria-label="account of current user"
              aria-controls={menuId}
              aria-haspopup="true"
              onClick={handleProfileMenuOpen}
              color="inherit"
            >
              <AccountCircle />
            </IconButton>
          </Box>
          <Box sx={{ display: { xs: 'flex', md: 'none' } }}>
            <IconButton
              size="large"
              aria-label="show more"
              aria-controls={mobileMenuId}
              aria-haspopup="true"
              onClick={handleMobileMenuOpen}
              color="inherit"
            >
              <MoreIcon />
            </IconButton>
          </Box>
        </Toolbar>
      </AppBar>
      {renderMobileMenu}
      {renderMenu}
    </Box>
  );
}

"mkvhf"

Answer 2

In my case, reloading VS Code with extensions disabled fixed it, so I knew it was an extension. Took a while, but eventually figured out it was https://github.com/phsantos/nano-id-generator.

Answer 3

I was in a situation where Ctrl+x did not work and was considered the start of a keychord. Every time I pressed Ctrl+x, instead of cutting the selected text, the editor told me that it was waiting for the second key of the chord.

Looking at "Preferences->Keyboard shortcuts" did not help. Searching for Ctrl+X in the list showed that only the "Cut" command was mapped to this key.

I had to edit the file $HOME/.config/Code/User/keybindings.json (under Linux) and search for CTRL+x. It turned out another command was mapped to a keychord starting with this key combination. I am not sure know how I got in this situation.

Answer 4

You have another key binding that begins with Ctrl+A, something like this:

A sequence of multiple keystrokes pressed one after another (rather than simultaneously) is called a "chord".

You might have accidentally created it, or might have recently installed an extension that adds the problematic binding. To find it, do like I have done in the screenshot and type "ctrl a" into the Keyboard Shortcuts search box (that tab can be opened by typing Ctrl+K then Ctrl+S). Then look for a binding that begins with Ctrl+A but has something else after it (in my case, another Ctrl+A, but it could be almost anything).

When you find the offending binding, right-click on it, and either remove or change it. Then Ctrl+A alone will resume working.

Note: This question and its answer pertain to Visual Studio Code, which is different from Visual Studio. See this question for information about the equivalent situation in Visual Studio.

Answer 5

You might be in a situation where you want to keep the chorded keybindings that are causing you the problem with your original keybinding. A potential workaround to this issue is turning your original keybinding into a chord as well. For example, you could having a 'stop' character that exits your chord. For example, "Ctrl+A ." where "." is your stop character.

So if for some reason you really liked "Ctrl+A" as the beginning keystroke for a bunch of chorded keybindings, then rebinding all current "Ctrl+A" keybindings to "Ctrl+A ." would free up that keystroke for any manner of other, chorded keybindings.