# Interface & Shortcuts > Source: https://parallelworks.com/docs/ai/code/interface # Interface & Shortcuts Interactive `pw code` runs in a full-screen terminal interface: a scrollable transcript on top, the message composer at the bottom, and a status line showing the current model, allocation, and token usage. This page covers the interface elements and every keyboard shortcut. At rest, the bottom of the screen looks like this: ## The Transcript - **Streaming markdown**: Responses stream in as the model generates them and are rendered as formatted markdown, including highlighted code blocks. - **Syntax-highlighted diffs**: File edits are shown as diffs with syntax highlighting on the changed lines. - **Repo banner**: The startup banner includes the repository name and current branch when the workspace is a git repository. - **Collapsible blocks**: Long tool outputs collapse to a summary line; press Ctrl+O to expand or collapse the most recent one. - **Jump to bottom**: When you scroll up, a centered **Jump to bottom (ctrl+end) ↓** pill appears; new output stops following until you return to the tail (or press Ctrl+R to re-enable following). - **Search**: Press Ctrl+F and type to search the transcript; matches are highlighted, Enter/↓ and ↑ step between them, and Esc closes the search. The mouse wheel always scrolls the transcript. Clicking on interface elements is off by default; enable the **Mouse clicks** option in `/settings` if you want clicks to select picker rows and toggle blocks. ## Keyboard Shortcuts Press ? at an empty prompt to toggle the shortcuts overlay in the session itself. | Key | Action | | --- | --- | | Enter | Send the message. While the agent is working, the message is queued and sent automatically when the turn ends. | | Shift+Enter | Insert a newline (Alt+Enter or Ctrl+J on terminals that cannot distinguish it). | | ↑ / ↓ | Recall earlier prompts, including from previous sessions in the same workspace. While the agent is working, ↑ at an empty prompt pulls back your newest queued message for editing. | | ↓ (past the newest entry) | Move the cursor into the agent switcher when subagents are running. See [Subagents](/docs/ai/code/subagents) for the switcher's own keys. | | Esc | Close an open overlay; interrupt the running turn or `!` command. At the prompt, press once to arm and again to clear the typed text. | | Ctrl+C | Interrupt the running turn; with text typed, clear the composer. At an empty prompt, press twice to quit. | | Ctrl+D | Quit (at an empty prompt). | | Shift+Tab | Cycle the [permission mode](/docs/ai/code/permissions): `read-only` → `accept-edits` → `bypass-permissions` → `plan`. | | ? | Toggle the shortcuts overlay (at an empty prompt). | | / | Open the [slash command](/docs/ai/code/slash-commands) palette. | | @ | Open the file picker to reference a file. | | ! | Enter shell mode (see below). | | Ctrl+O | Expand or collapse the most recent collapsible block. | | Ctrl+R | Toggle whether the transcript follows new output. In the model picker: refresh the model list. | | Ctrl+F | Search the transcript. | | Ctrl+V | Paste: attaches a clipboard image when one is present, otherwise pastes text. | | Ctrl+L | Clear and redraw the screen. | | PgUp / PgDn | Scroll the transcript half a screen. | | Ctrl+Home / Ctrl+End | Jump to the top / bottom of the transcript while scrolled. | Interrupting a turn restores your last message to the composer so you can edit and resend it. If you had messages queued, they are discarded instead, with a notice. ## Shell Mode Start a message with ! to run a shell command yourself, without involving the model. The composer's prompt glyph switches to `!` and a hint appears: **enter runs it locally; output is added to the conversation**. git log --oneline -5 The command runs in your login shell in the workspace directory. Because you typed it yourself, it bypasses the agent's [permission system](/docs/ai/code/permissions) entirely. The command and its output are recorded into the conversation as context, so the agent can refer to them on its next turn, but running a `!` command does **not** start a model turn; the agent only sees the output the next time you send it a message. Press Esc to interrupt a running command. Commands are limited to two minutes; a hung command is killed rather than freezing the session. ## File References Type @ followed by part of a file name to open the file picker, which fuzzy-matches against the workspace's files as you type. Use ↑/↓ to move, and Tab or Enter to insert the highlighted path. Selecting a directory keeps the picker open on that directory's contents so you can browse inward. Path-like queries such as `@~/Downloads/` or `@../` browse the filesystem directly, including outside the workspace. When your message is sent: - **Text files** referenced with `@` have their contents included with your message (workspace files only). The transcript shows just the `@` reference you typed. - **Image paths** (`.png`, `.jpg`, `.jpeg`, `.gif`, `.webp`) are attached as images the model can see. These may point outside the workspace, e.g. `@~/Downloads/screenshot.png`. ## Pasting Images Press Ctrl+V to paste an image from the clipboard. The image is attached and an `[Image #1]` placeholder is inserted into your message; deleting the placeholder before sending drops the attachment. If the model rejects image input, `pw code` tells you so you can remove the image or switch to a vision-capable model with `/model`. :::note Over SSH Inside an SSH session your local clipboard is unreachable, and `pw code` will say so. Copy the file to the remote machine (e.g. with `scp`) and attach it with `@path` instead. ::: ## Related Documentation - [pw code Overview](/docs/ai/code): Feature overview and quick start - [Slash Commands](/docs/ai/code/slash-commands): The `/` command palette - [Permissions](/docs/ai/code/permissions): What the permission modes mean - [Subagents](/docs/ai/code/subagents): The agent switcher and delegated tasks - [Sessions & Resume](/docs/ai/code/sessions): The session picker - [Settings](/docs/ai/code/settings): Auto-scroll, mouse clicks, and other preferences - [Models & Allocations](/docs/ai/code/models): The model picker