Smart editing provides automatic text helpers that speed up writing in Feather. All smart editing features are on by default and can be toggled in Settings.

Auto-Close Pairs

When you type an opening character, Feather automatically inserts the matching closer:

• ( inserts ()
• [ inserts []
• { inserts {}
• " inserts ""
• ` inserts ``

The cursor is placed between the pair so you can type the contents immediately.

Skip-Over

If the cursor is directly before a closing character (), ], }, ", `), pressing that character jumps past it instead of inserting a duplicate. This lets you type naturally without worrying about extra closing characters.

Tab-to-Exit

Press Tab when the cursor is immediately before a closing bracket or quote to jump past the closing character and insert a space. This is useful for quickly moving out of a pair and continuing to type.

Selection Wrapping

Select text and then type an opening character to wrap the selection:

1. Select the word hello
2. Type [
3. Result: [hello]

This works with (, [, {, ", and `.

Matching Pair Deletion

Press Backspace between an empty pair (e.g., (), [], {}, "") to delete both characters at once.

List Continuation

Feather automatically continues lists when you press Enter:

• Unordered lists: After - item, pressing Enter adds a new - on the next line
• Numbered lists: After 1. item, pressing Enter adds 2. and auto-increments subsequent numbers
• Task lists: After - [ ] task, pressing Enter adds a new - [ ] on the next line
• Exit a list: Press Enter on an empty list marker (a line with just - or 1. ) to remove the marker and exit the list

Blockquote Continuation

When your cursor is inside a blockquote (> text), pressing Enter automatically adds the > prefix on the next line so you can keep writing within the quote.

Smart Indent

• Tab: Inserts 4 spaces at the cursor position
• Shift+Tab: Removes up to 4 spaces of indentation from the current line

Word Selection

Double-clicking a word selects just the word without including any trailing space. This makes it easier to copy or format individual words precisely.

Getting Help

• Documentation: ventana.tools/docs/feather
• Support Email: support@ventana.tools