Command palette

The command palette is Aethon's everything-finder: files, tabs, sessions, projects, layouts, themes, models, slash commands, and keybindings all live behind keyboard-first overlays.

Three modes

Combo	Mode	Order of results
Cmd+P	Files	Active project's file tree · open agent tabs · commands · keybindings
Cmd+Shift+P	Commands	Slash commands · keybindings · everything else

Cmd+P is for "open a file in this project". Cmd+Shift+P is for "do something". The switcher catalogue still exists behind the palette state and prefixes: type @ for tabs, > for commands, or ? for keybindings.

Query prefixes

Inside the palette, three prefixes force a specific section:

Prefix	Meaning
>	Force commands mode (same as Cmd+Shift+P).
@	Force tabs section.
?	Force keybindings section.

So:

• > theme — find the Set theme command.
• @ readme — switch to a tab whose title matches "readme".
• ? cmd+t — find what Cmd+T is bound to.

In file mode, unprefixed queries search project-relative paths. In commands mode, unprefixed queries rank slash commands and keybindings first, then other sections.

Keyboard nav

Combo	Action
↑ / ↓	Move selection.
Enter	Activate selection.
Esc	Close palette.

Selection survives content swaps — when the palette re-ranks results (while you type or content changes), the highlighted index persists through a focus-tracking strategy. You won't lose your place.

What's in the palette

Section	Contents
Files	Project-relative files from the active project, opened in editor tabs.
Tabs	Open agent tabs from the top strip. Shell sub-tabs stay in the bottom panel.
Sessions	Recent pi sessions across all tabs (cross-session — reaches into closed-tab transcripts).
Projects	The MRU list from ~/.aethon/projects.json.
Layouts	Built-in (workstation) plus any extension-registered layouts.
Themes	Built-ins (ember, paper, aether, brink, daylight, mist, nocturne) plus extension-registered.
Models	Whatever pi reports from the active provider.
Commands	Every slash command (built-in + extension-registered).
Keybindings	Every shortcut Aethon recognises.

Replacing the palette

The palette is a registered builtin (command-palette component type). An extension can override it via:

aethon.registerComponent("command-palette", myCustomPalette);

The replacement renders in the same overlay slot and receives the same trigger event, so the keybindings keep working — only the visual shell changes.

Where to next

• Keyboard shortcuts — the full set.
• Slash commands — every /<cmd> reference.
• Extensions — registering palette items.