Jupyter Notebook

Some handy jupyter lab shortcuts for better notebook work in ML from this tutorial here.

Command & Edit Modes

There are two distinct modes in jupyter notebooks. Different shortcuts apply based on which mode you are in (think vim modes). When your cursor is active inside a cell, you are in edit mode. You can also enter edit mode with ENTER or clicking on the cell editor area. If you escape with ESC then you are in command mode.

Key Idea

Command mode gives you control over the notebook as a whole, while edit mode is specific to the cell that you are editing.

Use command mode for notebook and cell actions and edit mode to type in individual cells.

Running Cells

To run cell in either mode:

• CTRL+ENTER runs cell
• SHIFT+ENTER runs and moves to cell below

Command Mode Shortcuts

The basic overview:

1. Navigation: ENTER, up/k, down/j
2. Saving: s
3. Change cell types: y, m
4. Cell creation: a, b
5. Cell editing: x, c, v, z

Useful shortcuts I would use often:

• Go up and down cells with j and k like vim
• Create cells above current cell with a and below current cell with b
• Change the cell type to markdown with m or code with y

Cell level operations:

• Cut cells with x (good for delete as well)
• Copy cells with c
• Paste cells with v
• Undo cell operation with z

You can also merge cells:

• Select multiple cells with SHIFT+up and SHIFT+down
• Merge cells with SHIFT+m
• On single cell CTRL+SHIFT+m to merge with the one below

Detail

You can string these shortcuts together. An example is selecting multiple cells with SHIFT+up or SHIFT+down and converting all of them to markdown with m.

Sometimes output of cells can long and clutter the screen:

• Collapse and uncollapse output of a cell using o

Edit Mode Shortcuts

Ones I commonly use:

• Toggle between comment and uncommented code with Ctrl+/.
• Split cells with CTRL+SHIFT+- at the cursor inside a cell.