wordcraft/docs/typing-parity.md

Typing parity with Word

Last reviewed: 2026-10-11 · Last updated: 2026-10-14 · Change: trivial (Shift+Delete cuts the selection on every platform, #1669; previously trivial: Select All then Delete removes a table the document starts with, #1198; previously trivial: Alt+numpad character codes, #961; previously trivial: Down and Up from a line start beside a table go into it, #1007; previously trivial: sample-text formulas on Enter, #1067; previously trivial: Track Changes: Accept All after a tracked delete from a paragraph end keeps the next paragraph; Reject All after typing into an empty paragraph keeps it (#864); previously minor: Correct TWo INitial CApitals, cAPS LOCK and table-cell capitals, #544; previously trivial: complex-script caret and Backspace, #604; Move Paragraph Up/Down, Promote/Demote, Go Back and Alt+X keys, #343) · Target: Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4

What Word does when you type, observed black-box (same keystrokes typed into Word and WordCraft, results read back paragraph by paragraph) and pinned by tests in crates/engine/src/tests_typing.rs. When typing behaviour changes, change it here and in the tests together. Line breaking and pagination are in layout-parity.md; the overall picture is in target-app-parity.md.

Sample text (#1067)

Enter at the end of a paragraph containing exactly =rand() or =lorem() replaces the formula with five paragraphs of three sentences and leaves the caret in a following empty paragraph. =rand(p) / =lorem(p) set the paragraph count; (p,s) sets both counts. WordCraft accepts integers from 1 to 200 for each count; if either parameter is invalid or outside that range, both revert to 5/3. Other text, a selection or Enter inside the formula follows ordinary Enter behaviour. The English text is original to WordCraft; lorem ipsum uses traditional pseudo-Latin. This implements the issue's requested defaults; the exact numerical limits have not been compared in Word.

The replacement and its paragraph breaks are one undo step. Typing and paragraph formatting use the existing editing primitives. Tests: sample_text_formulas_expand_on_enter, sample_text_invalid_parameters_use_defaults, sample_text_requires_an_exact_paragraph_and_caret_at_end, sample_text_preserves_typing_and_paragraph_formatting, sample_text_replacement_tracks_changes.

Lists

Keys	Word's result	Test
* item Enter Enter text	the second Enter ends the list; text is a Normal paragraph (no list indent left behind)	enter_twice_after_a_list_item_ends_the_list, the_paragraph_after_a_list_is_normal_text
… Enter ×3, ×4	each further Enter adds a blank Normal paragraph (never swallowed)	more_enters_after_a_list_make_blank_paragraphs
Enter on an empty nested item	moves it up one level; only a top-level empty item leaves the list	enter_on_an_empty_nested_item_moves_it_up_a_level_first
* Enter (nothing typed)	list cancelled, Normal paragraph	enter_right_after_starting_a_list_cancels_it
Tab / Shift+Tab at the start of an item	demote / promote	shift_tab_and_tab_change_list_levels
Backspace at the start of an item	1st: number removed, indent kept; 2nd: Normal paragraph — not joined to the one above	backspace_at_the_start_of_an_item_removes_the_number_then_the_indent
Enter mid-item / at item start	splits the item / inserts an empty item above	enter_in_the_middle_or_at_the_start_of_an_item
Shift+Enter in an item	line break inside the same item	shift_enter_stays_inside_the_list_item
Paste: Keep Text Only A, empty line, B into an empty item	three paragraphs A, empty, B: pasted paragraph breaks are text, not Enter (they never end the list)	plain_text_paste_keeps_an_empty_paragraph_in_a_list
* - 1. 1) a. a) A. i. I. + text	bullet, dash bullet, 1. 1) a. a) A. i. I. lists	list_autoformat_triggers
> -> => + text	bulleted list with an arrow bullet (➢ ➔ ⇨; Word takes them from a symbol font, we use the Unicode arrows) ¹	arrow_bullets
1. after other text	a new list restarting at 1 (never continues an earlier list)	typing_1_dot_starts_numbering_again
⌘Z right after an AutoFormat	undoes only the AutoFormat (* comes back as text)	undo_right_after_autoformat_undoes_only_the_autoformat

Undo

Keys	Word's result	Test
type, select some of it, type over it	two undo steps: the first ⌘Z brings the selected text back (still selected), the second removes the typing. Uninterrupted typing stays one step	typing_then_selecting_then_typing_are_two_undo_steps
⌘B with nothing selected, ⌘Z, type	the text isn't bold (Undo takes the waiting caret formatting back too); ⌘Y brings it back	undoing_bold_at_the_caret_turns_bold_typing_off_again

Track Changes

Keys	Word's result	Test
Enter (tracking on)	the new paragraph mark is a tracked insertion; Reject All joins the paragraphs again, Accept All keeps them	tracked_enter_and_backspace_track_the_paragraph_mark, tests::reject_all_removes_a_tracked_paragraph_break
Paste of several paragraphs (tracking on)	every paragraph mark the paste adds is a tracked insertion; Reject All restores the one paragraph, Accept All keeps the pasted ones	reject_all_takes_out_the_paragraph_breaks_a_tracked_paste_inserted
Backspace at a paragraph start / Delete at a paragraph end (tracking on)	the paragraph mark is marked deleted (still shown); the caret moves before it (Backspace) or past it (Delete). Accept joins the paragraphs, Reject keeps them. A mark you inserted yourself is just removed	tracked_enter_and_backspace_track_the_paragraph_mark, tests::tracked_backspace_and_delete_mark_a_paragraph_break_deleted
Delete a range from the end of one paragraph into a later one (tracking on)	the paragraph marks and text in the range are tracked deletions. Accept All removes exactly those, so the paragraph after the range stays a paragraph of its own; Reject All restores everything. Typing into an empty paragraph and rejecting leaves that paragraph	tests::accept_all_after_a_tracked_delete_from_a_paragraph_end_keeps_the_next_paragraph, tests::reject_all_after_typing_into_an_empty_paragraph_keeps_the_paragraph
Select All, then Delete or Backspace	the whole document goes, tables included, also when it starts with a table; one empty paragraph is left	select_all_then_delete_removes_tables
Table Layout › Delete Table / Rows / Columns / Cells (tracking on)	like Word deleting a selected table: the cells' text is marked deleted and the table structure stays (WordCraft has no tracked row or column deletion, w:trPr/w:del, so rows and columns keep their cells too, where Word's Accept removes the rows); text you inserted yourself is just removed; Reject All restores the text. A table, row or column with no text at all (empty, or its deletion already accepted) is removed as with tracking off; one whose text is all already marked deleted is left alone with a message (accept or reject first). Delete Columns leaves a merged cell that also spans a kept column alone (it narrows, keeping its text). A content control locked against deletion, or content locked against editing, refuses the delete with tracking on or off	tests_revision_checks::tracked_table_delete_marks_the_text_deleted_and_reject_all_restores_it, tracked_row_column_and_cell_deletes_mark_their_text_deleted, tracked_table_delete_over_tracked_insertions_rejects_back_to_the_original, table_deletes_refuse_a_control_locked_against_deletion, tracked_delete_table_removes_a_table_with_no_live_text, delete_columns_leaves_a_merged_cell_that_keeps_a_column_alone, tracked_row_and_column_deletes_over_tracked_changes_reject_back_to_the_original
Change Case (Shift+F3, Home › Aa) (tracking on)	Word shows no insertion or deletion markup (checked with Formatting markup set to none, so Word may record it as a hidden formatting revision). Differs: WordCraft records the changed letters as a tracked deletion of the old and insertion of the new, since case isn't a run property a formatting revision could hold; Reject All restores the old case, Accept All keeps the new. Your own tracked insertion is rewritten in place; already-deleted text is left alone and doesn't count (with tracking off too), so changing case again (or Shift+F3) works from the visible text. Refused in content locked against editing	tests_revision_checks::tracked_change_case_rejects_back_to_the_original_case, tracked_change_case_of_own_insertion_stays_an_insertion, tracked_change_case_twice_reads_only_the_live_text, tracked_change_case_handles_sharp_s_and_mixed_formatting, change_case_refuses_content_locked_against_editing
Unlink Fields (Ctrl+Shift+F9) (tracking on)	not tracked, like Word: the field's result stays as ordinary text. Refused in content locked against editing	tests_revision_checks::tracked_unlink_keeps_the_result_as_plain_text, unlink_refuses_a_field_in_content_locked_against_editing

Editing keys

Word's documented keyboard behaviour (Microsoft's shortcut list, feature names only); the Windows/Linux keys are given first, macOS second.

Keys	Word's result	Test
Down / Up (↓ / ↑) from a line beside a table	into the table's nearest row: the cell under the caret, or the nearest one when the caret is left or right of the cells' text (the start of the line above a table is left of the first cell's text); never past the table to the paragraph beyond it	down_and_up_from_a_line_start_beside_a_table_go_into_it
Alt+Shift+Up / Down (⌃⇧↑ / ⌃⇧↓)	the paragraphs the selection touches swap with the paragraph above / below, keeping style and list membership; the selection moves with them; one undo step. A selection ending at the start of a paragraph doesn't take it along. Refused at the top or bottom of the story or cell, next to a table and across a section break	alt_shift_down_then_up_moves_a_paragraph_and_back_and_undoes
Alt+Shift+Left / Right (⌃⇧← / ⌃⇧→)	Promote / Demote: a heading goes up or down one level (Heading 1 and Heading 9 are the ends); promoted body text becomes a heading at the level of the heading before it; a list item changes level like Shift+Tab / Tab	alt_shift_left_and_right_promote_and_demote_headings_and_list_items
Outline view: Alt+Shift+Up / Down, Left / Right	as above, but a collapsed heading takes what is hidden under it along: moving passes whole shown paragraphs with their hidden content; promote/demote shifts the hidden subheadings too	outline_collapse_hides_descendants_and_expand_restores
Outline view: Alt+Shift+Plus / Minus, Alt+Shift+1–9, Alt+Shift+A	Expand / Collapse the heading (one level at a time); Show Level 1–9; show all levels. The caret never stays in hidden text: it moves on to the next shown paragraph	outline_show_level_filters_paragraphs
Shift+F5	Go Back: the caret cycles through the last four places edited, most recent first	shift_f5_goes_back_through_the_last_edits
Alt+X (no macOS default)	the hex code before the caret (up to six digits, U+ optional) or the selected code becomes its character; otherwise the character before the caret becomes its code (é ↔ 00E9); one undo step	alt_x_toggles_between_a_character_and_its_code
Shift+Backspace / Shift+Delete	Shift+Backspace erases like Backspace (#707). Shift+Delete cuts the selection to the clipboard and does nothing without one (Word for Windows, observed 2026-10-14). Windows delivers Shift+Delete as a Cut; macOS and Linux deliver the key, which did nothing (#1669)	shift_delete_cuts_the_selection_and_shift_backspace_erases
Alt+numpad code (Windows and Linux; not macOS)	hold Alt, type a decimal code, release Alt: the character appears at the caret as typed text (one undo step). With a leading 0 the code is the ANSI code page — Windows-1252 by default (0233 → é, 0128 → €); without one, 1–255 is the OEM code page — 437 by default and in US English (233 → Θ, 1 → ☺, 7 → •), 850 for Western European locales and English outside the US (155 → ø; 233 is Ú there, per the CP850 mapping file — é is 130 in both). On Windows the system locale picks both pages (text.typeCode ansi/oem): Central European 1250/852 (Polish 0185 and 165 → ą), Cyrillic 1251/866, Greek 1253/737, Turkish 1254/857, and for codes up to 255 the character Windows composes itself replaces ours (it knows every code page, double-byte ones too); Linux keeps 1252 and 437/850. Above 255, with or without the 0, the Unicode character with that decimal value (8364 → €). Control characters, 0, unassigned bytes and values past Unicode type nothing; auto-repeat of a held digit adds nothing, and switching windows drops a half-typed code. Word counts only keypad digits; egui reports keypad and top-row digits alike, so top-row digits with Alt alone compose codes too. An Alt code never opens KeyTips	alt_numpad_codes_map_like_word_on_windows, alt_numpad_code_types_one_character, ui-egui alt_numpad_code_types_its_character_without_keytips
Shift+Right (⇧→) at the end of a cell's text	the whole cell is selected first (its end-of-cell mark); the next Shift+Right selects the next cell with it. In an empty cell the first press selects the cell	shift_right_at_the_end_of_a_cell_selects_the_cell_first

AutoCorrect and AutoFormat as you type

Applied when a word is finished by a space, punctuation or Enter (enter_finishes_a_word_for_autocorrect):

• First letter of a sentence (paragraph or list item start, after . ! ?) is capitalised; not after abbreviations (e.g., Dr., …) or initials (J.), and not for mixed-case words (iPhone) or single-letter labels (a.). teh→the, i→I, (c)→©, (tm)→™, wait...→wait…, smart quotes (autocorrect_as_you_type).

• Correct TWo INitial CApitals: a finished word of three or more letters with two capitals and the rest lowercase loses its second capital (WOrd→Word, TEh→The); not the exceptions (IDs, CDs, PCs, TVs, … plus the user's, tools.autocorrect {"addInitialCapsException"}) (two_initial_capitals_are_corrected).

• Correct accidental usage of cAPS LOCK: wORD→Word (three or more letters; not iOS, mRNA, …). Word also switches Caps Lock off; we only correct the word (accidental_caps_lock_is_corrected).

• Capitalize first letter of table cells: the first word typed in a cell is capitalised like a sentence start, under its own option (first_letter_of_a_table_cell_is_capitalised).

• Each fix is one undo step right after it, and each has its own switch (twoInitialCaps, capsLock, capCells on tools.autocorrect; on by default) (capitalisation_fixes_undo_and_turn_off).

• 1/2 1/4 3/4 → ½ ¼ ¾; 1st 22nd 13th get superscript suffixes (ordinals_become_superscript).

• word -- word → en dash, word - word → en dash, word--word → em dash (dashes).

• Web addresses become links; following text isn't linked (web_addresses_become_links).

• A hyperlink covers only its own text: typing at either end of it, or after Enter at its end, isn't linked; typing inside it is. Linking a whole paragraph doesn't link its mark, so the paragraphs Enter makes from it aren't links (#413; a_link_covers_only_its_own_text, typing_at_either_end_of_a_link_is_not_linked).

• A field covers only its own result: text typed or pasted with the caret just after a field (a Zotero citation at the end of a paragraph, the caret put there with a click) goes after the field, not into its result (#898; typing_after_a_citation_goes_outside_its_field).

• Enter after --- === *** ___ ~~~ ### → a bottom border on the paragraph above (single, double, dotted, thick, wave, triple) (border_line_autoformat). ⌘Z right after brings the characters back and removes the border; the Enter stays (one undo step) ¹ (undo_right_after_a_border_line_brings_the_characters_back).

• +---+------+ Enter (plus signs around runs of hyphens, the whole paragraph) → a one-row table across the text width, each column as wide as its share of the hyphens; the caret goes into the first cell. ⌘Z right after brings the characters back. More than 63 columns stay text ¹ (plus_and_hyphen_line_becomes_a_table).

• Smileys :) :-) :( :-( :| → ☺ ☹ 😐, also straight after a word (ok:) → ok☺) ¹ (smileys_are_replaced_inside_words_too).

• Names of days are capitalised (monday → Monday). AutoCorrect Options (#412, tools.autocorrect, saved per user) switch each of these off: replacements, sentence and table-cell capitals, days, smart quotes, fractions, ordinals, dashes, links, bulleted and numbered lists, border lines; user entries are added, replaced or deleted (built-in ones too), and "don't capitalize after" exceptions extend the abbreviation list. A replacement of several words takes a sentence capital on its first (autocorrect_options_change_what_typing_does).

• The built-in replacement list is English: its words (teh, i, dont…) are replaced only in English text (the run's w:lang, then its style, then the document default; text with no language at all is in the editing language, so with a Polish interface a .docx without w:lang is Polish). English is decided as proofing decides it (ProofLang: en, eng). Polish Ala i kot keeps its i ("and"); symbols ((c), ->, 1/2) and the user's own entries apply in every language (#835; autocorrect_replacement_list_follows_the_texts_language). Croatian, Bosnian and Serbian i is kept only when the text is tagged with that language: those interfaces don't set an editing language yet. Per-language lists for other languages aren't there yet (#735).

¹ From Word's documented AutoFormat and AutoCorrect options; not yet keystroke-compared with Word.

Editing options (File › Options › Advanced)

Keys / setting	Result	Test
Typing over a selection	replaces it (Word's default); with "Typing replaces selected text" off, the text goes in front of the selection, which stays	typing_over_a_selection_follows_the_replace_selection_option
Overtype on, typing	each character replaces the one after the caret, never the paragraph mark or an object; Insert switches overtype only with the Insert-key option on (off by default, as in Word)	overtype_replaces_the_characters_after_the_caret

Text direction

• Typing Arabic, Hebrew or another right-to-left script as the first letters of a paragraph whose direction nothing sets (not the paragraph, its style or the document defaults) makes it a right-to-left paragraph, so the caret starts at the right margin. A paragraph that already has letters keeps its direction, and so do opened documents: a paragraph without w:bidi stays left-to-right whatever its text (typing_rtl_letters_into_an_empty_paragraph_makes_it_rtl). Word takes the direction from the keyboard language instead; not yet compared side by side.

Layout

• No line break right after a slash (and/or, URLs) unless the word can't fit a line (layout::tests::no_line_break_right_after_a_slash).

Complex scripts

• Myanmar, Khmer and the Indic scripts are typed in memory order (consonant, medials, then vowel signs such as ေ, which is drawn before its consonant); the caret steps over whole syllables (Myanmar vowel signs and stacked consonants never split off), Backspace removes one character (vowel sign, medial, stacked consonant), Delete the whole syllable — the platforms' standard behaviour, not yet compared against Word (#604, myanmar_typing_steps_by_syllable_and_backspaces_by_sign, indic_and_khmer_backspace_removes_one_character).

Known gaps

• Word's body font Aptos isn't installed outside Office; our substitute (Carlito, else Helvetica Neue) is wider, so lines wrap earlier than in Word. Needs a metric-matched open substitute.
• Moving paragraphs with Track Changes on isn't recorded as a tracked move; whole table rows don't move yet (a selection across cells is refused). Go Back's places aren't mapped through later edits (they are clamped to the document).
• Not yet compared: keystroke-by-keystroke comparison of Correct TWo INitial CApitals, cAPS LOCK and table-cell capitals (implemented from Word's AutoCorrect options; Word's exception list not compared); the rows marked ¹ above.

How to compare

• WordCraft: the headless ui_shot example (no window, no focus) with UI_SHOT_FULL=1 prints the whole document.inspect; drive it with ui.text / ui.key lines so keys take the real input path.
• Word: the machine is shared. Prefer AppleScript that doesn't take focus (open, read paragraphs, export PDF). Keystroke runs steal focus and race the person at the keyboard: keep them short, read the document back to verify, and ask first. Screenshots of Word's window only, under plan/word/screenshots/.

Revision history

Date	Change	Summary
2026-10-14	trivial	Shift+Delete cuts the selection, and does nothing without one, on macOS and Linux too, as in Word for Windows (#1669); Shift+Backspace already erased (#707)
2026-10-13	trivial	Select All then Delete or Backspace removes a table the document starts with (#1198)
2026-10-12	trivial	Editing keys: Down and Up from the start of a line beside a table go into it instead of skipping it (#1007)
2026-10-12	trivial	Sample-text formulas on Enter (#1067), exact matching, bounded parameters, original English and one-step undo
2026-10-13	minor	Alt+numpad decimal character codes: the ANSI code page with a leading 0, the OEM page without (the system locale's on Windows: 1250–1254, 437/737/850/852/857/866), Unicode above 255 (#961)
2026-10-13	trivial	Fields: text typed or pasted just after a field (a Zotero citation) goes outside it (#898)
2026-10-14	trivial	Track Changes: a table delete over text already marked deleted changes nothing, so Reject All still restores it (#1329 review 2)
2026-10-14	trivial	Track Changes: empty tables are removed under tracking; Delete Columns leaves merged cells that keep a column; repeated Change Case reads only live text (#1329 review)
2026-10-14	trivial	Track Changes: table deletes mark the cells' text deleted and keep the table; Change Case is a tracked delete+insert (differs from Word's hidden formatting revision); Unlink Fields stays untracked; all three refuse locked content controls (#1329)
2026-10-12	trivial	Track Changes: Accept All after a tracked delete from a paragraph end keeps the next paragraph; Reject All after typing into an empty paragraph keeps it (#864)
2026-10-12	minor	AutoCorrect: Correct TWo INitial CApitals, accidental cAPS LOCK, capitalize first letter of table cells (#544)
2026-10-12	trivial	Editing keys: Shift+Right at the end of a cell's text selects the cell first, then the next cell with it (#971)
2026-10-11	minor	Text direction: right-to-left letters typed into an empty paragraph make it right-to-left; existing paragraphs keep theirs (#713)
2026-10-12	trivial	AutoCorrect: untagged text follows the editing language; English decided as proofing does (#835 review)
2026-10-11	trivial	Grammar proofing (not AutoCorrect) no longer suggests capitalising a sentence after ... or … (proof::tests::ellipses_do_not_start_sentences)
2026-10-12	minor	AutoCorrect: the English replacement list applies only to English (or untagged) text; Polish i stays (#835)
2026-10-11	minor	AutoFormat tables from +---+, arrow bullets, smileys inside words, undo after a border line (#546)
2026-10-11	trivial	Outline view keys: expand/collapse, Show Level, moving and promoting with collapsed content (#493)
2026-10-11	minor	Editing options: typing replaces selection, overtype and the Insert key (#485)
2026-10-11	minor	Pasted paragraph breaks: tracked under Track Changes (#417), kept in a list by Keep Text Only (#422)
2026-10-11	minor	Complex scripts: caret by syllable, Backspace by character (#604)
2026-10-11	minor	Undo rows: a selection ends the typing group (#419); Undo of Bold at the caret restores unbolded typing (#424)
2026-10-11	minor	Names of days capitalised; AutoCorrect Options (user entries, deleted built-ins, exceptions, every AutoCorrect/AutoFormat switch) change typing (#412)
2026-10-11	minor	Editing keys: Move Paragraph Up/Down, Promote/Demote, Go Back (Shift+F5), Alt+X (#343)
2026-10-11	minor	Hyperlinks: text typed at either end of a link or after Enter stays outside it (#413)
2026-10-10	trivial	Status line, revision history and cross-links added (progress-docs standard)
2026-10-10	minor	Track Changes rows: tracked Enter, Backspace and Delete on paragraph marks (#244)
2026-10-10	major	First version: lists, AutoCorrect and AutoFormat as you type, observed against Word (#204)