ASAT

// capabilities

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

Built from the ground up for keyboard-driven workflows.

⌨

Modal Editing

Normal, Insert, Visual, Command, Search, and Recording modes — just like Vim. Every keystroke has purpose.

Formula Engine

50+ built-in functions across math, text, logic, lookup, statistical, finance, and date. Volatile functions recalculate every frame — =NOW() auto-displays as YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM with no formatting needed. Tab-completion as you type.

⊞

Multi-Sheet

Tab bar navigation, :tabnew, :tabclose, and quick-switch with gt / gT.

◈

File Formats

Read and write CSV, TSV, XLSX, and ODS (OpenDocument). Native .asat format with bincode + zstd compression.

↩

Undo / Redo

1000-command undo stack with merge support. Row/column operations, cell edits, pastes — all undoable.

⏺

Macro Recording

Record key sequences into named registers with q{a-z}. Replay with @{reg} or N@@.

🎨

Theming

18 built-in themes selectable with :theme. Set theme_name = "nord" in config for a clean one-liner — no hex values needed. Full custom color override support.

🐍

Plugin System

Python plugins via PyO3 — enabled by default. Hook into cell changes, mode transitions, and file events. Register custom formula functions via ~/.config/asat/init.py. Manage with :plugins.

Searchable Help

:help opens a full-screen overlay with Keybindings and Formulas tabs. Type to filter entries instantly. Tab switches tabs, j/k scroll, q closes.

⊘

Circular Ref Detection

Formula dependency cycles are detected before evaluation. Cells in a cycle display #CIRC! — no hanging, no crash. Break the cycle to restore normal evaluation.

⤵

Go-to Definition

gd in Normal mode jumps to the first cell referenced in the current formula — like IDE go-to-definition for your spreadsheet.

Visual Mode Commands

Press : from any Visual mode to run an ex-command against the entire selection. Style commands like :bold, :fg #hex, :sort all apply to the range.

⇅

Sort & Replace

Sort rows by any column letter (:sort A, :sort B! = descending). Regex find & replace (:s/pat/repl/g). Both are fully undoable.

▼

Filter & Freeze

Hide rows matching a condition with :filter col op val. Freeze top rows or left columns as sticky pane headers.

◈

Named Ranges

Define named ranges with :name SALES A1:C10 and use them directly in formulas — =SUM(SALES).

✎

Cell Notes

Attach comments to any cell with :note. A corner marker (▸) indicates noted cells at a glance.

⬛

Conditional Formatting

Live rules via :cf A1:C10 > 100 bg=#ff0000 — re-evaluated every frame. Supports > < = != contains blank error. :cf clear removes all rules.

📋

System Clipboard

Yank operations copy as TSV to your OS clipboard. Ctrl+V in Insert mode pastes from the system clipboard.

⟳

Repeat Last Change

. in Normal mode replays your last insert or destructive edit — just like Vim. Works for cell edits, deletes, and style changes.

✦

Auto-Fill Series

Select a range in Visual mode and press Ctrl+F to extend a pattern: arithmetic sequences, weekday names (Mon→Tue→…), month names (Jan→Feb→…), or cyclic repeat.

◉

Formula Intelligence

Live formula preview shows → result in the formula bar as you type. Referenced cells highlight in the grid. Formula cells render in muted blue to distinguish them from data.

Text Objects

ci" ci( ci[ ci{ — change content inside delimiter pairs, just like Vim. Works on any cell containing quoted or bracketed text.

// formula guide

Spreadsheet formulas
from first principles.

Everything you need to write powerful formulas — syntax, references, functions, and the interactive cell picker.

Writing a formula

Start any cell with = to enter formula mode. Formulas are evaluated live — the result appears in the cell, and the raw formula shows in the formula bar.

Examples

=42+8→ 50

="Hello "&"World"→ Hello World

=A1*B1→ product of A1 and B1

=SUM(A1:A10)→ sum of 10 cells

Cell references

Reference individual cells, ranges, or cells on other sheets. Use $ to make a reference absolute (it won't shift when copying).

Reference types

A1relative — shifts when copied

$A$1absolute — never shifts

$A1col fixed, row relative

A1:C10range from A1 to C10

Sheet2.B4cell B4 on Sheet2

Interactive cell picker ✦

While typing a formula, press Ctrl+R to enter F-REF mode. Navigate the grid with hjkl. Your formula stays visible in the formula bar the whole time. Press Enter to insert a single-cell reference, or use v to anchor a range then navigate to the end and press Enter.

Single cell

i start editing a cell

=SUM(type the start of a formula

Ctrl+Renter F-REF mode

hjklnavigate to desired cell

Enterinsert cell ref (e.g. B3) and resume editing

Range selection

Ctrl+Renter F-REF mode

hjklnavigate to range start

vanchor range start (→ F-RANGE)

hjklextend selection to range end

Enterinsert range ref (e.g. B1:D5)

Esccancel without inserting

Operators

Standard arithmetic, comparison, and text operators work across all formula contexts.

Arithmetic

+ - * /add, subtract, multiply, divide

^power =2^10 → 1024

Comparison

= <> < <= > >=return TRUE or FALSE

Text

&concatenate ="Hi"&" "&A1

Math functions

SUM(range)total of a range

AVERAGE(range)mean value

MIN(range)smallest value

MAX(range)largest value

ROUND(n, d)round to d decimal places

ABS(n)absolute value

MOD(n, d)remainder after division

POWER(n, e)n raised to the power e

SQRT(n)square root

INT(n)truncate to integer

FLOOR(n, s)round down to multiple of s

CEILING(n, s)round up to multiple of s

Text functions

LEN(text)character count

LEFT(text, n)first n characters

RIGHT(text, n)last n characters

MID(text, s, n)n chars starting at s

TRIM(text)remove leading/trailing spaces

UPPER(text)convert to uppercase

LOWER(text)convert to lowercase

PROPER(text)Title Case

CONCATENATE(…)join multiple values

SUBSTITUTE(t,o,n)replace old text with new

FIND(find, in)position of substring (case sensitive)

TEXT(n, fmt)number to formatted string

Logic & conditional

IF(cond, t, f)branch on condition

AND(a, b, …)true if all are true

OR(a, b, …)true if any is true

NOT(cond)invert a boolean

IFERROR(val, alt)fallback if val is an error

ISBLANK(ref)true if cell is empty

ISNUMBER(val)true if val is numeric

ISTEXT(val)true if val is text

ISERROR(val)true if val is an error

Common patterns

Running total

=SUM($A$1:A1)expanding range

Conditional sum

=IF(B1>0, B1, 0)clamp negatives to zero

Percentage

=ROUND(A1/B1*100, 1)% to 1 decimal

Safe division

=IFERROR(A1/B1, 0)0 instead of #DIV/0!

Cross-sheet

=Sheet2.B4*1.2reference + calculation

// keybind reference

Every key.
Every command.

The complete reference for all modes, keybindings, ex-commands, and formula functions.

🔍

No keybinds match your search.

Keys	Action

Keys	Action
`h` / `←`	Move cursor left
`j` / `↓`	Move cursor down
`k` / `↑`	Move cursor up
`l` / `→`	Move cursor right
`w`	Jump to next non-empty cell (horizontal)
`b`	Jump to previous non-empty cell (horizontal)
`W`	Jump to next non-empty cell (vertical)
`B`	Jump to previous non-empty cell (vertical)
`{`	Jump to previous paragraph boundary (empty row)
`}`	Jump to next paragraph boundary (empty row)
`0` / `Home`	Jump to first column
`$` / `End`	Jump to last column with data
`gg`	Jump to first row
`G`	Jump to last row with data
`H`	Jump to top of visible area
`M`	Jump to middle of visible area
`L`	Jump to bottom of visible area
`Ctrld` / `Ctrlf` / `PgDn`	Page down
`Ctrlu` / `Ctrlb` / `PgUp`	Page up
`zz`	Scroll so cursor is vertically centered
`zt`	Scroll so cursor is at top of screen
`zb`	Scroll so cursor is at bottom of screen
`f{A–Z}`	Jump to column by letter (e.g. `fC` jumps to column C)
`{N}` + motion	Repeat motion N times (e.g. `5j` moves down 5 rows)

Keys	Action
NORMAL MODE — enter / modify cells
`i` / `Enter` / `F2`	Edit current cell (cursor at end of content)
`a`	Append: edit current cell with cursor at end
`s`	Substitute: clear cell and enter edit mode
`r`	Replace mode: overwrite characters
`cc`	Change: clear cell and enter edit mode
`~`	Toggle case of text cell (upper ↔ lower)
`x` / `Del` / `D`	Delete cell content (clear to empty)
`J`	Join: concatenate cell below into current cell (space-separated), then clear the cell below
`Ctrla`	Increment number by 1 — or cycle date forward (day → month name → weekday)
`Ctrlx`	Decrement number by 1 — or cycle date backward
`gd`	Go-to definition — jump to the first cell referenced in the current formula
`gw`	Toggle line wrap on current cell (text reflows into merged rows below for vertical merges)
`U`	Unmerge the merged region under the cursor
INSERT MODE — while editing a cell
`Esc`	Confirm edit and return to Normal mode
`Enter`	Confirm edit and move down one row
`Tab`	Confirm edit and move right one column
`←` `→`	Move edit cursor left / right within cell text
`Home`	Move edit cursor to start of cell text
`End`	Move edit cursor to end of cell text
`Backspace`	Delete character before edit cursor
`Delete`	Delete character after edit cursor
`Ctrla`	Move edit cursor to start of cell text
`Ctrle`	Move edit cursor to end of cell text
`Ctrlw`	Delete word backward (to previous whitespace)
`Ctrlu`	Delete everything from edit cursor to start of text
`Ctrlk`	Delete everything from edit cursor to end of text
`Ctrlr`	Enter F-REF mode to pick a cell reference (formulas only)

Keys	Action
`o`	Insert row below cursor and enter insert mode
`O`	Insert row above cursor and enter insert mode
`dd`	Delete current row (undoable)
`dC`	Delete current column (undoable)
`>>`	Increase current column width (+2 chars)
`<<`	Decrease current column width (-2 chars, min 3)
`=`	Auto-fit current column to its widest content
`+`	Increase current row height (+1 terminal line)
`-`	Decrease current row height (-1 terminal line, min 1)
`_`	Reset row height to auto (1 line)
:ic / :insertcol	Insert column to the left of cursor (undoable)
:icr / :insertcolright	Insert column to the right of cursor (undoable)
:dc / :deletecol	Delete current column (undoable)
:ir [N] / :insertrow [N]	Insert row at cursor or line N (undoable)
:dr [N] / :deleterow [N]	Delete row at cursor or line N (undoable)
:cw <N> / :colwidth <N>	Set current column width to exactly N chars
:rh <N> / :rowheight <N>	Set current row height to exactly N lines
:sort [asc\|desc]	Sort all rows by cursor column (undoable)
:s/pat/repl/[g][i]	Find & replace in text cells (undoable)

All yank operations copy to the system clipboard as tab-separated text, in addition to ASAT's internal register. Paste into any external app with your usual Ctrl+V.

Keys	Action
`yy` / `yr`	Yank entire current row → register + system clipboard
`yc`	Yank current cell value only → register + system clipboard
`y` (in visual)	Yank selected cells → register + system clipboard (as TSV)
`p`	Paste after cursor (next row for line yanks)
`P`	Paste before cursor (current row for line yanks)
`{N}p`	Paste N times
`yS`	Copy current cell's style to style clipboard
`pS`	Paste style clipboard onto current cell / visual selection

Keys	Action
`v`	Enter character/cell visual mode (rectangular selection)
`V`	Enter line (full-row) visual mode
`Ctrlv`	Enter column block (vertical) visual mode
`Esc` / `v` (again)	Exit visual mode without action
`V` (in char visual)	Switch to line visual mode
MOVEMENT (while selecting)
`hjkl` / arrows	Extend selection
`w` / `b`	Extend to next / previous non-empty cell (horizontal)
`W` / `B`	Extend to next / previous non-empty cell (vertical)
`0` / `$`	Extend selection to first / last column
`g` / `G`	Extend selection to first / last row
ACTIONS ON SELECTION
`M`	Merge selection into one spanning cell (undoable)
`d` / `x` / `Del`	Delete all cells in selection (undoable)
`c` / `s`	Clear selection and enter insert mode at top-left cell
`y`	Yank selection → register + system clipboard (tab-separated)
`S`	Insert `= SUM(range)` formula into the cell immediately below the selection
`>`	Widen all columns in the selection (+2 chars each)
`<`	Narrow all columns in the selection (−2 chars each, min 3)
`:`	Enter command mode with the selection range pre-loaded — style commands apply to all selected cells

Keys	Action
`u`	Undo last change (up to 1000 deep)
`Ctrlr`	Redo undone change
`{N}u`	Undo N changes at once
`m{a–z}`	Set named mark at current position (e.g. `ma`)
`'{a–z}`	Jump to named mark (e.g. `'a`)
`''`	Jump back to position before last mark jump

Keys	Action
`/`	Open forward search prompt (supports regex)
`?`	Open backward search prompt (supports regex)
`Enter` (in search)	Execute search, jump to first match
`Esc` (in search)	Cancel search
`n`	Jump to next search match
`N`	Jump to previous search match
`*`	Search for the content of the current cell
Tip: search patterns are case-insensitive regex. Use `^Total` to match cells starting with "Total", or `\d+\.\d{2}` to match decimals. Invalid regex falls back to literal substring match.

Keys	Action
`Tab` / `gt` / `Ctrlt`	Switch to next sheet
`⇧Tab` / `gT` / `CtrlT`	Switch to previous sheet
:tabnew [name]	Create a new sheet (optional name)
:tabedit [name]	Alias for :tabnew
:tabclose	Close current sheet (must have at least one remaining)

Keys	Action
`q{a–z}`	Start recording macro to named register (e.g. `qa`). Mode shows REC.
`q` (while recording)	Stop recording, save key sequence to register
`@{a–z}`	Play macro from named register (e.g. `@a`)
`@@`	Replay the most recently played macro
`{N}@{reg}`	Play macro N times in a row (e.g. `5@a`)
Macros record raw key events including mode transitions. Recursive macro playback is safely prevented.

Command	Action
`:`	Enter command mode
`Esc`	Cancel command mode
`:q`	Quit — warns if there are unsaved changes
`:q!`	Force quit, discarding all unsaved changes
`:w [file]`	Save current workbook (optionally to a new path)
`:wq` / `:x`	Save and quit
`:e <file>`	Open a file, replacing current workbook
`:tabnew [name]`	Create new sheet
`:tabclose`	Close current sheet
`:ic` / `:insertcol`	Insert column at cursor (left)
`:icr` / `:insertcolright`	Insert column to the right of cursor
`:dc` / `:deletecol`	Delete current column (undoable)
`:ir [N]` / `:insertrow [N]`	Insert row at cursor or at line N
`:dr [N]` / `:deleterow [N]`	Delete row at cursor or at line N (undoable)
`:cw <N>` / `:colwidth <N>`	Set current column width to exactly N characters
`:rh <N>` / `:rowheight <N>`	Set current row height to exactly N terminal lines
`:bold`	Toggle bold on current cell / visual selection
`:italic`	Toggle italic on current cell / visual selection
`:underline`	Toggle underline on current cell / visual selection
`:strike`	Toggle strikethrough on current cell / visual selection
`:fg <color>`	Set foreground (text) colour — hex `#rrggbb` or named (red, blue, green…)
`:bg <color>`	Set background colour — hex or named
`:hl <color>`	Highlight: set background with auto-contrast foreground
`:hl`	Clear highlight (remove fg and bg colours)
`:align <l/c/r>`	Set cell alignment: `l`eft, `c`enter, or `r`ight
`:fmt <spec>`	Number format: `%`, `$`, `0.00`, `int`, `date`, `none`
`:cs`	Clear all styles from current cell / visual selection
`:copystyle`	Copy current cell's style to style clipboard (same as `yS`)
`:pastestyle`	Paste style clipboard to cell / selection (same as `pS`)
`:theme`	Open the interactive theme picker
`:theme <name>`	Apply a named theme directly (Tab-completes available names)
`:set <option>`	Set a configuration option at runtime
`:sort [asc\|desc]`	Sort all rows by the current cursor column (undoable; default asc)
`:s/pat/repl/[g][i]`	Find & replace in text cells — `g` = all occurrences, `i` = case-insensitive, undoable
`:goto <addr>`	Jump to a cell address, e.g. `:goto B15`
`:name <NAME> <range>`	Define a named range usable in formulas, e.g. `:name SALES A1:C10`
`:filter <col> <op> <val>`	Hide rows where column doesn't match — ops: `= != > < >= <= ~`
`:filter off`	Unhide all filtered rows
`:freeze rows <N>`	Freeze top N rows as a sticky header
`:freeze cols <N>`	Freeze left N columns as a sticky header
`:freeze off`	Clear all frozen panes
`:note [text]`	Attach a comment to the current cell; `:note` shows it; `:note!` clears it
`:colfmt <op> <val> <color>`	Conditional format — apply background color to matching cells in the column
`:transpose`	Transpose rows and columns in the visual selection
`:dedup`	Remove duplicate rows by the current cursor column
`:filldown`	Fill the anchor cell's value down through the selection
`:fillright`	Fill the anchor cell's value right through the selection
`:fmt thousands`	Thousands-separator number format (#,##0); `:fmt t2` adds 2 decimal places
`:merge`	Merge visual selection (or current cell) into one spanning cell
`:unmerge`	Unmerge the merged region under the cursor
`:wrap` / `:ww`	Toggle line wrap on current cell or visual selection
`:help` / `:h`	Open full-screen searchable help (Keybindings + Formulas tabs)
`:plugins`	Open plugin manager TUI (engine status, custom functions, reload)

Tip: press Tab in command mode to cycle completions. Shift+Tab goes backwards. All structural operations are undoable with u.

Start any cell value with = to enter a formula. Formulas are re-evaluated automatically after every edit. Reference cells with A1, ranges with A1:B10, and other sheets with Sheet2.C4. Both absolute ($A$1) and relative references are supported.

Math

Statistical

Lookup & Reference

Finance

Date & Time

Random (volatile)

Text

Logic & Conditionals

Constants

Everything you need.Nothing you don't.

Install in seconds.

Spreadsheet formulasfrom first principles.

Every key.Every command.

Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.

Spreadsheet formulas
from first principles.

Every key.
Every command.