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Use Ctrl+K for Inline Edits

The fastest AI workflow in Codebolt: select code, press Ctrl+K, type what you want, accept or reject. No chat tab. No thread. Just an inline diff.

Use case: small focused edits where a chat conversation is overkill.

The flow​

  1. Select — highlight the code you want changed.
  2. Press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on macOS).
  3. Type the instruction.
  4. Enter — the LLM produces a replacement.
  5. Review the inline diff.
  6. Tab to accept, Esc to reject, Ctrl+Enter to re-prompt.

That's the whole loop.

Example instructions that work​

  • add error handling
  • convert to async/await
  • extract the validation into a helper function
  • add JSDoc comments
  • use Map instead of plain object
  • fix the off-by-one in the loop
  • remove the unused imports
  • split this function at the obvious boundary
  • rewrite as a switch statement
  • add input validation for empty strings

Short, specific, imperative. The code is already providing the context.

Example instructions that don't work​

  • improve this — what does improve mean?
  • make it better — same problem
  • refactor — refactor how?
  • fix the bug — what bug?

Vague prompts get guessed interpretations.

What to select​

Select the smallest coherent unit​

  • A single statement to change one line.
  • A function body to refactor internals.
  • A class to restructure.
  • A file section (not the whole file) for localised changes.

Don't select more than the change needs​

Selecting 500 lines for a change that affects 10 is slower and less accurate. The LLM has more to think about; the diff is harder to review.

Don't select less than the change needs​

If you want to extract a function, select the whole block being extracted plus the context where it's called from. The LLM needs to see both.

Re-prompting​

If the first result isn't right, Ctrl+Enter instead of Esc. This keeps the same selection but lets you refine the instruction. Faster than starting over.

Common re-prompts:

  • actually, don't remove the comment — preserves specific things from the original
  • keep the variable names the same — when renaming drifted
  • use a const not a let — style correction
  • shorter — one line if possible — compression

When Ctrl+K isn't the right tool​

Use chat instead when:

  • The change spans multiple files.
  • You need to think through the approach before changing code.
  • The change depends on knowledge from elsewhere in the codebase.
  • You want to iterate with many back-and-forth turns.
  • You need tool calls beyond file editing.

Ctrl+K is optimised for "I know exactly what I want, just do it". For "I want to figure out what to do", use chat.

Keyboard flow without leaving the editor​

A typical inline-edit rhythm:

Click to position cursor
Shift+arrows to select
Ctrl+K
Type instruction
Enter
Tab (accept) or Esc (reject) or Ctrl+Enter (retry)
Continue typing

No mouse, no context switches. Fast.

Model selection for Ctrl+K​

Settings → Chat → Inline edit model lets you pick a separate model for Ctrl+K. Usually you want a fast mid-tier model here — the interaction is about speed, not maximum quality.

A common setup: flagship for chat, fast for Ctrl+K. Each optimised for its use case.

Checkpoints and Ctrl+K​

Every accepted inline edit creates a checkpoint. You can:

  • Rollback to before the edit with the checkpoint strip.
  • Review all inline edits on a file via the gutter markers.
  • Branch into a new chat thread from a specific edit if you want to explore further.

See also​