diff --git a/build.zig b/build.zig
index 926e476..1b194ed 100644
--- a/build.zig
+++ b/build.zig
@@ -509,6 +509,7 @@ pub fn build_exe(
             .{ .name = "thespian", .module = thespian_mod },
             .{ .name = "log", .module = log_mod },
             .{ .name = "Buffer", .module = Buffer_mod },
+            .{ .name = "config", .module = config_mod },
         },
     });
 
@@ -527,6 +528,7 @@ pub fn build_exe(
         tests.root_module.addImport("thespian", thespian_mod);
         tests.root_module.addImport("log", log_mod);
         tests.root_module.addImport("Buffer", Buffer_mod);
+        tests.root_module.addImport("config", config_mod);
         // b.installArtifact(tests);
         break :blk b.addRunArtifact(tests);
     };
diff --git a/src/config.zig b/src/config.zig
index 2e62b42..bb6367b 100644
--- a/src/config.zig
+++ b/src/config.zig
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ idle_actions: []const IdleAction = &default_actions,
 enable_format_on_save: bool = false,
 restore_last_cursor_position: bool = true,
 follow_cursor_on_buffer_switch: bool = false, //scroll cursor into view on buffer switch
-default_cursor: []const u8 = "default",
+default_cursor: CursorShape = .default,
 enable_auto_save: bool = false,
 limit_auto_save_file_types: ?[]const []const u8 = null, // null means *all*
 
@@ -114,3 +114,13 @@ pub const WhitespaceMode = enum {
     full,
     none,
 };
+
+pub const CursorShape = enum {
+    default,
+    block_blink,
+    block,
+    underline_blink,
+    underline,
+    beam_blink,
+    beam,
+};
diff --git a/src/keybind/builtin/helix.json b/src/keybind/builtin/helix.json
index a76828c..23ae2cf 100644
--- a/src/keybind/builtin/helix.json
+++ b/src/keybind/builtin/helix.json
@@ -27,10 +27,12 @@
 
             ["ctrl+^", "open_previous_file"],
             ["ctrl+w v", "add_split"],
+            ["ctrl+w c", "toggle_centered_view"],
             ["ctrl+w h", "goto_left_split"],
             ["ctrl+w l", "goto_right_split"],
             ["ctrl+w H", "swap_left_split"],
             ["ctrl+w L", "swap_right_split"],
+            ["ctrl+w F", "goto_file_split"],
             ["ctrl+w q", "close_split"],
             ["ctrl+w o", "close_other_splits"],
 
diff --git a/src/keybind/keybind.zig b/src/keybind/keybind.zig
index 4fe2d67..16485d0 100644
--- a/src/keybind/keybind.zig
+++ b/src/keybind/keybind.zig
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const command = @import("command");
 const EventHandler = @import("EventHandler");
 const KeyEvent = input.KeyEvent;
 const SelectionStyle = @import("Buffer").Selection.Style;
+pub const CursorShape = @import("config").CursorShape;
 
 const parse_flow = @import("parse_flow.zig");
 const parse_vim = @import("parse_vim.zig");
@@ -743,16 +744,6 @@ pub const LineNumbers = enum {
     relative,
 };
 
-pub const CursorShape = enum {
-    default,
-    block_blink,
-    block,
-    underline_blink,
-    underline,
-    beam_blink,
-    beam,
-};
-
 pub fn get_or_create_namespace_config_file(allocator: std.mem.Allocator, namespace_name: []const u8) ![]const u8 {
     if (root.read_keybind_namespace(allocator, namespace_name)) |content| {
         allocator.free(content);
diff --git a/src/main.zig b/src/main.zig
index 763bd8d..5171ff4 100644
--- a/src/main.zig
+++ b/src/main.zig
@@ -698,6 +698,7 @@ pub fn write_config_to_writer(comptime T: type, data: T, writer: *std.Io.Writer)
     const default: T = .{};
     inline for (@typeInfo(T).@"struct".fields) |field_info| {
         if (config_eql(
+            T,
             field_info.type,
             @field(data, field_info.name),
             @field(default, field_info.name),
@@ -718,9 +719,57 @@ pub fn write_config_to_writer(comptime T: type, data: T, writer: *std.Io.Writer)
             },
         }
         try writer.print("\n", .{});
+        try writer.print("# value type: ", .{});
+        try write_config_value_description(T, field_info.type, writer);
+        try writer.print("\n", .{});
+        try writer.print("\n", .{});
     }
 }
 
+fn write_config_value_description(T: type, field_type: type, writer: *std.Io.Writer) !void {
+    switch (@typeInfo(field_type)) {
+        .int => switch (field_type) {
+            u24 => try writer.print("24 bit hex color value in quotes", .{}),
+            usize => try writer.print("positive integer", .{}),
+            u8 => try writer.print("positive integer up to 255", .{}),
+            else => unsupported_error(T, field_type),
+        },
+        .bool => try writer.print("true or false", .{}),
+        .@"enum" => {
+            var first = true;
+            try writer.print("one of ", .{});
+            for (std.meta.tags(field_type)) |tag| {
+                if (first) first = false else try writer.print(", ", .{});
+                try writer.print("\"{s}\"", .{@tagName(tag)});
+            }
+        },
+        .optional => |info| switch (@typeInfo(info.child)) {
+            else => {
+                try write_config_value_description(T, info.child, writer);
+                try writer.print(" or null", .{});
+            },
+        },
+        .pointer => |info| switch (info.size) {
+            .slice => if (info.child == u8)
+                try writer.print("quoted string", .{})
+            else if (info.child == u16)
+                try writer.print("quoted string (u16)", .{})
+            else if (info.child == []const u8)
+                try writer.print("list of quoted strings", .{})
+            else if (info.child == @import("config").IdleAction)
+                try writer.print("list of idle actions", .{})
+            else
+                unsupported_error(T, info.child),
+            else => unsupported_error(T, info.child),
+        },
+        else => unsupported_error(T, field_type),
+    }
+}
+
+fn unsupported_error(config_type: type, value_type: type) void {
+    @compileError("unsupported config type in " ++ @typeName(config_type) ++ ": " ++ @typeName(value_type));
+}
+
 fn write_color_value(value: u24, writer: *std.Io.Writer) std.Io.Writer.Error!void {
     var hex: [7]u8 = undefined;
     try writer.writeByte('"');
@@ -728,12 +777,12 @@ fn write_color_value(value: u24, writer: *std.Io.Writer) std.Io.Writer.Error!voi
     try writer.writeByte('"');
 }
 
-fn config_eql(comptime T: type, a: T, b: T) bool {
+fn config_eql(config_type: type, T: type, a: T, b: T) bool {
     switch (T) {
         []const u8 => return std.mem.eql(u8, a, b),
         []const []const u8 => {
             if (a.len != b.len) return false;
-            for (a, 0..) |x, i| if (!config_eql([]const u8, x, b[i])) return false;
+            for (a, 0..) |x, i| if (!config_eql(config_type, []const u8, x, b[i])) return false;
             return true;
         },
         else => {},
@@ -745,19 +794,19 @@ fn config_eql(comptime T: type, a: T, b: T) bool {
                 return true;
             if (a == null or b == null)
                 return false;
-            return config_eql(info.child, a.?, b.?);
+            return config_eql(config_type, info.child, a.?, b.?);
         },
         .pointer => |info| switch (info.size) {
             .slice => {
                 if (a.len != b.len) return false;
-                for (a, 0..) |x, i| if (!config_eql(info.child, x, b[i])) return false;
+                for (a, 0..) |x, i| if (!config_eql(config_type, info.child, x, b[i])) return false;
                 return true;
             },
-            else => @compileError("unsupported config type " ++ @typeName(T)),
+            else => unsupported_error(config_type, T),
         },
         else => {},
     }
-    @compileError("unsupported config type " ++ @typeName(T));
+    unsupported_error(config_type, T);
 }
 
 fn write_json_file(comptime T: type, data: T, allocator: std.mem.Allocator, file_name: []const u8) !void {
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.zig b/src/tui/tui.zig
index 338dbfc..9a58b2d 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.zig
+++ b/src/tui/tui.zig
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ render_pending: bool = false,
 keepalive_timer: ?tp.Cancellable = null,
 input_idle_timer: ?tp.Cancellable = null,
 mouse_idle_timer: ?tp.Cancellable = null,
-default_cursor: keybind.CursorShape = .default,
 fontface_: []const u8 = "",
 fontfaces_: std.ArrayListUnmanaged([]const u8) = .{},
 input_is_idle: bool = false,
@@ -183,8 +182,6 @@ fn init(allocator: Allocator) InitError!*Self {
     instance_ = self;
     defer instance_ = null;
 
-    self.default_cursor = std.meta.stringToEnum(keybind.CursorShape, conf.default_cursor) orelse .default;
-    self.config_.default_cursor = @tagName(self.default_cursor);
     self.rdr_.handler_ctx = self;
     self.rdr_.dispatch_input = dispatch_input;
     self.rdr_.dispatch_mouse = dispatch_mouse;
@@ -1745,7 +1742,8 @@ fn set_terminal_style(self: *Self, theme_: *const Widget.Theme) void {
 
 pub fn get_cursor_shape() renderer.CursorShape {
     const self = current();
-    const shape_ = if (self.input_mode_) |mode| mode.cursor_shape orelse self.default_cursor else self.default_cursor;
+    const default_cursor = self.config_.default_cursor;
+    const shape_ = if (self.input_mode_) |mode| mode.cursor_shape orelse default_cursor else default_cursor;
     const shape = if (self.rdr_.vx.caps.multi_cursor and shape_ == .default) .beam_blink else shape_;
     return switch (shape) {
         .default => .default,