Text Direction Plugin

The TextDirectionPlugin adds block-level text direction (dir attribute) to paragraphs, headings, and other directable block types. It exposes commands and a toolbar dropdown for switching between LTR, RTL, and auto direction, registers a Mod-Shift-D keymap, and (on Windows/Linux) attaches a Ctrl+Shift direction handler.

For inline <bdi> isolation see Bidi Isolation. For automatic direction detection / inheritance / preservation see Text Direction Auto.

Usage

import { TextDirectionPlugin } from '@notectl/core/plugins/text-direction';

new TextDirectionPlugin();
new TextDirectionPlugin({ directableTypes: ['paragraph', 'heading'] });

Configuration

interface TextDirectionConfig {
  /** Block types that support direction. Default: paragraph, heading, title, subtitle, table_cell, blockquote, list_item */
  readonly directableTypes: readonly string[];
  /** Custom locale for toolbar labels and announcements. */
  readonly locale?: TextDirectionLocale;
}

Example: restrict directable types

new TextDirectionPlugin({
  directableTypes: ['paragraph', 'heading', 'blockquote'],
});

Block-Level Direction

The plugin patches existing NodeSpecs for directable block types to add a dir attribute. This controls the overall text direction of the entire block.

Attribute	Type	Default	Renders As
`dir`	`'ltr' \| 'rtl' \| 'auto'`	`'auto'`	`dir="rtl"` on the block element

Commands

Command	Description	Returns
`setDirectionLTR`	Set block direction to left-to-right	`boolean`
`setDirectionRTL`	Set block direction to right-to-left	`boolean`
`setDirectionAuto`	Set block direction to automatic	`boolean`
`toggleDirection`	Cycle direction: auto → rtl → ltr → auto	`boolean`

editor.executeCommand('setDirectionRTL');
editor.executeCommand('toggleDirection');

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl+Shift+D` / `Cmd+Shift+D`	Toggle block direction (cycles auto → rtl → ltr → auto)

Windows/Linux only:

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl` + Left `Shift` key	Set direction to LTR
`Ctrl` + Right `Shift` key	Set direction to RTL

The plugin renders a Text Direction toolbar dropdown (block group) with LTR, RTL, and Auto options. The icon updates to reflect the current block’s direction.

Service: `TextDirectionService`

When this plugin loads it registers a TextDirectionService (via TEXT_DIRECTION_SERVICE_KEY) so other plugins can read the current direction without coupling to internals:

interface TextDirectionService {
  readonly directableTypes: ReadonlySet<string>;
  getBlockDir(block: BlockNode): TextDirection;
}

TextDirectionAutoPlugin requires this service. BidiIsolationPlugin consumes it optionally for the toggleBidiIsolation cycle UX.

Accessibility

Screen reader announcements for all direction changes via context.announce()
Keyboard-accessible shortcuts with platform-aware mappings (Mac vs. Windows/Linux)
ARIA-friendly toolbar dropdowns
Uses the semantic HTML dir attribute for proper assistive technology support

Internationalization

Ships with translations for 9 languages:

Language	Loader
English	Built-in (`TEXT_DIRECTION_LOCALE_EN`)
Arabic	`loadTextDirectionLocale('ar')`
German	`loadTextDirectionLocale('de')`
Spanish	`loadTextDirectionLocale('es')`
French	`loadTextDirectionLocale('fr')`
Hindi	`loadTextDirectionLocale('hi')`
Portuguese	`loadTextDirectionLocale('pt')`
Russian	`loadTextDirectionLocale('ru')`
Chinese	`loadTextDirectionLocale('zh')`

Custom locales can be provided via the locale config option. See the Internationalization guide for details.