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• Nvim
  • Installation
    • Requirements
    • Windows
    • Linux
  • Configuration
  • Keymaps
    • Editor
    • Search
    • Scroll
    • Motion
    • Operation
      • Add/Change/Delete
      • Yank
      • Repeat
      • Undo
    • Language
    • Misc

Installation

Requirements

Windows

# required
Move-Item $env:LOCALAPPDATA\nvim $env:LOCALAPPDATA\nvim.bak
# optional but recommended
Move-Item $env:LOCALAPPDATA\nvim-data $env:LOCALAPPDATA\nvim-data.bak
# clone
git clone https://github.com/mrbeardad/nvim $env:LOCALAPPDATA\nvim
# start and install plugins automatically
nvim

Linux

# required
mv ~/.config/nvim{,.bak}
# optional but recommended
mv ~/.local/share/nvim{,.bak}
mv ~/.local/state/nvim{,.bak}
mv ~/.cache/nvim{,.bak}
# clone
git clone https://github.com/LazyVim/starter ~/.config/nvim
# start and install plugins automatically
nvim

Configuration

Make sure you have added following settings to your vscode settings.json,

  "extensions.experimental.affinity": {
    "asvetliakov.vscode-neovim": 1
  },

  "vscode-neovim.ctrlKeysForInsertMode": ["w", "a", "e", "o", "h", "u", "d", "k", "r", "n"],
  "vscode-neovim.ctrlKeysForNormalMode": ["w", "d", "u", "b", "o", "i", "a", "x", "v", "r", "j", "n"],

and also add all the keybindings to your keybindings.json

In most of terminals, <C-S-*> and <C-*> have the same key sequence. To distinguish them, map ctrl+shift+* to send <C-S-*> key sequence in your terminal setting. For detail see here

For historical reason, <Tab> and <C-i> have the same key sequence in most of terminals. To distinguish them, you could map another key, say <M-I>, to <C-i> in neovim, and then map ctrl+i to send <M-I> key sequence in your terminal setting. For more info :h tui-modifyOtherKeys and xterm-modified-keys

My own windows terminal setting is here.

Keymaps

Editor

Neovim Keys	VSCode Keys	Mode	Description
Space e	Ctrl+Shift+E	N	Open or focus explorer
j	j	Explorer	Up
k	k	Explorer	Down
h	h	Explorer	Collapse
l	l	Explorer	Expand or open
a	a	Explorer	Add new file/directory
r	r	Explorer	Rename
y	y	Explorer	Copy
p	p	Explorer	Paste
d	d	Explorer	Delete
c	c	Explorer	Copy path
o	o	Explorer	Open by system
/	/	Explorer	Filter
?		Explorer	Help

Neovim Keys	VSCode Keys	Mode	Description
H	H	N	Previous file
L	L	N	Next file
Space Tab	Ctrl+Tab	N	Switch file
Ctrl+S	Ctrl+S	N	Save file
Space bd	Ctrl+W q	N	Close file

Neovim Keys	VSCode Keys	Mode	Description
Tab	Tab	N	Next window
Shift+Tab	Shift+Tab	N	Previous window
Ctrl+W s	Ctrl+W s	N	Horizontal split window
Ctrl+W v	Ctrl+W v	N	Vertical split window
Ctrl+W =	Ctrl+W =	N	Resize windows
Ctrl+W o	Ctrl+W o	N	Close other windows
Ctrl+W c	Ctrl+W c	N	Close {count}-th windows, default current

Tips:

1. The buffer in Neovim is similar to the editor in VSCode.
2. The window in Neovim is similar to the editor group in VSCode.
3. They are just similar rather than equal.

Search

Use Search if the target positon is unknown or too far.

Neovim Key	VSCode Key	Mode	Description
/	/, Ctrl+F	N	Search forward in file
?	?	N	Search backward in file
*	*	N V	Search forward for the word nearest to the cursor in file
#	#	N V	Search backward for the word nearest to the cursor in file
n	n	n	Search forwar for last pattern in file
N	N	N	Search backward for last pattern in file
Space /	Ctrl+Shift+F	N V	Search in workspace
Space Space	Ctrl+P	N	Search files in workspace
Space r	Ctrl+K Ctrl+R	N	Search recently opened files
Space sm	Side Bar	N	Search marks
Space st	Side Bar	N	Search todos
Space ss	Ctrl+Shift+O	N	Search symbols in file
Space sS	Ctrl+T	N	Search symbols in workspace
gd	gd	N	Go to definition
gy	gy	N	Go to type definition
gr	gr	N	Go to reference
Ctrl+/		Picker	Help

Tips:

1. For details of vim regular expression, see :h pattern
2. For fzf fuzzy search syntax, see Fzf Search Syntax

Scroll

Use Scroll if the target position is roughly known.

Neovim Keys	VSCode Keys	Mode	Description
Ctrl+D	Ctrl+D	N	Scroll down half screen
Ctrl+U	Ctrl+U	N	Scroll up half screen
Ctrl+F		N	Scroll down full screen
Ctrl+B	Ctrl+B	N	Scroll up full screen
gg	gg	N	Go to first line
G	G	N	Go to {count}-th line, default last line
zz	zz	N	Scroll to leave current line at center of screen
M	M	N	Move cursor to center of screen
Alt+F	Alt+F	N	Scroll left
Alt+B	Alt+F	N	Scroll right

Motion

Use Motion if the target position is exactly known.

Key	Mode	Description
h	N V	Move left
l	N V	Move right
j	N V	Move up
k	N V	Move down
0	N V	Move to the start of the line
$	N V	Move to the end of the line
Ctrl+A	I	Move to the start of the line
Ctrl+E	I	Move to the end of the line
f {char}	N V	Jump to the next position of {char}
F {char}	N V	Jump to the previous position of {char}
t {char}	N V	Jump to the next position before {char}
T {char}	N V	Jump to the previous position after {char}
m {mark}	N	Set a mark
` {mark}	N	Jump to mark
Ctrl+O	N	Go to older cursor position in jump list (not a motion)
Ctrl+I	N	Go to newer cursor position in jump list (not a motion)
g;	N	Go to older cursor position in change list (not a motion)
g,	N	Go to newer cursor position in change list (not a motion)

Tips:

• Jump is command that normally moves the cursor several lines away. If you make the cursor "jump", the position of the cursor before the jump is remembered in jump list. For details, see :h jump-motions

Text Object (omit a/i)	Motions	Description
?		User prompt surround
{char}		Character surround (support punction and digit)
q		Quote surround, "" '' ``
b		Bracket surround, {} [] () <>
t		Tag surround, <tag></tag>
w, e	w b e	word
W, E	W B E	WORD
p	{ }	Paragraph
g		Entire file
i	[i ]i	Indent
o		Block/Loop/Condition
a	[a ]a	Argument
f	[f ]f	Function
u		Function usage (calling)
c	[c ]c	Type definition
	[d ]d [e ]e [w ]w	Diagnostics/Error/Warning
	[h ]h	Hunks (Git change or diff)

Visual Selection Keys	Mode	Description
v	N V	Charwise visual selection
V	N V	Linewise visual selection
Ctrl+V	N V	Blockwise visual selection
o	V	Move cursor to begin or end of selection region, so you can tweek the range manually
a/i {textobj}	V	Expand selection to fit outter text object, else select next text object
an/in {textobj}	V	Select next/previous text object
al/il {textobj}	V	Select next/previous text object

Operation

Add/Change/Delete

Tips:

• Operator + [count] Motion = Do operator for all text from the start position to the end position
• Operator + [count] Text-Object = Do operator for all text in text object
• {Visual} Operator = Do operator for visual selected text

Operator	Mode	Description	Comment
gu	N V	Make text lowercase	guu=0gu$, vu=vgu
gU	N V	Make text uppercase	gUU=0gU$, vU=vgU
g~	N V	Switch case of text	g~~=0g~$, v~=vg~, ~=g~l
c	N V	Change text	Alt+c="_c, cc=0c$, C=c$, s=cl
d	N V	Delete text	Alt+d="_d, dd=0v$d, D=d$, x=dl, X=dh
y	N V	Yank (Copy) text	yy=0v$y, Y=y$
v	N	Start charwise visual	v$ will cover the EOL

Normal Key	Mode	Description
Esc	ALL	Return to normal mode
ys {motion} {char}	N V	Add surround around {motion} with {char}
cs {char1} {char2}	N	Change the surrounding pair {char} with {char2}
ds {char}	N	Delete the surrounding pair {char}
r {char}	N V	Replace the character under the cursor with {char}
J	N V	Join lines into one line
<	N V	Shift lines left
>	N V	Shift lines right
Alt+J	I, N, V	Move line Down
Alt+K	I, N, V	Move line Up
Ctrl+A	N	Add to the number under cursor
Ctrl+X	N	Subtract from the number under cursor
] Space	N	Add empty line below
[ Space	N	Add empty line above

Insert Key	Mode	Description
i	N	Insert before the cursor
a	N	Insert after the cursor
I	N	Insert before the first non-blank in the line
A	N	Insert before the end of the line
o	N	Insert a new line below the cursor
O	N	Insert a new line above the cursor
Ctrl+O	I	Execute one command then return to Insert mode
Ctrl+H	I	Delete left
Ctrl+W	I	Delete left word
Ctrl+U	I	Delete all left
Ctrl+D	I	Delete right
Alt+D	I	Delete right word
Ctrl+K	I	Delete all right

Yank

Key	Mode	Description
" {register} {yank or put}	N V	Use {register} to yank or paste
Ctrl+R {register}	I	Paste text from {register}
y	N V	Copy text
p	N V	Paste text after cursor
P	N	Paste text before cursor
gp	N	Paste text below current line
gP	N	Paste text above current line
zp	N V	Paste last yanked text after cursor
zP	N	Paste last yanked text before cursor
zgp|gzp	N	Paste last yanked text below current line
zgP|gzP	N	Paste last yanked text above current line
[y|[p	N	Cycle forward through yank history
]y|]p	N	Cycle backward through yank history
Ctrl+C	V	Copy (VSCode only)
Ctrl+V	I V	Paste last yanked
Space p	N	Search yank history

Tips

• Commonly used registers (With yanky installed)
  1. ": laste changed, deleted or yanked
  2. 1-9: history of deleted, changed or yanked
  3. 0: last yanked
  4. -: last short changed or deleted (didn't across multiple lines)
  5. .: last inserted text
  6. :: last command line
  7. /: last search pattern
• Use `[ or `] to jump to the start or end of last changed or yanked text.

Repeat

Key	Mode	Description
.	N	Repeat last change
q {register}	N	Record typed characters into register, q again to stop
@ {register}	N	Execute the contents of register
@@	N	Repeat Previous @
Q	N	Repeat the last recorded register
Ctrl+J	N	Add cursor downward
Ctrl+Shift+J	N	Move cursor down
Ctrl+K	N	Add cursor upward
Ctrl+Shift+K	N	Move cursor up
Ctrl+N	N	Add selection at next find match
Ctrl+Shift+N	N	Move selection to next find match
Ctrl+Shift+L	N	Add selection at all find match
Space mw	N	Add cursor at selected word
Space mm	N	Add cursor at selected pattern match

Tips

There is more than one method for complex repetitive editing: (from easy to difficult)

1. Dot repeat .
2. Multiple cursors
3. Substitute command :%s/pat/repl/[flag]
4. Macro q/@

Undo

Key	Mode	Description
u	N	Undo
Ctrl+R	N	Redo
Ctrl+Z	I	Undo
Space su	N	Search undo history

Language

Key	Mode	Description
Ctrl+N	I	Select next item, or show completion menu
Ctrl+P	I	Select previous item, or show completion menu
Tab	I	Confirm selected item and insert it
Shift+Tab	I	Confirm selected item and replace with it
Tab	I	Jump to next snippet placeholder
Shift+Tab	I	Jump to previous snippet placeholder
K	N	Signature infomation
F2	N	Rename symbol
Ctrl+.	N	Code Action
Ctrl+/	I N V	Comment code
Alt+Shift+F	I N V	Format code

Misc

Key	Mode	Description
Ctrl+`	N	Toggle terminal
Space n	N	Toggle output
Alt+Z	N	Toggle wrap
za	N	Toggle fold
ga	N	Unicode point
g8	N	utf-8 encoding