VSCode Neovim integration

Neo Vim (VS Code Neovim)

Neovim integration for Visual Studio Code

Please report any issues/suggestions to vscode-neovim repository

Installation

• Install vscode-neovim extension
• Install Neovim Required version 0.4.2 or greater

Features

type

Requirements

Neovim 0.4.2 or greater

• Set neovim path in the extension settings and you're good to go. Important you must specify full path to neovim, like C:\Neovim\bin\nvim.exe or /usr/local/bin/nvim
• Bind your favorite escape key to vscode-neovim.escape command. Default Ctrl+C . Important this is being sent as <Esc> to neovim

Important

• The extenison for now works best if editor.scrollBeyondLastLine is disabled.
• When you type some commands they may be substituted for the another, like :write will be replaced by :Write . This is normal.
• File/tab/window management ( :w / q /etc...) commands are substituted and mapped to vscode actions. If you're using some custom commands/custom mappings to them, you might need to rebind them to call vscode actions instead. See reference links below for examples if you want to use custom keybindngs/commands. DO NOT use vim :w , etc... in scripts/keybindings, they won't work.
• It's good idea to backup and move your init.vim file and start with new one until #25 is done

VSCode specific features and differences

• O, o keys mapped to vscode editor.action.insertLineBefore/insertLineAfter command thus dont support count prefix
• =, == are mapped to editor.action.formatSelection
• It's possible to call vscode commands from neovim. See VSCodeCall/VSCodeNotify vim functions in vscode-neovim.vim file. VSCodeCall is blocking request, while VSCodeNotify is not
• Scrolling is done by VSCode side. <C-d>/<C-u>/etc... are slighly different
• File management commands such as e / w / q etc are mapped to corresponding vscode commands and behavior may be different (see below)
• gf is mapped to editor.action.goToTypeDefinition
• gF is mapped to editor.action.revealDefinition (VSCode shortcut: F12 )
• <C-w>gF is mapped to editor.action.revealDefinitionAside (original vim command - open new tab and go to the file under cursor, but vscode/vim window/tabs metaphors are completely different, so it's useful to do slighlty different thing here)

Jumplist

Jumplist behavior is slightly different than in vim. First it's bound to vscode pane (view column) lifetime. Everytime you close the vew column you reset the jumplist for this view column. The first column will usually have vscode's session lifetime unless you close it too (e.g. by closing all editors). Second, if there is a different file in the jumplist and it's closed in the active column, but opened in the other view column - jumping to this file from the jumplist will switch to the column where the editor is visible rather than opening a new editor (may be controlled by some vscode setting, i haven't tested). Third, jumplist is not inherited for split / vsplit commands. You can also use vscode jumplist (bind <C-o / <C-i> to workbench.action.navigateBack/Forward >), but it's completely messed due to constantly setting the cursor position and there is no way to prevent this.

Wildmenu completion

Command menu has the wildmenu completion on type. The completion options appear after 1.5s (to not bother you when you write :w or :noh ). <C-n>/<C-p> selects the option and <Tab> accepts it. See the gif:

Multiple cursors

Multiple cursors work in:

1. Insert mode
2. Visual line mode
3. Visual block mode

Both visual lines and visual block modes spawn multiple cursors for you. You can switch to insert mode by pressing I or A keys. The effect differs:

• For visual line mode I will start insert mode on each selected line on the first non whitespace characeter and A will on the end of line
• For visual block mode I will start insert on each selected line before the cursor block and A after

See gif in action:

Custom keymaps for scrolling/window/tab/etc... management

• See vscode-scrolling.vim for scrolling commands reference
• See vscode-file-commands.vim for file commands reference
• See vscode-tab-commands.vim for tab commands reference
• See vscode-window-commands.vim for window commands reference

File/Tab management commands

:e[dit] or ex

• :e without argument and without bang ( ! ) - opens quickopen window
• :e! without argument and with bang - opens open file dialog
• :e [filename] , e.g. :e $MYVIMRC - opens a file in new tab. The file must exist
• :e! [filename] , e.g. :e! $MYVIMRC - closes current file (discard any changes) and opens a file. The file must exist

ene[w]

enew
enew!

fin[d]

• Opens vscode's quick open window. Arguments and count are not supported

w[rite]

!

sav[eas]

• Opens 'save as' dialog

wa[ll]

• Saves all files. Bang is not doing anything

q[uit] or keys <C-w> q / <C-w> c

• Closes the active editor

wq

• Saves and closes the active editor

qa[ll]

• Closes all editors, but doesn't quit vscode. Acts like qall! , so beware for a nonsaved changes

wqa[ll] / xa[ll]

• Saves all editors & close

tabe[dit]

• Similar to e[dit] . Without argument opens quickopen, with argument opens the file in new tab

tabnew

• Opens new untitled file

tabf[ind]

• Opens quickopen window

tab / tabs

• Not supported. Doesn't make sense with vscode

tabc[lose]

• Closes active editor (tab)

tabo[nly]

• Closes other tabs in vscode group (pane). This differs from vim where a tab is a like a new window, but doesn't make sense in vscode.

tabn[ext] or key gt

• Switches to next (or count tabs if argument is given) in the active vscode group (pane)

tabp[revious] or key gT

• Switches to previous (or count tabs if argument is given) in the active vscode group (pane)

tabfir[st]

• Switches to the first tab in the active editor group

tabl[ast]

• Switches to the last tab in the active edtior group

tabm[ove]

• Not supported yet

Keys ZZ and ZQ are bound to :wq and q! respectively

Buffer/window management commands

Note : split size distribution is controlled by workbench.editor.splitSizing setting. By default it's distribute , which is mapped to vim's equalalways and eadirection = 'both' (default)

sp[lit] or key <C-w> s

• Split editor horizontally. When argument given opens the specified file in the argument, e.g :sp $MYVIMRC . File must exist

vs[plit] or key <C-w> v

• Split editor vertically. When argument given opens the specified file in the argument. File must exist

new or key <C-w> n

• Like sp[lit] but creates new untitled file if no argument given

vne[w]

• Like vs[plit] but creates new untitled file if no argument given

<C-w> ^

• Not supported yet

vert[ical] / lefta[bove] /etc...

• Not supported yet

on[ly] or key <C-w> o

• Without bang ( ! ) Merges all editor groups into the one. Doesn't close editors
• With bang closes all editors from all groups except current one

<C-w> j/k/h/l

• Focus group below/above/left/right

<C-w> <C-j>/<C-i>/<C-h>/<C-l>

• Move editor to group below/above/left/right. Vim doesn't have analogue mappings. Note : <C-w> <C-i> moves editor up. Logically it should be <C-w> <C-k> but vscode has many commands mapped to <C-k> [key] and doesn't allow to use <C-w> <C-k> without unbinding them first

<C-w> r/R/x

• Not supported use <C-w> <C-j> and similar to move editors

<C-w> w or <C-w> <C-w>

• Focus next group. The behavior may differ than in vim

<C-w> W or <C-w> p

• Focus previous group. The behavior may differ than in vim. <C-w> p is completely different than in vim

<C-w> t

• Focus first editor group (most top-left)

<C-w> b

• Focus last editor group (most bottom-right)

<C-w> H/K/J/L

• Not supported yet

<C-w> =

• Align all editors to have the same width

[count]<C-w> > or [count]<C-w> +

• Increase editor size by count. Both width & height are increased since in vscode it's not possible to control individual width/height

[count]<C-w> < or [count]<C-w> -

• Decrease editor size by count. Both width & height are increased since in vscode it's not possible to control individual width/height

<C-w> _

• Toggle maximized editor size. Pressing again will restore the size

Insert mode special keys

Enabled by useCtrlKeysForInsertMode = true (default true)

Key Desc Status CTRL-r [0-9a-z"%#*+:.-=] Paste from register Works CTRL-a Paste previous inserted content Works CTRL-u Delete all text till begining of line, if empty - delete newline Bound to VSCode key CTRL-w Delete word left Bound to VSCode key CTRL-h Delete character left Bound to VSCode key CTRL-t Indent lines right Bound to VSCode indent line CTRL-d Indent lines left Bound to VSCode outindent line CTRL-j Insert line Bound to VSCode insert line after

Other keys are not supported in insert mode

Normal mode control keys

Enabled by useCtrlKeysForNormalMode = true (default true)

Refer to vim manual to get help what they're doing

• CTRL-a
• CTRL-b
• CTRL-c
• CTRL-d
• CTRL-e
• CTRL-f
• CTRL-i
• CTRL-o
• CTRL-r
• CTRL-u
• CTRL-v
• CTRL-w
• CTRL-x
• CTRL-y
• CTRL-]
• CTRL-j
• CTRL-k
• CTRL-l
• CTRL-h

Other control keys are not being sent (Usually useless with vscode)

Cmdline control keys (always enabled)

• CTRL-h (delete one character left)
• CTRL-w (delete word left)
• CTRL-u (clear line)
• CTRL-g / CTRL-t (in incsearch mode moves to next/previous result)
• CTRL-l (add next character under the cursor to incsearch)
• CTRL-n / CTRL-p (select next/previous wildmenu completion)
• Tab - Select suggestion

Vim-easymotion

Speaking honestly, original vim-easymotion works fine and as expected... except one thing: it really replaces your text with markers then restores back. It may work for VIM but for VS Code it leads to broken text and many errors reported while you're jumping. For this reason i created the special vim-easymotion fork which doesn't touch your text and instead use vscode text decorations. Just add my fork to your vim-plug block or by using your favorite vim plugin installer and delete original vim-easymotion. Also overwin motions won't work (obviously) so don't use them. Happy jumping!

Vim-commentary

You can use vim-commentary if you like it. But vscode already has such functionality so why don't use it? Add to your init.vim/init.nvim

xmap gc  <Plug>VSCodeCommentary
nmap gc  <Plug>VSCodeCommentary
omap gc  <Plug>VSCodeCommentary
nmap gcc <Plug>VSCodeCommentaryLine

Similar to vim-commentary, gcc is comment line (accept count), use gc with motion/in visual mode. VSCodeCommentary is just a simple function which calls editor.action.commentLine

Known Issues

See Issues section

How it works

• VScode connects to neovim instance
• When opening a some file, a scratch buffer is created in nvim and being init with text content from vscode
• Normal/visual mode commands are being sent directly to neovim. The extension listens for buffer events and applies edits from neovim
• When entering the insert mode, the extensions stops listen for keystroke events and delegates typing mode to vscode (no neovim communication is being performed here)
• After pressing escape key from the insert mode, extension sends changes obtained from the insert mode to neovim

Credits & External Resources

• vim-altercmd - Used for rebinding default commands to call vscode command
• neovim nodejs client - NodeJS library for communicating with Neovim