-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 0
Commit
This commit does not belong to any branch on this repository, and may belong to a fork outside of the repository.
- Loading branch information
1 parent
5f4a83e
commit e337549
Showing
2 changed files
with
190 additions
and
10 deletions.
There are no files selected for viewing
This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
This file contains bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
| Original file line number | Diff line number | Diff line change |
|---|---|---|
| @@ -0,0 +1,176 @@ | ||
| --- | ||
| layout: post | ||
| title: "From Emacs to Neovim (Configuration)" | ||
| author: Mike Rodriguez | ||
| date: 2024-05-23 | ||
| tags: [emacs, neovim, spacemacs, vim, vscode, vscode-neovim, vi, editor, development, programming] | ||
| --- | ||
|
|
||
| # Background | ||
|
|
||
| This is a continuation of my post @ ["From Emacs to Neovim"]({% post_url 2024-05-20-emacs-to-neovim %}). In this post, I am going to share some concrete configuration examples and concepts that have helped me with adapting to `vim` configuration and bindings coming from an `emacs` background. | ||
|
|
||
| Note that my current, primary tooling focus is: | ||
| * [spacemacs distribution](https://www.spacemacs.org) of `emacs` primarily for Clojure/ClojureScript development | ||
| * [neovim distribution](https://neovim.io) of `vim` for simple file editing in the terminal | ||
| * [vscode-neovim](https://github.com/vscode-neovim/vscode-neovim) for TypeScript/JavaScript development | ||
|
|
||
| # Neovim configuration | ||
|
|
||
| My public dotfiles can be found @ <https://github.com/mrrodriguez/nvim-dotfiles> | ||
|
|
||
| So far, I have not worked much to customize `neovim` for a "standalone IDE" type of experience. I have been using it for basic file editing with minimum customization over the default terminal-based `nvim` defaults. I then utilize this same configuration via the `vscode-neovim` extension for `vscode`, which I will describe more below in its own section. [Later on below](#neovim-references), I'll enumerate the references that I used for some of this setup. | ||
|
|
||
| I have chosen to setup the `neovim` configuration in a way where I can mix both `vimscript` configuration along with `lua` configuration. I liked this setup since I have found docs and examples are often in one or the other. I haven't spent a lot of time learning either one yet to know how to translate between the two. | ||
|
|
||
| I am particularly a fan of `nvim-surround` to help supplement for some of the utility I am used to from using [paredit](https://paredit.org). This is a tool that I have heavily relied upon in `emacs`. `nvim-surround` isn't meant to serve the same purpose as `paredit`, but it does cover the most significant use-case I have had for `paredit` which is "slurping" and "barfing" (this is `paredit` terminology) surrounding delimiters around chunks of text/words. For the rest of the "structural navigation" parts I like from `paredit`, I've tried to adapt with the idiomatic `vim` navigation defaults and it has worked well enough so far. I'm sure there are plugins I could look into improve up on this in the future. | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| I also did not want to have to always use the "escape" key (aka. `ESC`) for returning to "normal" mode. This is very common in the `vim` community. There are many possible choices that are common and there are pros and cons to read about on them. I liked using `jk` which I set via: | ||
|
|
||
| ```vimscript | ||
| :inoremap jk <Esc> | ||
| :inoremap kj <Esc> | ||
| :vnoremap jk <Esc> | ||
| :vnoremap kj <Esc> | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| Another thing I noticed was it would often be convenient if I could go from "normal" mode to "insert" mode to insert a single character and then immediately be back in "normal" mode. This is another popularly discussed `vim` topic (which I mention in the references below). I did this via: | ||
|
|
||
| ```vimscript | ||
| function! RepeatChar(char, count) | ||
| return repeat(a:char, a:count) | ||
| endfunction | ||
| nnoremap s :<C-U>exec "normal i".RepeatChar(nr2char(getchar()), v:count1)<CR> | ||
| nnoremap S :<C-U>exec "normal a".RepeatChar(nr2char(getchar()), v:count1)<CR> | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| #### Neovim references | ||
|
|
||
| I have found these sources to be valuable in getting started with this configuration: | ||
| * [This is a good post](https://builtin.com/software-engineering-perspectives/neovim-configuration) on starting a new `neovim` configuration. | ||
| * These are two good posts concerning how to mix `vimscript` and `lua` configuration files: | ||
| * ["Is it possible to use init.vim and init.lua together?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/neovim/comments/zfimqo/is_it_possible_to_use_initvim_and_initlua_together) | ||
| * ["How to handle init.lua examples if you use init.vim?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/neovim/comments/1913nyw/how_to_handle_initlua_examples_if_you_use_initvim) | ||
| * [This is the neovim Lua guide](https://neovim.io/doc/user/lua-guide.html). | ||
| * [This was a useful post](https://github.com/vscode-neovim/vscode-neovim/issues/819#issuecomment-1035983972) describing the difference from using `runtime` vs `source` in a `lua` script. | ||
| * ["Insert Single Character in Vim?"](https://superuser.com/a/581669) | ||
| * This is improved upon in ["Insert a single character"](https://vim.fandom.com/wiki/Insert_a_single_character) | ||
|
|
||
| I haven't worked with many plugins yet, but I have followed the popular recommendations to manage them with [lazy.nvim](https://github.com/folke/lazy.nvim). In my configuration files it can be seen how to use this to install [nvim-surround](https://github.com/kylechui/nvim-surround). | ||
|
|
||
| # VSCode configuration | ||
|
|
||
| There were a few configuration changes to `vscode` that helped me with the `vscode-neovim` integration. [Later on below](#vscode-references), I'll enumerate the references that I used for some of these. | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| To use my `neovim` configuration within `vscode-neovim` I added this to my User `settings.json`: | ||
|
|
||
| ```json | ||
| "vscode-neovim.neovimInitVimPaths.darwin": "/Users/mikerod/.config/nvim/init.lua" | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| Where this is my `~/.config/nvim` location of the same init file I use for `neovim`. | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| Using macOS I needed to change the setting to allow for holding a key to repeat it via: | ||
|
|
||
| ```sh | ||
| defaults write com.microsoft.VSCode ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| For the same reason discussed above concerning `spacemacs` configuration, I wanted `jk` to return to "normal" mode the same way `ESC` does. To do this I added to the `vscode` User `settings.json` file: | ||
|
|
||
| ```json | ||
| "vscode-neovim.compositeKeys": { | ||
| "jk": { | ||
| "command": "vscode-neovim.escape" | ||
| } | ||
| }, | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| More options are supported here and it can be more complex. The docs cover this well (which I'll link below in references). | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| I think it useful to have the editor change to "normal" mode on "save". This seems like a fairly common configuration people setup for `vim` style editors. This is by adding this to the User `keybindings.json`: | ||
|
|
||
| ```json | ||
| { | ||
| "command": "runCommands", | ||
| "key": "cmd+s", | ||
| "when": "editorTextFocus && neovim.init && neovim.mode == 'insert'", | ||
| "args": { | ||
| "commands": ["workbench.action.files.save", "vscode-neovim.escape"] | ||
| } | ||
| } | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| #### VSCode references | ||
|
|
||
| I have found these sources to be valuable in updating my `vscode` configuration with a `vscode-neovim` emphasis: | ||
|
|
||
| * ["Integrate Neovim inside VSCode"](https://medium.com/@shaikzahid0713/integrate-neovim-inside-vscode-5662d8855f9d) | ||
| * ["Composite escape keys"](https://github.com/vscode-neovim/vscode-neovim/blob/02d13f0e119afbec8f68fe5add0f2c2a1072ec49/README.md#composite-escape-keys) | ||
| * ["In VSCode Neovim, press Ctrl+S to save file and switch to normal mode?"](https://stackoverflow.com/a/77769949/924604) | ||
| * Note that there is a `"command": "runCommands"` now available so the `multi-command` extension is not needed. My configuration example above utilizes this instead. | ||
| * See ["How can I run multiple commands with a single VS Code keybinding without an extension?"](https://stackoverflow.com/a/75808372/924604) | ||
|
|
||
| # Spacemacs configuration | ||
|
|
||
| My public dotfiles can be found @ <https://github.com/mrrodriguez/emacs-dotfiles> | ||
|
|
||
| `spacemacs` already comes with a lot of `vim` support via its use of [evil-mode](https://github.com/emacs-evil/evil). I haven't had to do too much configuration. There is also `spacemacs` specific features that typically involve the minibuffer and I use them the standard way. The `spacemacs` specific features are mostly expressed via a "leader key" which defaults to being the "space" key (aka. `SPC`). This works well with `dotspacemacs-editing-style` set to `hybrid` or `vim`. | ||
|
|
||
| I'll enumerate some quick configuration conveniences here that I added to `dotspacemacs/user-config`. [Later on below](#spacemacs-references), I'll enumerate the references that I used for some of these. | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| In the same way as I mentioned in the `neovim` [section above](#vscode-configuration) I wanted the editor to return to "normal" mode (aka. `evil-normal-state` in `evil-mode`) on "save". This is done via: | ||
|
|
||
| ```lisp | ||
| (add-hook 'after-save-hook #'evil-normal-state) | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| In the same way as I described in the `neovim` [section above](#neovim-configuration), I wanted to use `jk` keys to return to "normal" mode to not have to always use `ESC`. | ||
|
|
||
| ```lisp | ||
| (setq-default evil-escape-key-sequence "jk") | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| ----- | ||
|
|
||
| In the same way as I described in the `neovim` [section above](#neovim-configuration), I wanted to be able to "insert a single character", but remain in "normal" mode after. | ||
|
|
||
| ```lisp | ||
| (evil-define-command my-evil-insert-char (count char) | ||
| (interactive "<c><C>") | ||
| (setq count (or count 1)) | ||
| (insert (make-string count char))) | ||
| (evil-define-command my-evil-append-char (count char) | ||
| (interactive "<c><C>") | ||
| (setq count (or count 1)) | ||
| (when (not (eolp)) | ||
| (forward-char)) | ||
| (insert (make-string count char))) | ||
| (define-key evil-normal-state-map (kbd "s") 'my-evil-insert-char) | ||
| (define-key evil-normal-state-map (kbd "S") 'my-evil-append-char) | ||
| ``` | ||
|
|
||
| #### Spacemacs references | ||
|
|
||
| I have found these sources to be valuable in updating my `spacemacs` configuration with a `vim` emphasis: | ||
|
|
||
| * ["Single character insert for Evil"](https://www.reddit.com/r/emacs/comments/7ogu7a/comment/ds9py2s/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) | ||
| * ["Spacemacs : insert single character in normal mode"](https://emacs.stackexchange.com/questions/32450/spacemacs-insert-single-character-in-normal-mode) |