1# Vim Mode
2
3Zed includes a vim emulation layer known as "vim mode". This document aims to describe how it works, and how to make the most out of it.
4
5## Philosophy
6
7Vim mode in Zed is supposed to primarily "do what you expect": it mostly tries to copy vim exactly, but will use Zed-specific functionality when available to make things smoother.
8
9This means Zed will never be 100% Vim compatible, but should be 100% Vim familiar! We expect that our Vim mode already copes with 90% of your workflow, and we'd like to keep improving it. If you find things that you can’t yet do in Vim mode, but which you rely on in your current workflow, please leave feedback in the editor itself (`:feedback`), or [file an issue](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/issues).
10
11## Zed-specific features
12
13Zed is built on a modern foundation that (among other things) uses tree-sitter and language servers to understand the content of the file you're editing, and supports multiple cursors out of the box.
14
15Vim mode has several "core Zed" key bindings, that will help you make the most of Zed's specific feature set.
16
17```
18# Language server
19g d Go to definition
20g D Go to type definition
21g cmd-d Go to implementation
22c d Rename (change definition)
23g A Go to All references to the current word
24
25g s Find symbol in current file
26g S Find symbol in entire project
27
28g ] Go to next diagnostic
29g [ Go to previous diagnostic
30] d Go to next diagnostic
31[ d Go to previous diagnostic
32g h Show inline error (hover)
33g . Open the code actions menu
34
35# Git
36] c Go to next git change
37[ c Go to previous git change
38
39# Treesitter
40] x Select a smaller syntax node
41[ x Select a larger syntax node
42
43# Multi cursor
44g l Add a visual selection for the next copy of the current word
45g L The same, but backwards
46g > Skip latest word selection, and add next.
47g < The same, but backwards
48g a Add a visual selection for every copy of the current word
49
50# Pane management
51g / Open a project-wide search
52g <space> Open the current search excerpt
53<ctrl-w> <space> Open the current search excerpt in a split
54<ctrl-w> g d Go to definition in a split
55<ctrl-w> g D Go to type definition in a split
56
57# Insert mode
58i a / a a Select the function argument the cursor is in
59ctrl-x ctrl-o Open the completion menu
60ctrl-x ctrl-c Request GitHub Copilot suggestion (if configured)
61ctrl-x ctrl-a Open the inline AI assistant (if configured)
62ctrl-x ctrl-l Open the code actions menu
63ctrl-x ctrl-z Hides all suggestions
64
65# Ex commands
66:E[xplore] Open the project panel
67:C[ollab] Open the collaboration panel
68:Ch[at] Open the chat panel
69:A[I] Open the AI panel
70:No[tif] Open the notifications panel
71:fe[edback] Open the feedback window
72:cl[ist] Open the diagnostics window
73:te[rm] Open the terminal
74:Ext[ensions] Open the extensions window
75```
76
77Vim mode uses Zed to define concepts like "brackets" (for the `%` key) and "words" (for motions like `w` and `e`). This does lead to some differences, but they are mostly positive. For example `%` considers `|` to be a bracket in languages like Rust; and `w` considers `$` to be a word-character in languages like Javascript.
78
79Vim mode emulates visual block mode using Zed's multiple cursor support. This again leads to some differences, but is much more powerful.
80
81Finally, Vim mode's search and replace functionality is backed by Zed's. This means that the pattern syntax is slightly different, see the section on [Regex differences](#regex-differences) for details.
82
83## Custom key bindings
84
85You can edit your personal key bindings with `:keymap`.
86For vim-specific shortcuts, you may find the following template a good place to start:
87
88```json
89[
90 {
91 "context": "Editor && (vim_mode == normal || vim_mode == visual) && !VimWaiting && !menu",
92 "bindings": {
93 // put key-bindings here if you want them to work in normal & visual mode
94 }
95 },
96 {
97 "context": "Editor && vim_mode == normal && !VimWaiting && !menu",
98 "bindings": {
99 // put key-bindings here if you want them to work only in normal mode
100 // "down": ["workspace::SendKeystrokes", "4 j"]
101 // "up": ["workspace::SendKeystrokes", "4 k"]
102 }
103 },
104 {
105 "context": "Editor && vim_mode == visual && !VimWaiting && !menu",
106 "bindings": {
107 // visual, visual line & visual block modes
108 }
109 },
110 {
111 "context": "Editor && vim_mode == insert && !menu",
112 "bindings": {
113 // put key-bindings here if you want them to work in insert mode
114 // e.g.
115 // "j j": "vim::NormalBefore" // remap jj in insert mode to escape.
116 }
117 }
118]
119```
120
121If you would like to emulate vim's `map` (`nmap` etc.) commands you can bind to the [`workspace::SendKeystrokes`](/docs/key-bindings#remapping-keys) action in the correct context.
122
123You can see the bindings that are enabled by default in vim mode [here](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed/blob/main/assets/keymaps/vim.json).
124
125The details of the context are a little out of scope for this doc, but suffice to say that `menu` is true when a menu is open (e.g. the completions menu), `VimWaiting` is true after you type `f` or `t` when we’re waiting for a new key (and you probably don’t want bindings to happen). Please reach out on [GitHub](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed) if you want help making a key bindings work.
126
127### Examples
128
129Binding `jk` to exit insert mode and go to normal mode:
130
131```
132{
133 "context": "Editor && vim_mode == insert && !menu",
134 "bindings": {
135 "j k": ["vim::SwitchMode", "Normal"]
136 }
137}
138```
139
140### Restoring some sense of normality
141
142If you're using Vim mode on Linux or Windows, you may find that it has overridden keybindings
143that you can't live without. You can restore them to their defaults by copying these into your keymap:
144
145```
146{
147 "context": "Editor && !VimWaiting && !menu",
148 "bindings": {
149 "ctrl-c": "editor::Copy", // vim default: return to normal mode
150 "ctrl-x": "editor::Cut", // vim default: increment
151 "ctrl-v": "editor::Paste", // vim default: visual block mode
152 "ctrl-y": "editor::Undo", // vim default: line up
153 "ctrl-f": "buffer_search::Deploy", // vim default: page down
154 "ctrl-o": "workspace::Open", // vim default: go back
155 "ctrl-a": "editor::SelectAll", // vim default: increment
156 }
157},
158```
159
160## Command palette
161
162Vim mode allows you to enable Zed’s command palette with `:`. This means that you can use vim's command palette to run any action that Zed supports.
163
164Additionally vim mode contains a number of aliases for popular vim commands to ensure that muscle memory works. For example `:w<enter>` will save the file.
165
166We do not (yet) emulate the full power of vim’s command line, in particular we special case specific patterns instead of using vim's range selection syntax, and we do not support arguments to commands yet. Please reach out on [GitHub](https://github.com/zed-industries/zed) as you find things that are missing from the command palette.
167
168As mentioned above, one thing to be aware of is that the regex engine is slightly different from vim's in `:%s/a/b`.
169
170Currently supported vim-specific commands:
171
172```
173# window management
174:w[rite][!], :wq[!], :q[uit][!], :wa[ll][!], :wqa[ll][!], :qa[ll][!], :[e]x[it][!], :up[date]
175 to save/close tab(s) and pane(s) (no filename is supported yet)
176:cq
177 to quit completely.
178:vs[plit], :sp[lit]
179 to split vertically/horizontally (no filename is supported yet)
180:new, :vne[w]
181 to create a new file in a new pane above or to the left
182:tabedit, :tabnew
183 to create a new file in a new tab.
184:tabn[ext], :tabp[rev]
185 to go to previous/next tabs
186:tabc[lose]
187 to close the current tab
188
189# navigating diagnostics
190:cn[ext], :cp[rev], :ln[ext], :lp[rev]
191 to go to the next/prev diagnostics
192:cc, :ll
193 to open the errors page
194
195# jump to position
196:<number>
197 to jump to a line number
198:$
199 to jump to the end of the file
200:/foo and :?foo
201 to jump to next/prev line matching foo
202
203# replacement (/g is always assumed and Zed uses different regex syntax to vim)
204:%s/foo/bar/
205 to replace instances of foo with bar
206:X,Ys/foo/bar/
207 to limit replacement between line X and Y
208 other ranges are not yet implemented
209
210# editing
211:j[oin]
212 to join the current line (no range is yet supported)
213:d[elete][l][p]
214 to delete the current line (no range is yet supported)
215:s[ort] [i]
216 to sort the current selection (with i, case-insensitively)
217```
218
219As any Zed command is available, you may find that it's helpful to remember mnemonics that run the correct command. For example:
220
221```
222:diff Toggle Hunk [Diff]
223:diffs Toggle all Hunk [Diffs]
224:revert Revert Selected Hunks
225:cpp [C]o[p]y [P]ath to file
226:crp [C]opy [r]elative [P]ath
227:reveal [Reveal] in finder
228:zlog Open [Z]ed Log
229```
230
231## Settings
232
233Some vim settings are available to modify the default vim behavior:
234
235```json
236{
237 "vim": {
238 // "always": use system clipboard when no register is specified
239 // "never": don't use system clipboard unless "+ or "* is specified
240 // "on_yank": use system clipboard for yank operations when no register is specified
241 "use_system_clipboard": "always",
242 // Lets `f` and `t` motions extend across multiple lines
243 "use_multiline_find": true
244 }
245}
246```
247
248There are also a few Zed settings that you may also enjoy if you use vim mode:
249
250```json
251{
252 // disable cursor blink
253 "cursor_blink": false,
254 // use relative line numbers
255 "relative_line_numbers": true,
256 // hide the scroll bar
257 "scrollbar": { "show": "never" },
258 // allow cursor to reach edges of screen
259 "vertical_scroll_margin": 0,
260 "gutter": {
261 // disable line numbers completely:
262 "line_numbers": false
263 }
264}
265```
266
267If you want to navigate between the editor and docks (terminal, project panel, AI assistant, ...) just like you navigate between splits you can use the following key bindings:
268
269```json
270{
271 "context": "Dock",
272 "bindings": {
273 "ctrl-w h": ["workspace::ActivatePaneInDirection", "Left"],
274 "ctrl-w l": ["workspace::ActivatePaneInDirection", "Right"],
275 "ctrl-w k": ["workspace::ActivatePaneInDirection", "Up"],
276 "ctrl-w j": ["workspace::ActivatePaneInDirection", "Down"]
277 // ... or other keybindings
278 }
279}
280```
281
282Subword motion is not enabled by default. To enable it, add these bindings to your keymap.
283
284```json
285 {
286 "context": "Editor && VimControl && !VimWaiting && !menu",
287 "bindings": {
288 "w": "vim::NextSubwordStart",
289 "b": "vim::PreviousSubwordStart",
290 "e": "vim::NextSubwordEnd",
291 "g e": "vim::PreviousSubwordEnd"
292 }
293 },
294```
295
296Surrounding the selection in visual mode is also not enabled by default (`shift-s` normally behaves like `c`). To enable it, add the following to your keymap.
297
298```json
299 {
300 "context": "Editor && vim_mode == visual && !VimWaiting && !VimObject",
301 "bindings": {
302 "shift-s": [
303 "vim::PushOperator",
304 {
305 "AddSurrounds": {}
306 }
307 ]
308 }
309 }
310```
311
312## Supported plugins
313
314Zed has nascent support for some Vim plugins:
315
316- From `vim-surround`, `ys`, `cs` and `ds` work. Though you cannot add new HTML tags yet.
317- From `vim-commentary`, `gc` in visual mode and `gcc` in normal mode. Though you cannot operate on arbitrary objects yet.
318- From `netrw`, most keybindings are supported in the project panel.
319- From `vim-spider`/`CamelCaseMotion` you can use subword motions as described above.
320
321## Regex differences
322
323Zed uses a different regular expression engine from Vim. This means that you will have to use a different syntax for some things.
324
325Notably:
326
327- Vim uses `\(` and `\)` to represent capture groups, in Zed these are `(` and `)`.
328- On the flip side, `(` and `)` represent literal parentheses, but in Zed these must be escaped to `\(` and `\)`.
329- When replacing, Vim uses `\0` to represent the entire match, in Zed this is `$0`, same for numbered capture groups `\1` -> `$1`.
330- Vim uses `/g` to indicate "all matches on one line", in Zed this is implied
331- Vim uses `/i` to indicate "case-insensitive", in Zed you can either use `(?i)` at the start of the pattern or toggle case-sensitivity with `cmd-option-c`.
332
333To help with the transition, the command palette will fix parentheses and replace groups for you when you run `:%s//`. So `%s:/\(a\)(b)/\1/` will be converted into a search for "(a)\(b\)" and a replacement of "$1".
334
335For the full syntax supported by Zed's regex engine see the [regex crate documentation](https://docs.rs/regex/latest/regex/#syntax).