Langmaps

[Opisek]

Langmaps are an important feature for users of keyboard layouts different from QWERTY. This includes people who use a different script like Greek or Cyrillic, but also users of ergonomic alternate keyboard layouts for latin script like Dvorak or Colemak.

The purpose of a langmap is to allow typing in insert and replace mode using one's preferred keyboard layout, while still being able to use standard Vim mappings in normal and visual mode.

Example langmap for Greek:

ΑA,ΒB,ΨC,ΔD,ΕE,ΦF,ΓG,ΗH,ΙI,ΞJ,ΚK,ΛL,ΜM,ΝN,ΟO,ΠP,QQ,ΡR,ΣS,ΤT,ΘU,ΩV,WW,ΧX,ΥY,ΖZ,αa,βb,ψc,δd,εe,φf,γg,ηh,ιi,ξj,κk,λl,μm,νn,οo,πp,qq,ρr,σs,τt,θu,ωv,ςw,χx,υy,ζz

Example langmap for Dvorak:

'q,\\,w,.e,pr,yt,fy,gu,ci,ro,lp,/[,=],aa,os,ed,uf,ig,dh,hj,tk,nl,s\\;,-',\\;z,qx,jc,kv,xb,bn,mm,w\\,,v.,z/,[-,]=,\"Q,<W,>E,PR,YT,FY,GU,CI,RO,LP,?{,+},AA,OS,ED,UF,IG,DH,HJ,TK,NL,S:,_\",:Z,QX,JC,KV,XB,BN,MM,W<,V>,Z?

You may find the exact format under :help langmap in Vim.

I would love to see langmaps implemented in IdeaVim, too, as I and others like me are currently hindered from using it at all.

For reference, you can check how I've implemented this feature in other Vim emulators:

• VsCodeVim: Added Langmap Feature VSCodeVim/Vim#8541
• CodeMirror-Vim: Added Langmap Feature replit/codemirror-vim#151

Relevant:

• https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issues/VIM?q=%7Blangmap%7D&preview=VIM-2283
• https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issues/VIM?q=%7Blangmap%7D&preview=VIM-1850
• https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issues/VIM?q=%7Blangmap%7D&preview=VIM-2348

[citizenmatt]

I may or may not have been nerd sniped 😁 What about 'keymap'? As an English speaker using an English keyboard, I don't have experience of working with multiple languages and characters, and from what I can tell, they seem complementary but solve different needs. If you use 'langmap', do you also use 'keymap'?

[citizenmatt]

Or to put it another way, my mental model so far is that 'keymap' is most useful when you want to keep your keyboard set to a Latin layout, but still be able to type your preferred language into the text. And 'langmap' is for keeping your keyboard in your preferred layout and still be able to enter Normal and Visual commands.

[Opisek]

Sounds right to me.

[Opisek]

Just a heads-up, two special cases that have to be kept in mind.

• How do langmaps interact with macros? You don't want to "double remap". Langmapping must take place before the key is recorded.
• For example when executing r<key>, you need to remap the first character, but not the second. If using greek as an example: ρα becomes rα, not ra. The same goes for f<key> and so on. (But not for registers like q<register>)

[citizenmatt]

Yep. There are a handful of interesting quirks. But that's why we write tests! 😁

[Opisek]

Yup! In both the linked repos I added pretty exhaustive tests for langmaps already, so I don't expect it to me very complicated here.