neovim-tutorial

Catalog

Part 1: Vim Shortcuts

Part 2: Neovim Setup

Part 3: Neovim Language Server Protocol(LSP) Setup

Part 4: VSCode Vim

Part 5: Lazyvim

Part 6: Chatgpt

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Part 1: Vim Shortcuts

Tutorial Video Links: Youtube, Bilibili

Installation:

Open VScode, search Vim in Extensions, and click install.

In the following keymappings, n stands for NORMAL mode, i stands for INSERT mode, v stands for VISUAL mode.

Open and Close Files

Mode	Shortcut	Description
n	:w	Write(save) current buffer
n	:q	Close current buffer (would fail if you don't save first)
n	:wq	Save and close current buffer
n	:q!	Exit current buffer without saving
n	:qa!	Exit all open buffers without saving
n	:wqa	Save and exit all open buffers

Navigation

Mode	Shortcut	Description
n, v	h	Move left
n, v	j	Move down
n, v	k	Move up
n, v	l	Move right
n, v	w	One word forward
n, v	b	One word backward
n, v	^	Beginning of line
n, v	$	End of line
n, v	gg	Beginning of file
n, v	G	End of file
n, v	{	One paragraph backward
n, v	}	One paragraph forward
n, v	f + [char]	Move to next occurence of [char] in current line (Covered in Part 2 video)
n, v	F + [char]	Move to prev occurence of [char] in current line (Covered in Part 2 video)
n, v	Ctrl+u	Move Up half a Page (Covered in Part 2 video)
n, v	Ctrl+d	Move Down half a Page (Covered in Part 2 video)
n, v	Ctrl+b	Move Up a Full Page (Covered in Part 2 video)
n, v	Ctrl+f	Move Down a Full Page (Covered in Part 2 video)
n	:[num-of-line] + Enter	Go to a specific line
n, v	/[search-item] + Enter + n	Find pattern and go to next match

Enter INSERT Mode from NORMAL Mode

Mode	Shortcut	Description
n	i	Insert before cursor
n	a	Append after cursor
n	I	Insert at the beginning of the line
n	A	Append at the end of the line
n	o	Insert to next line
n	O	Insert to previous line
n	c + [Navigation]	Delete from before the cursor to [Navigation] and insert. Examples are as follow
n	c + w	Delete from before the cursor to end of current word and insert
n	c + i + w	Delete current word and insert
n	c + $	Delete from before the cursor to end of the line and insert
i	<Esc>	Go back to Normal Mode, remap to jk recommended

Enter INSERT Mode from NORMAL Mode

Mode	Shortcut	Description
n	i	Insert before cursor
n	a	Append after cursor
n	I	Insert at the beginning of the line
n	A	Append at the end of the line
n	o	Insert to next line
n	O	Insert to previous line
n	c + [Navigation]	Delete from before the cursor to [Navigation] and insert. Examples are as follow
n	c + w	Delete from before the cursor to end of current word and insert
n	c + i + w	Delete current word and insert
n	c + $	Delete from before the cursor to end of the line and insert
i	<Esc>	Go back to Normal Mode, remap to jk recommended

Edit in NORMAL Mode

Mode	Shortcut	Description
n	dd	Delete(cut) current line
n	d + [Number] + d Or [Number] + dd	Delete(cut) following [Number] of lines
n	d + [Navigation]	Delete(cut) from before the cursor to [Navigation], similar to c + [Navigation] above
n	yy	Yank(copy) current line
n	y + [Number] + y Or [number] + yy	Yank(copy) following [Number] of lines
n	y + [Navigation]	Yank(copy) from before the cursor to [Navigation], similar to c + [Navigation] above
n	p	Paste from what you delete or yank
n	x	Delete(cut) the character under the cursor
n	u	Undo changes
n	Ctrl+r	Redo changes
n	:%s/[foo]/[bar]/g	Find each occurrence of [foo] (in all lines), and replace it with [bar]. More substitute commands here.

VISUAL mode shortcuts

Mode	Shortcut	Description
n	v	Enter Visual Character Mode
n	V	Enter Visual Line Mode
V-Line	>; <	Increase Indent; Decrease Indent
n	Ctrl+v	Enter Visual Block Mode
v	<Esc>	Exit Visual Mode, remap to jk recommended

Vim settings under VSCode

1. Press Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+p in VSCode
2. Find Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON), open settings.json
3. Configure the file, all options are here

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Part 2: Neovim

Tutorial Video Links: Youtube, Bilibili Speical Thank: My Neovim Tutorial won't be possible without Josean dev's amazing video

Install NeoVim, go to ~/.config/ directory, and create a nvim folder with the folder structure as following

├── init.lua
├── lua
   └── usr
       ├── core
       │   ├── colorscheme.lua
       │   ├── keymaps.lua
       │   └── options.lua
       ├── plugins
       │   ├── lsp
       │   │   ├── lspconfig.lua
       │   │   ├── lspsaga.lua
       │   │   ├── mason.lua
       │   │   └── null-ls.lua
       │   ├── autopairs.lua
       │   ├── comment.lua
       │   ├── gitsigns.lua
       │   ├── lualine.lua
       │   ├── nvim-cmp.lua
       │   ├── nvim-tree.lua
       │   ├── telescope.lua
       │   └── treesitter.lua
       └── plugins-setup.lua

Pre-requisite: Make sure you have installed ripgrep and one of the NerdFonts.

1. Package Manager: Packer

2. Essentials: plenary

3. Colorscheme: tokyonight

4. File Explorer: Nvim-tree, Telescope, Telescope-fzf

5. Highlighting: tree-sitter

6. Auto Completion: nvim-cmp, cmp-buffer, cmp-path, friendly-snippet,

7. Comments: Comment

8. Mode Status Bar: lualine

9. Window Maximizer: vim-maximizer

10. AutoPairing: nvim-autopairs

11. Surround: vim-surround\

12. Fast Navigation: hop\

    ...

Steps to install a new package

1. Add the package under Packer in lua/usr/plugins-setup.lua, make sure it is installed before proceeding, type :PackerSync in plugins-setup.lua if not installed
2. For some packages: Add a new file under lua/usr/plugins/, or whatever folder structure you have, configure the package as you want
3. Import the package in init.lua

Keyboard Shortcuts I Use

These are the customized shortcuts I configured, which I use often. Feel free to map your own key mappings.

Package	Shortcut	Description
General	<leader>sx	Close current window
AutoCompletion General	Tab	Go to next suggestion
Nvim-Tree	<leader>e	Tree Toggle
Nvim-Tree	o	Open a folder or a file
Nvim-Tree	v	Open another file to the right
Nvim-Tree	a	Add a new file in the current directory
Nvim-Tree	r	Rename file under the cursor
Nvim-Tree	d	Delete file under the cursor
Comment	gcc	Comment/Uncomment current line
Comment	gc5j	Comment/Uncomment next 5 line
Vim-Surround	ysiw"	Surround the word under cursor with ", remember iw is a text object
Telescope	<leader>ff	Find files in current working director
Telescope	<leader>fs	Find string in current working directory
Telescope	<leader>lds	Lsp document symbols. Show all functions, structs, class, modules in current files
Telescope	<leader>gc	List all git commits
Telescope	<leader>gs	List current changes per file with diff views
Telescope	Ctrl+c	Close Telescope window while in INSERT mode
Vim-Maximizer	<leader>sm	Maximize/Unmaximize current window the cursor is on
Hop	<leader>hc	HopChar2, Type 2 chars and then jump to the match you want
Hop	<leader>hcc	HopChar2MW, Same as above, but in multiple windows

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Other tips: Termtoggle plugins

Part 3: Neovim Language Protocol Server(LSP) Setup

Tutorial Video Links: Youtube, Bilibili

Plugins I use

1. LSP manager: Mason, Mason-Lspconfig
2. LSP configuration: lspconfig, cmp-nvim-lsp
3. LSP Operation: LspSaga, trouble
4. Other LSP servers: rust-tools, typescript
5. LSP icons: lspkind
6. Formatting & Linting: null-ls, mason-null-ls

Keyboard Shortcuts I Use

These are the customized shortcuts I configured, which I use often. Feel free to map your own key mappings.

Package	Shortcut	Description
Lsp config / Lsp saga	gd	Peek Definition of object/function under cursor
Lsp config / Lsp saga	q	Quit Peek Definition while in NORMAL mode
Lsp config / Lsp saga	gD	Go to Declaration of object/function under cursor
Lsp config / Lsp saga	Ctrl + o	Go back to prev buffer(Ex. Go back from Declaration)
Lsp config / Lsp saga	Ctrl + i	Go to next buffer
Lsp config / Lsp saga	gr	Show all References of the object/function under cursor
Lsp config / Lsp saga	K	Show Documentation under the cursor
Lsp saga	]d	Go to next diagnostic
Lsp saga	[d	Go to prev diagnostic
Lsp saga	<leader>rn	Rename a variable/class/struct
Lsp saga	<leader>tt	Open a Floating Terminal
trouble	<leader>xd	Open diagnostic for current file
trouble	q	quit trouble diagnostic while in NORMAL mode

Part 4: VScode Vim

Tutorial Video Links: Youtube, Bilibili
Remember to remap the leader key to space in settings.json. For the emulated Vim plugins, some of them need to turn them on in settings.json as well, refer to the doc to see if that is required.

Edit in NORMAL

Package	Shortcut	Description	Remap Needed?
Vim	gb	Mutlicursor operation
VScode	Ctrl+n	Rename all the pattern that is under the cursor	keybindings.json
Vim Commentary	gcc / gc5j	Toggle comment on this line / next 5 line(not including current line)
EasyMotion	<leader><leader>s+[char]	Quick navigation to [char] on the screen(more motion on doc)
Vim-surround	ys[motion][symbol], ysiw)	Yank [symbol] around [motion], the example means surround the word under the cursor with ()
Vim-surround	cs[symbol][newsymbol]	Change [symbol] to [newsymbol] when your cursor is within the [symbol]
Vim Sneak	<operator>z<char><char>	Do [operator] until the next occurence of <char><char>
Vim Sneak	3dzqt	An example: Delete everything until the next 3rd occurence of qt

Tab, File and Window Navigation

Package	Shortcut	Description	Remap Needed?
VSCode	ctrl + d	Toggle peek definition	keybindings.json
Vim	gd	Go to Definition
Vim	gh	Hover doc
VScode	cmd/ctrl+p	Search file by name and open
Vim	tp, tn, tf, tl	In the current editor group: prev tab, next tab, first tab, last tab	settings.json
VScode	ctrl+z	Switch focus between editor and terminal	keybindings.json
VScode	cmd/ctrl+j	Hide Terminal
VScode	cmd/ctrl+b	Toggle File explorer

Editor Group Navigation

Package	Shortcut	Description	Remap Needed?
VSCode	ctrl + \	Split Editor	keybindings.json
VSCode	ctrl + h/l	Move to left/right editor group	keybindings.json
VSCode	cmd/ctrl + k + w	Close all tabs in active editor group

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Part 5: Lazyvim

See Lazy folder for my Lazyvim setup

LazyVim doc: here
Screenshot of the Installation Page: todo.nvim: here
New/Updated shorcuts I use the most:

Package	Shortcut	Description	Notes
Telescope	<leader>sg	live grep string	Different from Part 2
Telescope	<leader>sk	All shortcuts
Telescope	<leader>sh	All help pages
todo	[t / ]t	Prev/Next todo comment
Lspsaga	<leader>gp	Peek definition	Different from Part 3
Lspconfig	<leader>cr	Rename	Different from Part 3
trouble	<leader>xx	Open diagnostic for current file	Different from Part 3
trouble	<leader>xT	Todo/Fix for current working space	Use with todo.nvim
tabnine	<C-n>	AI autocomplete	Tab is taken by nvim-cmp

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Part 6: Chatgpt

OpenAI get API key: here

chatgpt.nvim

Repo link: here

CodeGPT (in VScode)

Official link: here