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diff --git a/src/blog/vim-keybindings-in-all-clis.html.erb b/src/blog/vim-keybindings-in-all-clis.html.erb new file mode 100644 index 0000000..967079c --- /dev/null +++ b/src/blog/vim-keybindings-in-all-clis.html.erb @@ -0,0 +1,71 @@ +title: Vim Keybindings in All CLIs +date: October 5, 2020 20:52 +--- +<p> +This post already lives as part of my +<a href='<%= path_to "blog_cheatsheets" %>'>cheatsheets</a>, but I think this is +one of those things that's worth putting out there. +</p> + +<p> +<code>readline</code> is a library that can be used to add keyboard shortcuts to +various CLI programs. If you're a command line user on Linux or Mac, you're +probably already using it even if you don't know it — <code>bash</code> +keyboard shortcuts come from <code>readline</code>. +</p> + +<p> +By default, <code>readline</code> uses Emacs-like bindings. If you were ever +confused by the weird key combinations in <code>bash</code>, this is where they +come from. +</p> + +<p> +<code>readline</code> can be configured via an <code>~/.inputrc</code> config +file in your home directory. +</p> + +<p> +There are several other libraries that provide similar functionality that are +used by certain CLI programs. <code>libedit</code> is a popular alternative with +a more permissive ("less free") license. Many Haskell projects use +<code>haskeline</code>, created specifically for <code>ghc</code>. +</p> + +<h3>Configuring readline</h3> + +<p> +All of the above libraries can be configured with config files in your home +directory. Here's what to put in your dotfiles to use vi keybindings by default: + +<pre> +# ~/.inputrc +set editing-mode vi + +# ~/.editrc +bind -v + +# ~/.haskeline +editMode: Vi +</pre> +</p> + +<p> +One other useful tip: if you want to just quickly switch <code>bash</code> to vi +keys, perhaps on an account that's temporary and you won't be putting effort +into customizing it, you can do so by running <code>set -o vi</code>. +</p> + +<h3>Where this doesn't work</h3> +<p> +The above configs cover some of my most used CLI tools, like <code>bash</code>, +REPLs for Ruby, Python, Haskell. My biggest pain is that I haven't found a +satisfactory way of getting vi keybindings in a Node.js shell. +</p> + +<p> +In some cases you can hack your way around a CLI not using any of the +<code>readline</code>-like libraries using a tool called <code>rlwrap</code>. +Unfortunately, it's not a silver bullet. I remember it working fine enough for +the OCaml REPL, but it doesn't play well with Node. +</p> |