An aggresive keymap configuration inspired by VIM.

It is not meant to be a complete VIM emulation layer. You will not get composable commands, fancy text objects, macros, a vimrc... none of that.

I also will not be implementing more custom commands for this plugin.

Take advantage of the command_mode setting to enable a basic modal editing experience. command_mode is a built-in feature of sublime, while is active it disables the default key bindings of every key that inserts text in the file. This way we can reuse these keys to execute commands that make it easier to navigate throught the code.

But of course command_mode will be useless if we don't have any commands, so I took inspiration from VIM and setup some bindings based on their approach. The idea is to have some VIM inspired shortcuts bound to built-in commands from sublime text (with a few exceptions).

Install NvMode via Package Control.

1. Open the Command Palette via Ctrl/⌘+Shift+p
2. Select Package Control: Add Repository
3. Copy the link of this repository on the input
4. Open the Command Palette again, then select Package Control: Install Package
5. Search for NvMode and press ↲ Enter

1. Clone or download this repository, (re)name the folder to NvMode if necessary.
2. Move the folder inside your sublime /Packages. (Preferences > Browse Packages...)

There are a few features which are optional so I offer some configuration settings so you can enable them at will.

• nv_mode_enable_ctrl_w

The default is false. This one enables "window commands" that begin with ctrl+w. Since ctrl+w is bound to a common task (closing a tab) you need to set this variable to true in order to change the default behavior and enable the rest of the commands.

• nv_change_caret_style_in_command_mode

The default value is true. This sets the cursor shape to block when command_mode is enabled and changes it to a "beam" when entering insert mode.

• nv_toggle_hightlight_line_on_command_mode

The default value is false. When set to true will highlight the line where the cursor is only in command_mode, and will stop when you enter insert mode.

• nv_enable_transition_from_visual_to_insert_mode

The default value is true. Enable/disable the keybinding i in visual mode (to enter insert mode).

The keys marked with an * are bound to a command I implemented in this plugin. Everything else uses sublime's built-in features and commands.

Thanks to the sublime keymaps work you can extend this with your own shortcuts. First you'll need to go your "user folder" which is in the packages folder under the name User. Next create an NvMode folder, and in it create a Default.sublime-keymap. In other words, this:

$packages/User/NvMode/Default.sublime-keymap

Default.sublime-keymap needs to be have an array of keymaps, which may look something like this.

[
  {
    "keys": ["[", "t"],
    "command": "prev_view",
    "context": [
      {"key": "setting.command_mode", "operand": true}
    ]
  },
  {
    "keys": ["]", "t"],
    "command": "next_view",
    "context": [
      {"key": "setting.command_mode", "operand": true}
    ]
  }
]

In here I'm remapping ]t to the next_view command and [t to prev_view (they are the equivalent of gt and gT). And the context object tells sublime that they should be valid whenever command_mode is enabled. Meaning this will work on command mode and also visual mode.

If you want a key binding that only works on command mode but not in visual mode you'll need this context:

[
  {"key": "setting.command_mode", "operand": true}
  {"key": "setting.visual_mode", "operand": false}
]

To target only visual mode, just set both of those options to true.

[
  {"key": "setting.command_mode", "operand": true}
  {"key": "setting.visual_mode", "operand": true}
]

And finally if you set setting.command_mode to false, that means "insert mode".

[
  {"key": "setting.command_mode", "operand": false}
]

If you want to see a non-trivial example, check out my own configuration: here.

If you really, really want something that is closer to VIM check out these:

• NeoVintageous - A fully featured VIM emulation layer.
• Vintage Mode - A plugin that comes bundled with Sublime Text. Offers a basic support for VIM key bindings.

If you want to know about more plugins that enable a more keyboard-driven workflow check out these plugins:

• FileManager - It'll help navigate and manage your file without using the sidebar.
• AceJump - Jump to any location on the visible screen without using the mouse.
• BracketHighlighter - Swap, delete, and select the content wrapped between brackets and other types of pairs.
• Origami - Handle groups and panes with grace.
• Open Tab List - A way to navigate throught your opened files without touching your tabs.

If you find this tool useful and want to support my efforts, buy me a coffee ☕.