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https://github.com/godbout/kindaVim.docs

Ultimate Vim Mode for macOS
https://github.com/godbout/kindaVim.docs

accessibility bindings input keyboard kindavim macos macos-app motions moves swift swiftui vim

Last synced: 6 days ago
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Ultimate Vim Mode for macOS

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README 

        


    

    
kindaVim brings Vim moves to macOS Input Fields and UI Elements.





![awesome stuff happening in there](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/godbout/kindaVim.theapp/master/assets/gif.gif "hehe")



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# The Site



[kindavim.app](https://kindavim.app) for all the fancy stuff.



# Why kindaVim



Because Vim moves anywhere is fucking cool.

And also kV makes using the keyboard more consistent on the whole macOS, where sometimes CTRL-P/CTRL-N go up/down lists, but sometimes it doesn't.

Thanks Apple.



# License



Unlimited trial.

The trial is: without a coffee a month kindaVim sleeps in the mornings. (It will scold you from the Menu Bar when you'll try to use it.)

You're still able to use it fully-featured the afternoons. (Until 5am the next day. Those are long afternoons, yes.)

So if you're like me and spend your mornings reading, swimming in the open sea or climbing rocks, then kV is basically free.



# Current Vim Implementation



> **Note**  

> If you find that you're missing a motion, command, a count support, or a repeat, just make a [request](https://github.com/godbout/kindaVim.docs/issues/139).



## Motions



> **Note**  

> For motions that accept regexes, kV uses the [ICU Regular Expressions](https://unicode-org.github.io/icu/userguide/strings/regexp.html) (Perl) rather than Vim's own flavor ones.



### kV Accessibility Strategy: text manipulation; accurate.



[See the motions implemented.](https://github.com/godbout/kindaVim.theapp/blob/master/AccessibilityStrategyImplementation.md#accessibility-strategy)



### kV Keyboard Strategy: keyboard remapping; less accurate.



[See the motions implemented.](https://github.com/godbout/kindaVim.theapp/blob/master/KeyboardStrategyImplementation.md#keyboard-strategy)



## Commands



[See the commands implementation.](https://github.com/godbout/kindaVim.theapp/blob/master/CommandsImplementation.md#commands)



## Missing something?



Make a [request](https://github.com/godbout/kindaVim.docs/issues/139).



# APIs



kindaVim writes the current environment information in a `json` file at `~/Library/Application\ Support/kindaVim/environment.json`.



You can be notified of changes in the file with tools like [watchman](https://github.com/facebook/watchman) and directly read the environment state with tools like [jq](https://github.com/jqlang/jq).

With that information you could for example remap keys differently depending on kindaVim's Mode with tools like [Hammerspoon](https://github.com/Hammerspoon/hammerspoon) or [BetterTouchTool](https://folivora.ai).



# Sync your Preferences



Currently the Preferences are a plist file located at `~/Library/Preferences/mo.com.sleeplessmind.kindaVim.plist`.

You can add it to your [dotfiles](https://dotfiles.github.io), or simply copy paste the file to your new computers.



P.S.: for security reasons Apple is now blocking the use of symlinks for App Preferences since macOS Ventura, so you cannot use anymore tools like [Mackup](https://github.com/lra/mackup) to keep your Preferences synced. You can currently only paste and replace files manually.



# Feedback



* whether you need a missing move, want to report a bug or ask for a feature, just [open an issue](https://github.com/godbout/kindaVim.theapp/issues/new).



# AccessibilityStrategyTestApp



Testing the Vim moves when using the macOS Accessibility requires building an external app. This app, as well as the tests of each move in the context of the Accessibility Strategy, are open source and available here: [AccessibilityStrategyTestApp](https://github.com/godbout/AccessibilityStrategyTestApp)



# Alternatives



* [Karabiner-Elements](https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org) (open source, free)

* [VimMode.spoon](https://github.com/dbalatero/VimMode.spoon) (open source, free)

* [SketchyVim](https://github.com/FelixKratz/SketchyVim) (open source, free)

* [ti-vim](https://vim.tonisives.com) (closed source, one time purchase)

* [ShadowVim](https://github.com/mickael-menu/ShadowVim) (open source, free, for Xcode)



# Roadmap



* adding new motions

* adding new apps to The Wizard



# Acknowledgments



* [Sindre Sorhus](https://github.com/sindresorhus) for [LaunchAtLogin](https://github.com/sindresorhus/LaunchAtLogin) and [KeyboardShortcuts](https://github.com/sindresorhus/KeyboardShortcuts), that saved me countless of hours of headaches

* [Sparkle](https://sparkle-project.org) for the Sofware Updater. this is great shit.

* [Clipy](https://github.com/Clipy) for [Sauce](https://github.com/Clipy/Sauce), a magnificent Swift package to handle Keyboard Layouts headaches