rcmdnk/vim_ahk: Setting file to emulate vim with AutoHotkey

[yaohunzhanyue]

vim_ahk

Setting file/exe file of AutoHotkey for Vim emulation.

vim.ahk is the setting file for AutoHotkey(Autohotkey_L).

vim.exe is a standalone application made from vim.ahk (available in the releases page).

This is vim emulation for Windows. If you are interesting in same settings for Mac, try Vim emulation for Karabiner - Software for macOS: Karabiner-Elements complex_modifications rules by rcmdnk.

Installation

Scripts

If you've already installed AutoHotKey, just open vim.ahk with AutoHotkey.

If you are running AutoHotKey with another script, you can include it in your script using AutoHotKey... Please copy vim.ahk and lib directory in \Users\%username%\Documents or where the script is in, and add the following line in AutoHotkey.ahk or your script:

#Include  %A_LineFile%\..\vim.ahk

at the end of the Auto-execute section.

Executable

You can also use vim.exe, which can work standalone w/o AutoHotKey.

To get executable, go to the releases page and download the latest one.

Applications

The default setting enables vim-mode for the following applications:

• Notepad (メモ帳)
• Wordpad
• TeraPad
• Windows Explorer
• Thunderbird (only sending window)
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• Evernote
• Visual Studio Code
• OneNote
• TexWork
• TexStudio

You can change them from the right click menu of task tray icon (find VimMenu-Settings in the list), or launch the setting window by Ctrl-Alt-Shift-v.

If you want to change applications directly in the script, add VimGroup variable before Vim := new VimAhk() in vim.ahk (Window title/class can be checked by Window spy of AutoHotkey), or write before including vim.ahk

Example line:

VimGroup := "ahk_exe chrome.exe,ahk_exe firefox.exe"

Multiple applications can be written by comma separated.

Note: This will overwrite the default applications. If you want to add these applications to the default applications, add following applications after your applications:

"ahk_exe notepad.exe,ahk_exe explorer.exe,ahk_exe wordpad.exe,ahk_exe TeraPad.exe,作成,Write:,ahk_exe POWERPNT.exe,ahk_exe WINWORD.exe,ahk_exe Evernote.exe,ahk_exe Code.exe,ahk_exe onenote.exe,OneNote,ahk_exe texworks.exe,ahk_exe texstudio.exe"

Or you can use GUI option setting described below.

The default setting of VimSetTitleMatchMode is 2, which makes matching methods as Contain.

If you set OneNote, all windows with a title containing OneNote (e.g. XXX's OneNote) will be included. If you set VimSetTitleMatchMode as 3, only exact title of OneNote will be included.

Note: It may not work on OneNote. OneNote may has window name like User's Notebook - OneNote, instead of OneNote.

In that case, you need to check OneNote's window title with Window spy.

Window spy will give you about Window Title, Class and Process like:

User's Notebook - OneNote
ahk_class ApplicationFrameWindow
ahk_exe ApplicationFrameHost.exe

If you add any of above lines to VimGroup, vim_ahk works on OneNote. But if you set ahk_class ApplicationFrameWindow or ahk_exe ApplicationFrameHost.exe, vim_ahk also works on other applications which use these Class/Process name (most of applications installed from Microsoft Store).

Examples of applications:

• Chrome: ahk_exe chrome.exe
• Firefox: ahk_exe firefox.exe
• Excel: ahk_exe EXCEL.EXE
• LibreOffice: ahk_exe soffice.bin (for all LibreOffice applications)

Other Options

Option	Description	Default
VimRestoreIME	If 1, IME status is restored at entering insert mode.	1
VimJJ	If 1, jj changes mode to Normal from Insert.	0
VimLongEscNormal	If 1, pushing escape sends escape to the underlying application, while holding escape sets normal mode.	0
VimTwoLetterEsc	A list of character pairs to press together during insert mode to get to normal mode. For example, a value of jf means pressing j and f at the same time will enter normal mode.
VimDisableUnused	Disable level of unused keys in Normal mode (see below for details).	3
VimSetTitleMatchMode	SetTitleMatchMode: 1: Start with, 2: Contain, 3: Exact match	2
VimSetTitleMatchModeFS	SetTitleMatchMode: Fast: Text is not detected for such edit control, Slow: Works for all windows, but slow	Fast
VimIconCheckInterval	Interval to check vim_ahk status (ms) and change tray icon. If it is set to 0, the original AHK icon is set.	1000
VimVerbose	Verbose level (see below for details).	0

If you want to change them directly in the script, add these variable before Vim := new VimAhk() in vim.ahk or write before including vim.ahk

Or you can use GUI option setting described below.

VimIconCheckInterval:

If it is set non-zero, the tray icon is immediately changed when the mode is changed. This interval defines the interval when the Window is changed (e.g. vim_ahk enabled window to disabled window).

Verbose level:

• 1: Nothing.
• 2: Minimum tooltip (Mode name only).
• 3: Tooltip.
• 4: Msgbox.

Disable level:

• 1: Do not disable unused keys
• 2: Disable alphabets (+shift) and symbols
• 3: Disable all including keys with modifiers (e.g. Ctrl+Z)

GUI Option Setting Window

You can change these options from the right click menu of task tray icon (find VimMenu-Settings in the list), or launch the setting window by Ctrl-Alt-Shift-v.

Here, you can add **

If Icon is enabled, the task tray icon is changed following the mode.

Main Modes

Here are the main modes.

Mode	Description
Insert Mode	Normal Windows state
Normal Mode	As in vim, a cursor is moved by hjkl, w, etc... and some vim like commands are available.
Visual Mode	There are three visual mode: Character-wise, Line-wise, and Block-wise. Block-wise visual mode is valid only for applications which support block-wise selection (such TeraPad).
Command Mode	Can be used for saving file/quitting.

The initial state is Insert Mode, then Esc or Ctrl-[ brings you to Normal Mode.

In Normal Mode, i is the key to be back to Insert Mode.

v, V and Ctrl-v are the key to the Character-wise, Line-wise, and Block-wise Visual Mode, respectively.

After pressing :, a few commands to save/quit are available.

Available commands in Insert Mode

Key/Commands	Function
ESC/Ctrl-[	Enter Normal Mode. Holding (0.5s) these keys emulate normal ESC.
jj	Enter Normal Mode, if enabled.
Custom two letters	If two-letter mapping is set.

ESC/Ctrl-[ switch off IME if IME is on. ESC acts as ESC when IME is on and converting instructions. Ctrl-[ switches off IME and enters Normal Mode even if IME is on.

If using a custom two-letter hotkey to enter normal mode, the two letters must be different.

Available commands in Normal Mode

Mode Change

Key/Commands	Function
i/I/a/A/o/O	Enter Insert Mode at under the cursor/start of the line/next to the cursor/end of the line/next line/previous line.
v/V/Ctrl-v	Enter Visual Mode of Character-wise/Line-wise/Block-wise.
:	Enter Command Line Mode

Move

Key/Commands	Function
h/j/k/l	Left/Down/Up/Right.
0/$	To the start/end of the line.
Ctrl-a/Ctrl-e	To the start/end of the line (emacs like).
^	To the starting non-whitespace character of the line.
w/W/e/E	Move a word forward (all work the same way: goes to the beginning of the word).
b/B	Move a word backward (b/B: the beginning of the word).
Ctrl-u/Ctrl-d	Go Up/Down 10 line.
Ctrl-b/Ctrl-f	PageUp/PageDown.
gg/G	Go to the top/bottom of the file

In addition, Repeat is also available for some commands.

Example Commands	Action
4j	Down 4 lines
3w	Move 3 words forward
100j	Down 100 lines

Yank/Cut(Delete)/Change/Paste

Key/Commands	Function
yy, Y	Copy the line.
dd	Cut the line.
D	Cut from here to the end of the line.
cc	Change the line (enter Insert Mode).
C	Cut from here to the end of the line and enter Insert Mode.
x/X	Delete a character under/before the cursor (not registered in the clipboard).
p/P	Paste to the next/current place. If copy/cut was done with line-wise Visual Mode, it pastes to the next/current line. Some commands (such yy/dd) also force to paste as line-wise.

y/d/c+Move Command can be used, too.

• e.g.) yw -> copy next one word.
• e.g.) d3w -> delete next 3 words.

Others

Key/Commands	Function
u/Ctrl-r	Undo/Redo.
r/R	Replace one character/multiple characters.
J	Combine two lines.
.	It is fixed to do: Replace a following word with a clipboard (useful to use with a search).
~	Change case.
/	Start search (search box will be opened)
n/N	Search next/previous (Some applications support only next search)
*	Search the word under the cursor.
ZZ/ZQ	Save and Quit/Quit.

Available commands in Visual Mode

Key/Commands	Function
ESC/Ctrl-[	Enter Normal Mode.
Move command	Most of move commands in the Normal Mode are available.
y/d/x/c	Copy/Cut/Cut/Cut and insert (d=x)
Y/D/X/C	Move to the end of line, then Copy/Cut/Cut/Cut and Insert Mode (D=X)
*	Search the selected word.

Available commands at Command mode

Key/Commands	Function
ESC/Ctrl-[	Enter Normal Mode.
w + RETURN	Save
w + SPACE	Save as
w + q	Save and Quit
q	Quit
h	Open help of the application

References (Japanese)

• vim_ahk でウィンドウを定期的にチェックしてトレイアイコンを変えられる様にした
• vim_ahk で有効にするアプリの変更もメニューから出来る様にした
• vim_ahk でメニューから設定変更出来る様にした
• AutoHotkey で ToolTip を出す
• AutoHotkey で設定ファイルの読み書きをする
• AutoHotkey での GUI 操作
• AutoHotkey でのメニューの追加
• AutoHotkey で短い連続入力を認識させる方法
• AutoHotkey で特定の条件下で設定したキー以外全てを無効にする簡単な方法
• Vim 以外で Vim する: Windows+AutoHotkey 編 https://github.com/rcmdnk/vim_ahk