#+TITLE: Editor #+AUTHOR: Christopher James Hayward #+EMAIL: chris@chrishayward.xyz #+PROPERTY: header-args:emacs-lisp :tangle editor.el :comments org #+PROPERTY: header-args :results silent :eval no-export :comments org #+OPTIONS: num:nil toc:nil todo:nil tasks:nil tags:nil #+OPTIONS: skip:nil author:nil email:nil creator:nil timestamp:nil Configuration and imrpovements to the editor experience within Emacs. *Vim*[fn:1] user? This module extends the keybindings by implementing *Evil*[fn:2]. *Doom*[fn:3], *Spacemacs*[fn:4]? The all powerful leader key is also implemented right here! * Keys Offer =ESC= as an alternative to quit (most) prompts, instead of the default =C-g=. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (global-set-key (kbd "") 'keyboard-escape-quit) #+end_src ** Completions Emacs has *a lot of keybindings*, sometimes it's useful to just start mashing keys and see what happens. This behaviour exists in a third-party package called *which-key*[fn:5]. It displays the current incomplete keybinding input in a mini-buffer, showing available completion options with their corresponding keybindings. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package which-key :diminish which-key-mode :custom (which-key-idle-delay dotfiles/idle) :config (which-key-mode)) #+end_src ** Turn Emacs into Vim Emacs has *some strange default keybindings*, they're not like any other editor you've likely ever used. To overcome this nearly show-stopping hurdle, we turn Emacs into Vim[fn:1] with *Evil Mode - The Extensible VI Layer for Emacs*[fn:2]. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package evil :custom (evil-want-integration t) ;; Required for `evil-collection'. (evil-want-keybinding nil) ;; Same as above :config (evil-mode +1)) #+end_src While covering substantial ground towards our goal, the default keybindings implemented in *Evil*[fn:2] alone are *lacking* compared to what you would expect from *Vim*[fn:1]. There's, of course, a communicated curated package *evil-collection*[fn:6] that does a much better job implementing the proper keybindings. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package evil-collection :after evil :config (evil-collection-init)) #+end_src *** Surround text Whether it's on purpose, or more likely, you forgot an opening brace; *evil-surround*[fn:7] surrounds highlighted blocks of text with functions, quotations, and any symbol you can input. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package evil-surround :after evil :config (global-evil-surround-mode 1)) #+end_src *** Toggle comments When you're in deep with errors, or just trying some new code, it's useful to be able to toggle large comment sections in a language agnostic manner. In comes *evil-nerd-commentor*[fn:8], with a custom binding to =M-;=. What is =M-= ? Typically that refers to the =Alt= key, called the =Meta= key in Emacs. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package evil-nerd-commenter :after evil :bind ("M-;" . evilnc-comment-or-uncomment-lines)) #+end_src ** Implementing the leader key If you're like me and started with Emacs using a framework like *Doom*[fn:3] or *Spacemacs*[fn:4], you probably have a lot of muscle memory for using =SPC= as a leader key. This behaviour is actually not difficult to implement, especially when using *general.el*[fn:9]. + =SPC= in most situations as a prefix key + =C-SPC= when using the [[file:desktop.org][Desktop]] module within an =X= buffer #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package general :after evil :config (general-create-definer dotfiles/leader :states '(normal motion) :keymaps 'override :prefix dotfiles/leader-key :global-prefix dotfiles/leader-key-global)) #+end_src ** Transient bindings Create transient keybindings with a shared prefix through *Hydra*[fn:10]. This is also used by a number of third-party packages as a completion system. An implementation example is available in the *Font* section of the [[file:interface.org][Interface]] module. + Defer loading for performance #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package hydra :defer t) #+end_src Place runtime tweaks behind =SPC t= #+begin_src emacs-lisp (dotfiles/leader "t" '(:ignore t :which-key "Tweaks")) #+end_src ** Cherry picked shortcuts Implement shortcut bindings, cherry picked from *Doom*[fn:3]. + Close buffers with =SPC c= + Find files with =SPC , (comma)= #+begin_src emacs-lisp (dotfiles/leader "." '(find-file :which-key "Files") "c" '(kill-buffer-and-window :which-key "Close")) #+end_src *** Managing windows Window management with =SPC w= + Swap with =w= + Close with =c= + Move with =h,j,k,l= + Split with =s - = #+begin_src emacs-lisp (dotfiles/leader "w" '(:ignore t :which-key "Window") "ww" '(window-swap-states :which-key "Swap") "wc" '(delete-window :which-key "Close") "wh" '(windmove-left :which-key "Left") "wj" '(windmove-down :which-key "Down") "wk" '(windmove-up :which-key "Up") "wl" '(windmove-right :which-key "Right") "ws" '(:ignore t :which-key "Split") "wsj" '(split-window-below :which-key "Down") "wsl" '(split-window-right :which-key "Right")) #+end_src *** Quitting Emacs Quit Emacs with =SPC q= + Save and quit =q= + Quit without saving =w= + Exit the Frame (daemon) =f= #+begin_src emacs-lisp (dotfiles/leader "q" '(:ignore t :which-key "Quit") "qq" '(save-buffers-kill-emacs :which-key "Save") "qw" '(kill-emacs :which-key "Now") "qf" '(delete-frame :which-key "Frame")) #+end_src * Help Use the built-in ~describe-*~ functionality of Emacs to quickly access documentation for packages, variables, and functions. + Run helper functions with =SPC h= * Packages =p= * Variables =v= * Functions =f= #+begin_src emacs-lisp (dotfiles/leader "h" '(:ignore t :which-key "Help") "hp" '(describe-package :which-key "Package") "hv" '(describe-variable :which-key "Variable") "hf" '(describe-function :which-key "Function")) #+end_src * Files Emacs has some really cool built-in packages, *Dired*[fn:11] is one of them. It's not perfect out of the box though, there's work to do. ** Navigating to the current directory I don't want to have to press =RET= twice to navigate to the current directory. Avoid this behaviour with ~jump~, included in the =dired-x= package that ships with *Dired*[fn:11]. + Open a new dired buffer with =SPC d=. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (require 'dired-x) (dotfiles/leader "d" '(dired-jump :which-key "Dired")) #+end_src ** Reusing the same buffer By default *Dired*[fn:11] will create a new buffer every time you press =RET= over a directory. This leads to unwanted buffers all over the place. Avoid this behaviour with *Dired Single*[fn:12], reusing the same dired buffer. + Move up a directory with =h= + Open a single buffer with =l= #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package dired-single :config (evil-collection-define-key 'normal 'dired-mode-map "h" 'dired-single-up-directory "l" 'dired-single-buffer)) #+end_src * Shell Another really incredible piece of kit, shipped with Emacs. *Eshell*[fn:15] is a fully POSIX compliant shell written entirely in Emacs Lisp. While not a traditional terminal emulator, it provides me with all of the functionality I expect and require from one. The infamous lambda prompt implemented with the *Eshell Prompt Extras*[fn:16] package. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package eshell-prompt-extras :custom (eshell-highlight-prompt nil) (eshell-prefer-lisp-functions nil) (eshell-prompt-function 'epe-theme-lambda)) #+end_src Open an =eshell= buffer with =SPC e=. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (dotfiles/leader "e" '(eshell :which-key "Shell")) #+end_src * Magit #+ATTR_ORG: :width 420px #+ATTR_HTML: :width 420px #+ATTR_LATEX: :width 420px [[../docs/images/2021-02-13-example-magit.gif]] Yet another hallmark feature of Emacs: *Magit*[fn:17] with the *darling* name, the developer stresses it's supposed to be *Magic* but with *Git*[fn:19]. It's a complete *Git*[fn:19] porcelain within Emacs. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package magit :commands magit-status :custom (magit-display-buffer-function #'magit-display-buffer-same-window-except-diff-v1)) #+end_src Open the *status* page for the current repository with =SPC g=. #+begin_src emacs-lisp (dotfiles/leader "g" '(magit-status :which-key "Magit")) #+end_src ** GitHub integration Interact with *Git*[fn:19] forges from *Magit*[fn:17] and Emacs using *Forge*[fn:18], requiring only a *GitHub*[fn:20] token to get started. If you're not sure what *GitHub*[fn:20] is, it's to *Git*[fn:19] what *Porn* is to *PornHub*. No citations! + Requires a valid ~$GITHUB_TOKEN~ #+begin_src emacs-lisp (use-package forge :after magit) #+end_src * Resources [fn:1] https://vim.org [fn:2] https://evil.readthedocs.io/en/latest/index.html [fn:3] https://github.com/hlissner/doom-emacs/ [fn:4] https://spacemacs.org [fn:5] https://github.com/justbur/emacs-which-key/ [fn:6] https://github.com/emacs-evil/evil-collection [fn:7] https://github.com/emacs-evil/evil-surround [fn:8] https://github.com/redguardtoo/evil-nerd-commenter [fn:9] https://github.com/noctuid/general.el [fn:10] https://github.com/abo-abo/hydra [fn:11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dired [fn:12] https://github.com/crocket/dired-single [fn:15] https://gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/eshell/index.html [fn:16] https://github.com/zwild/eshell-prompt-extras [fn:17] https://github.com/magit/magit [fn:18] https://github.com/magit/forge [fn:19] https://git-scm.com [fn:20] https://github.com