mirror of
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Merge remote-tracking branch 'lenormf/fix-faq'
This commit is contained in:
Maxime Coste
commit
01daf7c2e7
@ -1,44 +1,48 @@
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= FAQ
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== How to pronounce the name of the project and what does it mean ?
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== The project
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=== How to pronounce the name of the project and what does it mean ?
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The name of the project is pronounced "Kak-oon", and is a word taken from a
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New Caledonian dialect based on French. It means a hard blow, usually a punch,
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but generally refers to a blow into which all of one's strength went.
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but generally refers to a strike into which all of one's strength went.
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== Is there going to be a Windows port of Kakoune ?
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=== Is there going to be a Windows port of Kakoune ?
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As many features provided by UNIX systems would be missing, or if anything
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much less efficient on a Windows system, the incentive to porting the
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project to this operating system is pretty low.
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As many features provided by UNIX systems are missing or less efficient on
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a Windows system, the incentive to porting the project to this operating
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system is low.
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Moreover, you can get pretty decent performance by using Kakoune on Cygwin
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(which is officially supported).
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Moreover, you can achieve pretty decent performance by using Kakoune on
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Cygwin (which is officially supported).
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== Can I use Kakoune as a pager ?
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== Interfacing
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=== Can I use Kakoune as a pager ?
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Kakoune can be used as a pager, either by setting the `PAGER` environment
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variable to `kak`, or by writing data directly to its standard input using a
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shell pipeline.
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== Are there any non-console based frontends available ?
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=== Are there any non-console based frontends available?
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No graphical frontend is currently officially maintained, you can however
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try experimental community-developed ones.
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== Why are colors misrendered in my Kakoune clients ?
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=== Why are colors misrendered in my Kakoune clients?
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The most probable cause for that is a very widespread practice that consists
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in setting the `TERM` environment variable in the shell's configuration file.
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This variable should be set by the terminal emulator, and not overridden with
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an arbitrary value, otherwise it might interfere with general UI rendering on
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the terminal's window.
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The most probable cause for colors being misrendered is a widespread practice
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that consists in setting the `TERM` environment variable in the shell's
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configuration file. This variable should be set by the terminal emulator,
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and not overridden with an arbitrary value, otherwise it might interfere
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with general UI rendering on the terminal's window.
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== I'm using `tmux` and colors look weird
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=== I'm using `tmux` and colors look weird
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If you're using a tool that doesn't support "palette switching", colors will
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still be slightly off: they are being rounded down to values supported by the
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regular color palette by Kakoune. Fortunately, on recent versions of `tmux`
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regular color palette of Kakoune. Fortunately, on recent versions of `tmux`
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(>=2.6), you can work around that by using the following configuration
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settings:
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@ -59,118 +63,53 @@ $ tic /path/to/kakoune/contrib/tmux-256color.terminfo
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Finally, quit all existing sessions (`tmux kill-server`), and restart `tmux`.
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== Why does leaving insert mode take more than half a second in `tmux` ?
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=== Why do I see weird special characters (~T~@~U) around Clippy?
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You need a UTF-8 compliant locale, in order to render special characters.
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The way to do so might vary from distribution to another, but an easy way
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to verify that your locale is set correctly is to run the following command:
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----
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$ locale
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----
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The output should look similar to the following (with your own
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language/country code set, instead of `en_US`):
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----
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LANG=en_US.UTF-8
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LC_CTYPE="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_NUMERIC="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_TIME="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_COLLATE="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_MONETARY="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_MESSAGES="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_PAPER="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_NAME="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_ADDRESS="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_TELEPHONE="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_MEASUREMENT="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_IDENTIFICATION="en_US.UTF-8"
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LC_ALL=
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----
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You can also run the project's test suite, which should display errors if
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your locale doesn't support UTF-8 rendering:
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----
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$ cd kakoune
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$ make test
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----
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=== Why does leaving insert mode take more than half a second in `tmux`?
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Upon hitting the escape key, `tmux` waits for a short period of time to
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determine whether it's part of a function or a meta key sequence. In order
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to fix this "lag", set the waiting period in your `tmux` configuration file
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to a short time, e.g. 25ms: `set -sg escape-time 25`
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== How do I automatically indent code, as Vim does with `=` ?
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As `Kakoune` doesn't parse the contents of the buffers, there is no builtin
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equivalent for this Vim feature. Use a formatter/prettifier dedicated to
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the language you're using with the help of the `|` key.
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Example: `%|indent<ret>` to indent an entire buffer with C code.
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Note that some languages have a default formatter set, which you can use
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with the `:format` command.
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== Can Kakoune automatically complete the parameters of my functions ?
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As mentioned in the above question about Vim's `=` key, Kakoune does not
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parse the contents of a buffer by itself, which makes it impossible for
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the editor to propose candidates upon completion.
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However, support for such a feature can be achieved through the use of a
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dedicated tool, as is the case with `clang` and C code: you can use the
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`clang-enable-autocomplete` and `clang-complete` builtin commands whenever
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editing a C/C++ file, and completion will work on function parameters.
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Note that the same features are available for Python buffers, with the
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`jedi` script.
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== Why aren't widely known command line shortcuts such as <c-w> or <c-u> available in Kakoune ?
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Despite their widespread availability in multiple tools, those shortcuts do
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not fit the paradigm that Kakoune implements, which is based on selections
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first.
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However, you can easily declare key mappings in your configuration file
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to be able to use those control-based shortcuts in insert mode.
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(See <<mapping#,`:doc mapping`>>)
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== How can I explore the filesystem the way Vim's NerdTree does ?
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The builtin file completion engine used when opening a file for editing
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(using the `:edit` command and letting the suggestions popup in the menu
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beneath) is much more convenient than Vim's, which should suit basic needs.
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However, if you need an actual explorer to interact with the editor,
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you can create a Kakoune script that will spawn the tool in question,
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which should in return send an "edit" command followed by the path of the
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file you selected to the current Kakoune session (e.g. `echo "eval -client
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$kak_client edit /path/to/file" | kak -p $kak_session`).
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== Why aren't there other scopes similar to `%sh{}` e.g. python ?
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Supporting custom scopes would add hard dependencies to the project, which
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is too much of a drawback when balanced against the low cost of using
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an interpreter in a regular shell scope (e.g. `%sh{ python -c "..." }`).
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The shell scope allows users to spawn any interpreter they want, for a minimal
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cost in terms of performance, it is therefore the reason why it's the only
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one available by default.
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== What shell is used to expand `%sh{}` scopes ?
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The server expands shell scopes using the `sh` binary, stored in one of the
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directories where all the POSIX standard utilities can be found -this list
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of directories is stored in a system configuration variable, and queried
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by Kakoune at startup.
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In most distributions, `/bin/sh` will end up being used.
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== Can I disable auto-indentation completely ?
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All the indentation hooks are conventionally named `<lang>-indent`, which
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allows us to use the `disabled_hooks` variable to disable indentation
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globally with the following command: `set global disabled_hooks '.+-indent'`
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== How to enable syntax highlighting ?
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The mimetype of the files opened in new buffers is detected using the
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`file` command, and syntax highlighting enabled automatically when
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possible.
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== My file seems to be highlighted with the wrong colors, I thought syntax highlighting was detected automatically ?
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The `file` utility has several shortcomings, such as detecting the
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wrong mimetype for a file containing data with different syntax, e.g.
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a Python script containing hardcoded HTML templates detected as an HTML
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file.
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Kakoune does its best at detecting file types (using known extensions
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for a given format for instance), but not much can be done about those
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ambiguous cases. You might consider writing a custom `$HOME/.magic` file
|
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if needed.
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== Can I disable syntax highlighting completely ?
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Similarly to the indentation hooks, the name format followed by the
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highlighting hooks is `<lang>-highlight`. You can thus disable syntax
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highlighting using the following command: `set global disabled_hooks
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'.+-highlight'`
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== Why does a dot `.` in a regex select newline characters ?
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Data in buffers is a stream of characters, and newlines do not receive special
|
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treatment compared to other characters, with regards to regex matching. In
|
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order to select data in a line without any trailing newline characters, one could
|
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use the `[^\n]+` pattern, which is arguably a good compromise when
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balanced against the ability to select data over several lines.
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== Can I split the window to display different buffers in them ?
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=== Can I split the window to display different buffers in them?
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As a fairly compliant follower of the UNIX philosophy, Kakoune does not
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try to implement features that are best handled by separate, dedicated
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@ -184,7 +123,183 @@ In order to open buffers in the same window simultaneously using `tmux`
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and simply use the `:new` command to spawn new clients as you would
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have otherwise in an X11 environment.
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== Why does `a` extend the current selection, but `i` leaves it untouched ?
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== Generic functionalities
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=== Something is wrong, how can I get more debug information?
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You can get quite a lot of information out of the editor at runtime. One
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way is through the `:debug` command, which will print out statistics and
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state data into the `\*debug*` buffer:
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----
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:debug <command>
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----
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Another way is to set flags on the `debug` option:
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----
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:set global debug <flags>
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----
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Make sure to read all possible values suggested by the completion engine,
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as you type out both commands in a prompt.
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If you want to troubleshoot a crash, you need to compile the editor with
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debug symbols enabled:
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----
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$ make debug=yes
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----
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The resulting binary should produce a stacktrace that you can, afterwards,
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post in an issue in unmangled form (c.f. `c++filt`).
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=== How can I explore the filesystem the way Vim's NerdTree does?
|
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|
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The builtin file completion engine used when opening a file for editing
|
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(using the `:edit` command and letting the suggestions pop up in the menu
|
||||
beneath) is more convenient than Vim's, which should suit basic needs.
|
||||
|
||||
However, if you need an actual explorer to interact with the editor,
|
||||
you can create a Kakoune script that will spawn the tool in question,
|
||||
which should in return send an "edit" command followed by the path of the
|
||||
file you selected to the current Kakoune session (e.g. `echo "eval -client
|
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$kak_client edit /path/to/file" | kak -p $kak_session`).
|
||||
|
||||
=== How do I automatically indent code, as Vim does with `=`?
|
||||
|
||||
As `Kakoune` doesn't parse the contents of the buffers, there is no builtin
|
||||
equivalent for this Vim feature. Use a formatter/prettifier dedicated to
|
||||
the language you're using with the help of the `|` key.
|
||||
|
||||
Example: `%|indent<ret>` to indent an entire buffer with C code.
|
||||
|
||||
You can also set the `formatcmd` option and use the `:format` command to
|
||||
format the entire buffer.
|
||||
|
||||
=== Can Kakoune automatically complete the parameters of my functions?
|
||||
|
||||
As mentioned in the above question about Vim's `=` key, Kakoune does not
|
||||
parse the contents of a buffer by itself, which makes it impossible for
|
||||
the editor to propose candidates upon completion.
|
||||
|
||||
However, support for such a feature can be achieved through the use of a
|
||||
dedicated tool, as is the case with `clang` and C code: you can use the
|
||||
`clang-enable-autocomplete` and `clang-complete` builtin commands whenever
|
||||
editing a C/C++ file, and completion will work on function parameters.
|
||||
|
||||
Other language-support scripts implement this functionality in a similar way,
|
||||
for example the `jedi` script for Python buffers.
|
||||
|
||||
Another way to get automatic parameter completion that doesn't depend on
|
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built-in support in Kakoune is through the
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https://microsoft.github.io/language-server-protocol/[Language Server Protocol],
|
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for which you can find implementations that interact with the editor.
|
||||
|
||||
=== Why aren't widely known command line shortcuts such as <c-w> or <c-u> available in Kakoune?
|
||||
|
||||
Despite their widespread availability in multiple tools, those shortcuts do
|
||||
not fit the paradigm that Kakoune implements, which is based on selections
|
||||
first.
|
||||
|
||||
However, you can easily declare key mappings in your configuration file
|
||||
to be able to use those control-based shortcuts in insert mode.
|
||||
(See <<mapping#,`:doc mapping`>>)
|
||||
|
||||
Also note that a subset of "readline shortcuts" is implemented for command
|
||||
prompts.
|
||||
|
||||
=== Can I disable auto-indentation completely?
|
||||
|
||||
All the indentation hooks are conventionally named `<lang>-indent`, which
|
||||
allows us to use the `disabled_hooks` variable to disable indentation
|
||||
globally with the following command: `set global disabled_hooks '.+-indent'`
|
||||
|
||||
=== How to enable syntax highlighting?
|
||||
|
||||
The MIME type of the files opened in new buffers is detected using the
|
||||
`file` command, and syntax highlighting enabled automatically when
|
||||
possible.
|
||||
|
||||
=== My file seems to be highlighted with the wrong colors, I thought syntax highlighting was detected automatically?
|
||||
|
||||
The `file` utility has several shortcomings, such as detecting the
|
||||
wrong MIME type for a file containing data with different syntax, e.g.
|
||||
a Python script containing hardcoded HTML templates detected as an HTML
|
||||
file.
|
||||
|
||||
Kakoune does its best to detect file types (using known extensions for a
|
||||
given format for instance), but not much can be done about those ambiguous
|
||||
cases. You might consider writing a custom `$HOME/.magic` file if needed.
|
||||
|
||||
=== Can I disable syntax highlighting completely?
|
||||
|
||||
Similarly to the indentation hooks, the name format followed by the
|
||||
highlighting hooks is `<lang>-highlight`. You can thus disable syntax
|
||||
highlighting using the following command: `set global disabled_hooks
|
||||
'.+-highlight'`
|
||||
|
||||
=== Can the cursor be rendered as a beam?
|
||||
|
||||
Rendering the cursor as a beam is a common feature of other modal editors,
|
||||
it however doesn't fit within Kakoune's selection-first paradigm.
|
||||
|
||||
There is a selection on screen at all times, containing either data selected
|
||||
by the user, or a newline character when the buffer is empty.
|
||||
|
||||
A selection is bound by an anchor and a cursor. They can overlap, but
|
||||
ultimately must both be placed *over* a character. A beam cursor placed
|
||||
*between* two characters doesn't fulfil that requirement, and is thus
|
||||
not allowed.
|
||||
|
||||
== The editing language
|
||||
|
||||
=== The scripting language lacks keywords, when are you going to expand it?
|
||||
|
||||
The scripting language is the smallest subset of statements/keywords that
|
||||
allows users to write plugins, commands, mappings.
|
||||
|
||||
It's not intended to be a one-stop generic interface, but rather a glue
|
||||
between core Kakoune instructions and complex logic.
|
||||
|
||||
Other editors generally come up with their own language or leverage existing
|
||||
ones (for example, VimL, LUA), whereas Kakoune interacts with the shell,
|
||||
through `%sh{…}` scopes.
|
||||
|
||||
As arbitrary Kakoune data (options, selection etc.) can be shared with
|
||||
shell scopes through environment variables, users are free to process this
|
||||
data with pure shell scripting, or whatever interpreter they desire.
|
||||
|
||||
=== Why aren't there other scopes similar to `%sh{}` e.g. python?
|
||||
|
||||
Supporting custom scopes would add hard dependencies to the project, which
|
||||
is too much of a drawback when balanced against the low cost of using
|
||||
an interpreter in a regular shell scope (e.g. `%sh{ python -c "..." }`).
|
||||
The shell scope allows users to spawn any interpreter they want, for a minimal
|
||||
cost in terms of performance, it is therefore the reason why it's the only
|
||||
one available by default.
|
||||
|
||||
=== What shell is used to expand `%sh{}` scopes?
|
||||
|
||||
The server expands shell scopes using the `sh` binary, located in one of
|
||||
the directories containing all the POSIX standard utilities. This list of
|
||||
directories is stored in a system configuration variable, and queried by
|
||||
Kakoune at startup.
|
||||
|
||||
In most distributions, `/bin/sh` will end up being used.
|
||||
|
||||
=== Why does a dot `.` in a regex select newline characters?
|
||||
|
||||
Data in buffers is a stream of characters, and newlines do not receive special
|
||||
treatment compared to other characters, with regards to regex matching. In
|
||||
order to select data in a line without any trailing newline characters, one could
|
||||
use the `[^\n]+` pattern, which is arguably a good compromise when
|
||||
balanced against the ability to select data over several lines.
|
||||
|
||||
You can instruct the regex engine to stop matching newline characters with
|
||||
`.` by disabling the appropriate flag (`(?S)`).
|
||||
|
||||
=== Why does `a` extend the current selection, but `i` leaves it untouched?
|
||||
|
||||
Selections are ranges of characters whose delimiters are an "anchor" and
|
||||
a "cursor", and inserting characters is always done before the cursor in
|
||||
@ -195,3 +310,29 @@ make room for characters, effectively extending the current selection since
|
||||
the anchor remains immobile, even when the anchor and the cursor are at the
|
||||
same location. By opposition, using the insert primitive (`i`) merely adds
|
||||
characters before the cursor, which never modifies the current selection.
|
||||
|
||||
=== How to apply changes to all open buffers?
|
||||
|
||||
The `:exec` and `:eval` commands can apply changes to a comma-separated
|
||||
list of buffers, passed as argument to the `-buffer` flag.
|
||||
|
||||
In order to let the editor figure out which buffers are open, the special
|
||||
value `*` is accepted as a wildcard. For example, in order to reload all
|
||||
open buffers:
|
||||
|
||||
----
|
||||
:eval -buffer * e!
|
||||
----
|
||||
|
||||
=== Why is the text I pasted into a buffer completely mangled?
|
||||
|
||||
In order to assist users with writing code, some buffers come with hooks that
|
||||
automatically indent the text inserted. Pasting the contents of the clipboard
|
||||
into a buffer in insert mode triggers this indentation functionality,
|
||||
resulting into mangled text.
|
||||
|
||||
To prevent that from happening:
|
||||
|
||||
* disable hooks and enter insert mode with `\i`
|
||||
* insert text into the buffer (e.g. paste the clipboard's contents)
|
||||
* exit insert-mode, restoring hooks with `<esc>`
|
||||
|
||||
Loading…
Reference in New Issue
Block a user