Skip to content

Instantly share code, notes, and snippets.

@therealparmesh

therealparmesh/zed-vim-mode-cheatsheet.md

Created October 24, 2024 14:38
Show Gist options
  • Save therealparmesh/f6d404a25591325cc9d8598f815cd265 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Save therealparmesh/f6d404a25591325cc9d8598f815cd265 to your computer and use it in GitHub Desktop.
Download ZIP
Zed vim mode cheatsheet
Raw
zed-vim-mode-cheatsheet.md

Zed Vim Mode Cheat Sheet

Zed's Vim mode replicates familiar Vim behavior while integrating modern features like semantic navigation and multiple cursors. This cheat sheet summarizes essential shortcuts and settings to help you navigate and edit code efficiently in Zed.

Enabling/Disabling Vim Mode

  • Enable/Disable Vim Mode: Open the command palette and use Toggle Vim Mode.
    • This updates your user settings: "vim_mode": true or false.

Zed-Specific Features

Language Server Commands

Command Shortcut
Go to definition g d
Go to declaration g D
Go to type definition g y
Go to implementation g I
Rename (change definition) c d
Go to all references of current word g A
Find symbol in current file g s
Find symbol in entire project g S
Go to next diagnostic g ] or ] d
Go to previous diagnostic g [ or [ d
Show inline error (hover) g h
Open code actions menu g .

Git Commands

Command Shortcut
Go to next Git change ] c
Go to previous Git change [ c

Tree-Sitter Commands

Command Shortcut
Select a smaller syntax node ] x
Select a larger syntax node [ x

Multi-Cursor Commands

Command Shortcut
Add cursor at next occurrence of word g l
Add cursor at previous occurrence of word g L
Skip latest selection and add next occurrence g >
Skip latest selection and add previous g <
Select all occurrences of the current word g a

Pane Management

Command Shortcut
Open project-wide search g /
Open current search excerpt g <space>
Open search excerpt in a split <ctrl-w> <space>
Go to definition in a split <ctrl-w> g d
Go to type definition in a split <ctrl-w> g D

Insert Mode Shortcuts

Command Shortcut
Open completion menu ctrl-x ctrl-o
Request GitHub Copilot suggestion ctrl-x ctrl-c
Open inline AI assistant ctrl-x ctrl-a
Open code actions menu ctrl-x ctrl-l
Hide all suggestions ctrl-x ctrl-z

Supported Plugins Features

  • Surround Text Objects:
    • Yank surround: ys
    • Change surround: cs
    • Delete surround: ds
  • Commenting:
    • Comment/uncomment selection in visual mode: gc
    • Comment/uncomment current line in normal mode: gcc
  • Project Panel Shortcuts (Netrw-like):
    • Navigate: h, j, k, l
    • Open file: o
    • Open file in new tab: t

Command Palette Shortcuts

Access the command palette with : in Vim mode. Common Vim commands and aliases are supported.

File and Window Management

Command Description
:w[rite][!] Save current file
:wq[!] Save file and close buffer
:q[uit][!] Close buffer
:wa[ll][!] Save all open files
:wqa[ll][!] Save all files and close all buffers
:qa[ll][!] Close all buffers
:[e]x[it][!] Close buffer
:up[date] Save current file
:cq Quit Zed completely
:vs[plit] Split pane vertically
:sp[lit] Split pane horizontally
:new New file in horizontal split
:vne[w] New file in vertical split
:tabedit New file in new tab
:tabnew New file in new tab
:tabn[ext] Go to next tab
:tabp[rev] Go to previous tab
:tabc[lose] Close current tab

Note: Append ! to force execution without prompts.

Ex Commands

Command Description
:E[xplore] Open project panel
:C[ollab] Open collaboration panel
:Ch[at] Open chat panel
:A[I] Open AI panel
:No[tif] Open notifications panel
:fe[edback] Open feedback window
:cl[ist] Open diagnostics window
:te[rm] Open terminal
:Ext[ensions] Open extensions window

Navigating Diagnostics

Command Description
:cn[ext] or :ln[ext] Go to next diagnostic
:cp[rev] or :lp[rev] Go to previous diagnostic
:cc or :ll Open errors page

Git Commands

Command Description
:dif[fupdate] View diff under cursor (d o in normal mode)
:rev[ert] Revert diff under cursor (d p in normal mode)

Jump Commands

Command Description
:<number> Jump to specified line number
:$ Jump to end of file
:/foo Jump to next line matching foo
:?foo Jump to previous line matching foo

Replacement Commands

Command Description
:[range]s/foo/bar/ Replace foo with bar in [range]

Editing Commands

Command Description
:j[oin] Join current line with next
:d[elete][l][p] Delete current line
:s[ort] [i] Sort selection (case-insensitive with i)
:y[ank] Yank (copy) selection or line

Command Mnemonics

  • Use mnemonics in the command palette for quick access:
    • :diffs – Toggle all diffs
    • :cpp – Copy file path
    • :crp – Copy relative path
    • :reveal – Reveal in Finder
    • :zlog – Open Zed log
    • :clank – Cancel language server work

Customizing Key Bindings

Useful Contexts

  • Normal & Visual Mode: VimControl && !menu
  • Normal Mode Only: vim_mode == normal && !menu
  • Insert Mode: vim_mode == insert
  • Empty Pane or Shared Screen: EmptyPane || SharedScreen

Examples

  • Remap Shift-Y to Yank to End of Line:

    {
  "context": "vim_mode == normal && !menu",
  "bindings": {
    "shift-y": ["workspace::SendKeystrokes", "y $"]
  }
}

  • Use jk to Exit Insert Mode:

    {
  "context": "vim_mode == insert",
  "bindings": {
    "j k": "vim::NormalBefore"
  }
}

  • Enable Subword Motions (CamelCase navigation):

    {
  "context": "VimControl && !menu && vim_mode != operator",
  "bindings": {
    "w": "vim::NextSubwordStart",
    "b": "vim::PreviousSubwordStart",
    "e": "vim::NextSubwordEnd",
    "g e": "vim::PreviousSubwordEnd"
  }
}

  • Add Surround in Visual Mode with Shift-S:

    {
  "context": "vim_mode == visual",
  "bindings": {
    "shift-s": [
      "vim::PushOperator",
      {
        "AddSurrounds": {}
      }
    ]
  }
}

  • Restore Common Editing Shortcuts (Windows/Linux):

    {
  "context": "Editor && !menu",
  "bindings": {
    "ctrl-c": "editor::Copy",          // Vim default: return to normal mode
    "ctrl-x": "editor::Cut",           // Vim default: decrement
    "ctrl-v": "editor::Paste",         // Vim default: visual block mode
    "ctrl-y": "editor::Undo",          // Vim default: line up
    "ctrl-f": "buffer_search::Deploy", // Vim default: page down
    "ctrl-o": "workspace::Open",       // Vim default: go back
    "ctrl-a": "editor::SelectAll"      // Vim default: increment
  }
}

Changing Vim Mode Settings

Modify Vim mode behavior by updating your user settings.

Available Settings

Property Description Default Value
use_system_clipboard Clipboard usage: "always", "never", or "on_yank" "always"
use_multiline_find If true, f and t motions cross lines false
use_smartcase_find If true, f and t are case-insensitive with lowercase targets false
toggle_relative_line_numbers Line numbers relative in normal mode, absolute in insert mode false
custom_digraphs Define custom digraphs (e.g., "fz": "🧟‍♀️") {}

Example Settings

{
  "vim": {
    "use_system_clipboard": "never",
    "use_multiline_find": true,
    "use_smartcase_find": true,
    "toggle_relative_line_numbers": true,
    "custom_digraphs": {
      "fz": "🧟‍♀️"
    }
  }
}

Useful Core Zed Settings for Vim Mode

Property Description Default Value
cursor_blink Enable or disable cursor blinking true
relative_line_numbers Show relative line numbers true
scrollbar Scrollbar display settings ({"show": "never"} to hide) {"show": "always"}
scroll_beyond_last_line Scroll beyond last line ("off" to disable) "one_page"
vertical_scroll_margin Lines above/below cursor when scrolling (set to 0 for none) 3
gutter.line_numbers Show line numbers in gutter (false to hide) true
command_aliases Define aliases for command palette commands {}

Example Settings

{
  "cursor_blink": false,
  "relative_line_numbers": true,
  "scrollbar": { "show": "never" },
  "scroll_beyond_last_line": "off",
  "vertical_scroll_margin": 0,
  "gutter": {
    "line_numbers": false
  },
  "command_aliases": {
    "W": "w",
    "Wq": "wq",
    "Q": "q"
  }
}

Regex Differences in Search and Replace

  • Capture Groups: Use ( ) instead of \( and \).
  • Matches: Use $1, $2, etc., instead of \1, \2.
  • Global Option: Searches are global by default; no /g needed.
  • Case Sensitivity:
    • Vim: Use /i for case-insensitive.
    • Zed: Add (?i) at start or toggle with alt-cmd-c.

Note: Zed's command palette adjusts Vim-style substitute commands automatically.

For more details on settings and customization, refer to Zed's documentation.

@givensuman
Copy link

Is there a keybind to open the "Search project files" search in Vim mode? This would be a great replacement for Neovim's Telescope plugin.

@blackgolyb
Copy link

Is there a keybind to open the "Search project files" search in Vim mode? This would be a great replacement for Neovim's Telescope plugin.

Yes, you can. To do this, you need to add your own key bind. I use the space f for this task.
Here is an example for keymap.json:

[
    {
        "context": "vim_mode == normal || ProjectPanel || EmptyPane",
        "bindings": {
            "space f": "file_finder::Toggle",
        }
    }
]

@therealparmesh
Copy link
Author

@blackgolyb That is a cool idea!

@hutchike
Copy link

hutchike commented Feb 9, 2025

When I paste yanked lines with "y" in a Ruby code file, Zed inserts 2 extra spaces in lines after my "def methodname" line. Any ideas how to prevent this?

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment