nvim-genghis ⚔️

Lightweight and quick file operations without being a full-blown file manager.

• Features
• Installation
• Configuration
• Usage
• Available commands
  • File operations
  • Path copying
  • Other operations
• Why that name?
• About the author

Features

• Commands for moving, renaming, creating, deleting, or duplicating files and more.
• Commands for copying the path or name of the current file in various formats.
• All movement and renaming commands update import statements to the renamed file (if the LSP supports workspace/willRenameFiles).
• Lightweight: no file management UI or file tree.
• Various quality-of-life improvements like automatically keeping the extensions when no extension is given, or the ability to use vim motions in the input field.

Installation

-- lazy.nvim
{ 
	"chrisgrieser/nvim-genghis", 
	dependencies = "stevearc/dressing.nvim"
	cmd = "Genghis",
	opts = {}, -- empty table needed even for default config due to lazy.nvim bug, see #51
},

-- packer
use { 
	"chrisgrieser/nvim-genghis", 
	requires = "stevearc/dressing.nvim"
}

Configuration

The setup call is optional.

-- default config
require("genghis").setup {
	backdrop = {
		enabled = true,
		blend = 50,
	},
	-- default is `"trash"` on Mac/Windows, and `{ "gio", "trash" }` on Linux
	trashCmd = "trash",
}

Usage

You can access a command via the lua API:

require("genghis").createNewFile()

Or you can use the ex command :Genghis with the respective sub-command:

:Genghis createNewFile

Tip

Previously, the plugins used ex commands such as :New or :Move. To avoid conflicts, the ex commands are now only available as sub-commands of :Genghis. If you prefer the old, shorter ex commands, you can use abbreviations to re-create them, for example: vim.cmd.cabbrev("New Genghis createNewFile").

Available commands

File operations

• .createNewFile: Create a new file.
• .duplicateFile: Duplicate the current file.
• .moveSelectionToNewFile: Prompts for a new file name and moves the current selection to that new file. (Note that this is a Visual Line mode command, the selection is moved linewise.)
• .renameFile: Rename the current file.
• .moveAndRenameFile: Move and Rename the current file. Keeps the old name if the new path ends with /. Works like the Unix mv command.
• .moveToFolderInCwd: Move the current file to an existing folder in the current working directory.

The following applies to all commands above:

1. If no extension has been provided, uses the extension of the original file.
2. If the new file name includes a /, the new file is placed in the respective subdirectory, creating any non-existing folders.
3. All movement and renaming commands update import statements to the renamed file (if the LSP supports workspace/willRenameFiles).

Path copying

• .copyFilename: Copy the file name.
• .copyFilepath: Copy the absolute file path.
• .copyFilepathWithTilde: Copy the absolute file path, replacing the home directory with ~.
• .copyRelativePath: Copy the relative file path.
• .copyDirectoryPath: Copy the absolute directory path.
• .copyRelativeDirectoryPath: Copy the relative directory path.

All commands use the system clipboard.

Other operations

• .chmodx: Makes current file executable. Equivalent to chmod +x.
• .trashFile: Move the current file to the trash location.
  • Defaults to gio trash on Linux, trash on Mac and Windows.
  • If bufdelete.nvim is available, require'bufdelete.nvim'.bufwipeout would be used to keep window layout intact instead of vim.cmd.bwipeout.

Note

The trash CLIs are usually not available by default, and must be installed.

Why that name?

A nod to vim.eunuch, an older vimscript plugin with a similar goal. As opposed to childless eunuchs, it is said that Genghis Khan has fathered thousands of children.

About the author

In my day job, I am a sociologist studying the social mechanisms underlying the digital economy. For my PhD project, I investigate the governance of the app economy and how software ecosystems manage the tension between innovation and compatibility. If you are interested in this subject, feel free to get in touch.

I also occasionally blog about vim: Nano Tips for Vim

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