wasavi

wasavi is an extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. wasavi changes a textarea element to virtual vi editor which supports almost all the vi/ex commands.

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Quick Overview

Wasavi is a vi/vim-like text editor implemented as a browser extension. It provides a powerful vim-like editing experience within text areas of web pages, allowing users to leverage familiar vi/vim commands and keybindings while working in their browser.

Pros

Brings vi/vim functionality to web browsers, enhancing text editing capabilities
Works across multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Opera)
Customizable with various options and settings
Lightweight and easy to install as a browser extension

Cons

May have a steep learning curve for users unfamiliar with vi/vim
Limited compared to full-featured vim implementations
Potential conflicts with website-specific keyboard shortcuts
Occasional compatibility issues with certain web applications

Getting Started

Visit the GitHub repository: https://github.com/akahuku/wasavi
Follow the installation instructions for your specific browser:
- For Chrome: Install from the Chrome Web Store
- For Firefox: Install from Mozilla Add-ons
- For Opera: Install from Opera add-ons
Once installed, activate Wasavi in any text area by pressing Ctrl+Enter (or Command+Enter on Mac)
Start using vi/vim commands within the text area
Customize Wasavi settings by accessing the extension options in your browser

Note: As Wasavi is a browser extension and not a code library, there are no code examples to provide. The functionality is primarily used through keyboard commands and interactions within web browser text areas.

Competitor Comparisons

vimium

23,183

The hacker's browser.

Pros of Vimium

More active development with frequent updates and contributions
Broader feature set, including custom key mappings and search engines
Larger user base and community support

Cons of Vimium

Limited to browser-based functionality
May have a steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with Vim commands

Code Comparison

Vimium (JavaScript):

const scrollStepSize = 60;
scrollBy(0, -scrollStepSize);

Wasavi (JavaScript):

function scroll (n) {
  window.scrollBy(0, n * config.vars.scroll);
}

Key Differences

Vimium focuses on browser navigation and control, while Wasavi aims to provide a full Vim-like editing experience within textareas
Vimium is a browser extension, whereas Wasavi is a web application that can be used across different browsers
Vimium has a more extensive set of keyboard shortcuts for navigation, while Wasavi offers more advanced text editing capabilities

Use Cases

Vimium: Ideal for users who want Vim-like navigation in their browser
Wasavi: Better suited for users who need a full-featured text editor within web forms and textareas

Community and Support

Vimium has a larger user base and more active community discussions
Wasavi has fewer contributors but offers a unique solution for in-browser text editing

tridactyl

5,215

A Vim-like interface for Firefox, inspired by Vimperator/Pentadactyl.

Pros of Tridactyl

More active development with frequent updates and contributions
Broader feature set for browser control and customization
Larger user base and community support

Cons of Tridactyl

Steeper learning curve due to more complex command system
Heavier resource usage, potentially impacting browser performance

Code Comparison

Tridactyl (JavaScript):

export function fillcmdline(
    content: string,
    options: Partial<CmdLineContentOptions> = {},
) {
    CommandLineContent.set({ content, options })
}

Wasavi (JavaScript):

function fillPrompt (text) {
    var p = $('prompt');
    p.value = text;
    p.focus();
    p.selectionStart = p.selectionEnd = text.length;
}

Summary

Tridactyl offers a more comprehensive set of features for power users seeking extensive browser control, while Wasavi focuses on providing a vim-like editing experience within text areas. Tridactyl's active development and larger community come at the cost of increased complexity, whereas Wasavi maintains a simpler, more focused approach. The code comparison illustrates the difference in complexity between the two projects, with Tridactyl using more advanced JavaScript features and a more structured approach to command handling.

Surfingkeys

5,321

Map your keys for web surfing, expand your browser with javascript and keyboard.

Pros of Surfingkeys

More comprehensive keyboard shortcuts for browser navigation and control
Supports custom JavaScript for advanced customization
Active development with frequent updates and new features

Cons of Surfingkeys

Steeper learning curve due to extensive feature set
May conflict with some website's built-in keyboard shortcuts
Requires more system resources due to its broader functionality

Code Comparison

Surfingkeys (custom key mapping):

mapkey('<Ctrl-y>', 'Show me the money', function() {
    Front.showPopup('$$');
});

wasavi (vi command implementation):

ExCommand.prototype.map = function(args, range) {
    var lhs = args[0], rhs = args.slice(1).join(' ');
    this.registers.set('map', lhs, rhs);
};

Summary

Surfingkeys offers a more comprehensive set of keyboard shortcuts and customization options for browser control, while wasavi focuses on providing a vi-like editing experience within text areas. Surfingkeys is actively developed and feature-rich but may have a steeper learning curve. wasavi is more specialized for text editing tasks but may have limited browser control capabilities compared to Surfingkeys.

chromium-vim

2,252

Vim bindings for Google Chrome.

Pros of chromium-vim

More focused on Vim-like functionality for Chrome/Chromium browsers
Actively maintained with recent updates
Larger user base and community support

Cons of chromium-vim

Limited to Chrome/Chromium browsers, not cross-platform
May have a steeper learning curve for users less familiar with Vim

Code Comparison

wasavi:

function isEditableElement(element) {
  return element && (
    /^input$/i.test(element.nodeName) && !/^(?:button|checkbox|file|hidden|image|radio|reset|submit)$/i.test(element.type) ||
    /^textarea$/i.test(element.nodeName) ||
    element.isContentEditable
  );
}

chromium-vim:

const isEditable = function(element) {
  return element.nodeName === 'INPUT' || element.nodeName === 'TEXTAREA' ||
    element.isContentEditable;
};

Both projects aim to bring Vim-like functionality to web browsers, but they differ in scope and implementation. wasavi focuses on providing a more comprehensive text editing experience across multiple browsers, while chromium-vim is tailored specifically for Chrome/Chromium users who want Vim-style navigation and commands.

The code comparison shows that both projects implement similar functionality for detecting editable elements, but with slightly different approaches. wasavi's implementation is more detailed and handles various input types, while chromium-vim's version is more concise.

vim-vixen

2,110

Accelerates your web browsing with Vim power!!

Pros of Vim Vixen

Lightweight and focused on providing Vim-like keybindings for Firefox
Active development with regular updates and bug fixes
Extensive documentation and user guide available

Cons of Vim Vixen

Limited to Firefox browser only
Less customizable compared to Wasavi's full-fledged Vim emulation
Lacks some advanced Vim features available in Wasavi

Code Comparison

Vim Vixen (key mapping):

const DEFAULT_KEYMAPS = {
  'scroll.vertically': { keys: ['j', 'k', '<C-e>', '<C-y>'] },
  'scroll.horizonally': { keys: ['h', 'l'] },
  'scroll.home': { keys: ['0', 'gg'] },
  'scroll.end': { keys: ['$', 'G'] },
  // ...
};

Wasavi (command implementation):

function Command_scroll (app, v) {
  var count = app.marks.getJumpBasement();
  if (app.exvm.visible) {
    app.exvm.notify(_('{0} is not available while ex command line is active.', v.name));
    return;
  }
  // ...
}

This comparison highlights the different approaches: Vim Vixen focuses on key mappings for browser navigation, while Wasavi implements a more comprehensive Vim-like environment with command structures. Vim Vixen is more suitable for users seeking basic Vim-style navigation in Firefox, whereas Wasavi offers a fuller Vim experience across browsers.

firenvim

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Embed Neovim in Chrome, Firefox & others.

Pros of Firenvim

Integrates Neovim directly into browser text areas, providing a full-featured Vim experience
Supports a wide range of browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
Allows for custom configuration and keybindings through init.vim

Cons of Firenvim

Requires Neovim to be installed on the user's system
May have performance issues with very large text areas
Setup process can be more complex for less technical users

Code Comparison

Wasavi (JavaScript):

var wasavi = {
  init: function() {
    // Initialize wasavi
  },
  execute: function(command) {
    // Execute Vim-like command
  }
};

Firenvim (Lua):

local function setup()
  vim.g.firenvim_config = {
    localSettings = {
      ['.*'] = {
        takeover = 'never'
      }
    }
  }
end

While both projects aim to bring Vim-like functionality to browsers, Firenvim provides a more authentic Vim experience by integrating Neovim directly. Wasavi, on the other hand, is a JavaScript implementation that doesn't require additional software but may not offer the full range of Vim features. Firenvim's code leverages Lua for configuration, while Wasavi uses JavaScript throughout its implementation.

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README

wasavi (VI editor for any web page)

wasavi is an extension for Chrome, Opera and Firefox. wasavi transforms TEXTAREA element of any page into a VI editor, so you can edit the text in VI. wasavi supports almost all VI commands and some ex commands.

wasavi is under development. Any bug report or feature request is welcome.

And we also welcome a donation to continue development:

æ¥æ¬èªçã®README

A Quick Walkthrough

Here is a native TEXTAREA. Focus the TEXTAREA, and press Ctrl+Enter to launch wasavi

Salient Features

wasavi supports some ex commands. This is the output of :set all
Vim's incremental search
wasavi online app. Open this link on a browser that has wasavi extension. wasavi will launch automatically. Then you can read and write files at your Dropbox/Google Drive/OneDrive account or local files.

How to install

Currently, wasavi is available for following browsers only. Select your browser and click the link. Standard extension installation procedure of your browser will follow. These extensions are hosted at the addons store of their respective browser.

Source code and latest development releases are hosted at Github:

A note for Chrome users

Chrome has reserved some fundamental shortcuts, such as Ctrl+T, Ctrl+W and Ctrl+N. Although these keys cannot be used in wasavi, you can use Alt+T, Alt+W and Alt+N.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to launch wasavi

Focus TEXTAREA and press Ctrl+Enter.

How to quit wasavi

To quit wasavi press ZZ or :q or :wq or any other VI quit command.

Which options are accepted by the `:set` command?

See this table.

Note: there are also options which are accepted but don't have any effect yet.

How to modify initial settings:

Open preference wasavi extension (or enter :options on wasavi), and edit "exrc" textbox.

How to control beep

Add set noerrorbells to your exrc to disable beep sound. If you prefer a visual bell, add set visualbell instead.

Also, a chime at wasavi startup can be disabled with set nolaunchbell.

The volume of any beeps can be controlled with set bellvolume=N. Range of value N is 1 to 100.

How to access local files

See document.

How to use wasavi with Vimperator/Keysnail/VimFx on Firefox

Vimperator

Put wasavi_mediator.js in your Vimperator plugin directory, for example, ~/.vimperator/plugin or %HOME%\vimperator\plugin.

This plugin will control the pass-through mode of Vimperator according to the state of wasavi.

Keysnail

Put wasavi_mediator.ks.js in your Keysnail plugin directory.

This plugin will control suspend mode of Keysnail according to the state of wasavi.

VimFx

Latest VimFx recognizes wasavi as editable element. While wasavi is running, VimFx suspends temporarily.

To use VimFx's key binding while wasavi is running, click outside area of wasavi or enter :set esctoblur and press <esc> in normal mode. Then keyboard focus would be removed from wasavi, and you can use VimFx's key binding.

How to use wasavi as an independent text editor

Install the wasavi extension and open the link to wasavi online app. wasavi will start automatically. You can use ex commands :read, :write, :edit or :file to access your Dropbox/Google Drive/OneDrive files or local files. You will have to authorize wasavi via OAuth to access these storages.

About automatic setting override

The :set commands which you input while wasavi is running are stored to extension's persistent storage, and those are regenerated when you launch wasavi next time.

This setting override mechanism works each independent URLs (max 30). If you think this is unnecessary, put :set nooverride in your exrc. Then overriding will be skipped.

How to cooperate with Migemo

wasavi for Chrome can Migemo search. Install Migemo Server, then input a special meta character \M in search query of / or ? command. If \M included in search query, these search commands are executed via migemo.

I have noticed a bug

Please create an issue on wasavi issue tracker

Tips and Tricks

to maximize the wasavi: :set fullscreen or :set fs
to restore the wasavi: :set nofullscreen or :set nofs
to change a color theme: :set theme=blight or :set theme=charcoal or :set theme=matrix or :set theme=solarized or :set theme=solarized_dark
abbreviate syntax is
- :abbreviate displays all the abbreviations currently registered.
- :abbreviate [clear] clears all the abbreviations.
- :abbreviate lhs displays the abbreviation corresponding to lhs.
- :abbreviate lhs rhs registers a abbreviation which expands lhs to rhs.
- :abbreviate [noremap] lhs rhs also registers, but it is not effected remap mechanism.
map syntax is
- :map displays all the mappings currently registered.
- :map [clear] clears all the mappings.
- :map lhs rhs registers a rule which translates lhs to rhs. Its translation is recursive. About syntax of key stroke descriptor like <esc> in the lhs and rhs, see this page.
- :map [noremap] lhs rhs also registers, but it is non-recursive.
- :map targets the normal mode mappings. On the other hand, :map! targets the insert mode. This is equivalent to vim's :imap.
- For more detailed information, see Syntax of map command.
j k ^ $ moves cursor by physical row, on the other hand, gj gk g^ g$ moves by wrapped row. To swap the behavior: :set jkdenotative
f F t T extension for Japanese: these commands recognizes reading (ro-ma ji expression) of hiragana, katakana, and kanji. For example, fk will place a cursor on 'ã', 'ã«', 'æ¼¢' and so on.
f F t T extension for Latin script: these commands recognizes the base alphabet of diacritical marked letter. For example, fa will place a cursor on 'Ã¥', 'Ã¤', 'Ã ', 'Ã¢', 'Ä' and so on. Also see mapping table.
use a online storage as file system:
- :filesystem status shows all file systems currently available.
- :filesystem default shows default file system. You can set default file system via :filesystem default dropbox or :filesystem default gdrive or :filesystem default onedrive.
- :filesystem reset discards the access token for online storage.
- You can place the file system name at the head of a file name explicitly: for instance, :read dropbox:/hello.txt.
When you read from the register of A to Z, some registers returns special content:
- B register: user agent string
- D register: current date time string (formatted by using datetime option as template of strftime(3))
- T register: title string
- U register: URL string
- W register: version string of wasavi
To return a setting to default state:
- :set <option-name>& or :set <option-name>&default
To return all settings to default state:
- :set all& or :set all&default
To return a setting to the state just after evaluation of exrc:
- :set <option-name>&exrc
To return all settings to the state just after evaluation of exrc:
- :set all&exrc
To submit a form automatically after writing text and closing wasavi:
- :wqs
- :submit (this can be shortened to :sub )

Commands implemented

[count] operation [count] motion
[count] operation [count] range-symbol
[count] surround-operation [count] motion surround-string
[count] surround-operation [count] range-symbol surround-string
[count] de-surround-operation [count] surround-identifier
[count] re-surround-operation [count] surround-identifier surround-string
[count] operation-alias
[count] surround-operation-alias surround-string
[count] motion
[count] scroll-command
[count] edit-command
[count] : ex-command

Operations

c y d > < gq gu gU

Operation Aliases

cc yy dd >> << C Y D gqq guu gUU yss ySS

A counter can be inserted in front of the last 1 character.

Surround Operations

to surround: ys yS
to remove a surround: ds
to change a surround: cs

Motions

- + ^ <home> $ <end> % | , ; _ / ? ' ` ( ) { } [[ ]] <enter> 0 j k h l ^N ^P ^H <down> <up> <left> <right> <space> w W b B e E gg gj gk g^ g$ G H M L f F t T n N

Range symbols (Vim text objects)

a" a' a` a[ a] a{ a} aB a< a> a( a) ab aw aW ap as at
i" i' i` i[ i] i{ i} iB i< i> i( i) ib iw iW ip is it

Scroll commands

^U ^D ^Y ^E ^B ^F <pageup> <pagedown> z<enter> z. zz z-

Edit commands

x X <delete> p P J . u ^R ~ ^L ^G ga gv m @ q r R a A i I o O & s S v V ZZ gi ^A ^X

ex commands

abbreviate cd chdir copy delete edit file filesystem global join k map mark marks move options print put pwd quit read redo s & ~ set sort submit registers to unabbreviate undo unmap version v write wq wqs xit yank > < @ *

The addressing in ex command is fully supported:

whole buffer: %s/re/rep/
current line: .p
the last line of buffer: $p
absolute line number: 1,2p
relative line number: +1,+2p
regal expression: /re/p ?re?p
mark referencing: 'a,'bp

In addition to this wasavi also accepts offset, for example: /re/+1p. Two addresses are usually connected by a ,, wasavi also supports ;.

Input mode commands

^@ input the most recently input text, and exit input mode. this key stroke is actually Ctrl+Space.
^D unshift. but if the last input character is 0 or ^, delete all indentation
^H delete a character
^R paste register's content
^T shift
^U delete all the characters entered in the current input session
^V literal input
^W delete a word

Line input mode commands

^A move cursor to top of line
^B back
^E move cursor to end of line
^F forward
^H delete a character
^N next history
^P previous history
^R paste register's content
^U delete whole line
^V literal input
^W delete a word
tab complete ex command name, set option name, file name argument of read/edit/write/file

Bound mode commands

Bound mode is similar to vim's visual mode.

c delete the bound, and switch to insert mode
d delete the bound
y yank the bound
< unshift the bound
> shift the bound
C delete the line-wise bound, and switch to insert mode
S surround the bound
R same as C
D delete the line-wise bound
X same as D
Y yank the line-wise bound
g prefix commands
a, i prefix range symbols
~ swap lower case and upper case in the bound
: switch to line input mode
J join the bound
p delete the bound, and paste a register's content
P same as p
r fill the bound up with inputted letter
s same as c
u lower-ize the bound
U upper-ize the bound
v character wise bound mode
V line wise bound mode
x same as d
^A add the counter to all numeric strings within the bound
^X subtract the counter to all numeric strings within the bound

Surrounding identifiers

quotations: one of !#$%&*+,\-.:;=?@^_|~"'`
brackets: one of abBrt[]{}()

Surrounding string

quotations: one of !#$%&*+,\-.:;=?@^_|~"'`
brackets: one of abBr[]{}()
tags: one of ^T ,<Tt

Vim features in wasavi

multiple level undo/redo
incremental search
range symbols (aka, Vim text objects)
following registers
- " unnamed register
- : last executed ex command
- * reading from and writing to the system clipboard
- / last searched string
- = evaluate math expression. supported operators are: + - * / %. supported numeric expressions are: integer, float (including exponential form), binary (with leading 0b), octal (with leading 0), hex (with leading 0x)
auto-reformat in input mode, and reformat operator (gq command) on the state of textwidth > 0
bound mode (aka, Vim visual mode)
options: iskeyword, incsearch, smartcase, undolevels, quoteescape, relativenumber, textwidth, expandtab, cursorline, cursorcolumn, nrformats
writing to the register of A to Z
gu / gU + motion: lowerize or upperize a region
partial functionality of Surround.vim
partial functionality of :sort (regex pattern, r and i options)
^A to increase a numeric string. ^X to decrease a numeric string.

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Quick Overview

Pros

Cons

Getting Started

Competitor Comparisons

Pros of Vimium

Cons of Vimium

Code Comparison

Key Differences

Use Cases

Community and Support

Pros of Tridactyl

Cons of Tridactyl

Code Comparison

Summary

Pros of Surfingkeys

Cons of Surfingkeys

Code Comparison

Summary

Pros of chromium-vim

Cons of chromium-vim

Code Comparison

Pros of Vim Vixen

Cons of Vim Vixen

Code Comparison

Pros of Firenvim

Cons of Firenvim

Code Comparison

Convert designs to code with AI

README

wasavi (VI editor for any web page)

A Quick Walkthrough

Salient Features

How to install

A note for Chrome users

Frequently Asked Questions

How to launch wasavi

How to quit wasavi

Which options are accepted by the :set command?

How to modify initial settings:

How to control beep

How to access local files

How to use wasavi with Vimperator/Keysnail/VimFx on Firefox

Vimperator

Keysnail

VimFx

How to use wasavi as an independent text editor

About automatic setting override

How to cooperate with Migemo

I have noticed a bug

Tips and Tricks

Commands implemented

Operations

Operation Aliases

Surround Operations

Motions

Range symbols (Vim text objects)

Scroll commands

Edit commands

ex commands

Input mode commands

Line input mode commands

Bound mode commands

Surrounding identifiers

Surrounding string

Vim features in wasavi

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Which options are accepted by the `:set` command?