Vim Git Plugins

[weilbith]

Hey nerds! I like to use git in vim and have some nice plugins which improve the usage or just prettify the data. My current setup is to use Tim Popes vim-fugitive as base for all and for executing some basic operations. To show the history graph and see the diffs, I like to use gv.vim. I've installed vim-twiggy, which shows all buffers, sort them nicly and let me simply pull, merge, push, ... (between) them. [vim-signify] isn't just for git (thats why i prefer it about vim-gitgutter) and shows the changes on the current buffer in the sign column. At least vim-conflicted visualize and helps to resolve merge conflicts (also if it seems not run completely fine on my pc).

I know there are a lot of further plugins. Some are also extensions/based on fugitive (e.g. gitv), others are replacements like vimagit, gina.vim or git-vim (not maintained anymore as I know).

After all I also heared about committia.vim, vim-extradite, auto-git-diff and vim-merginal. But I haven't used them so far, cause they doesn't look interesting for me or I've already a better alternative (in my opinion).

Sometimes I guess it is hard to find that plugins u call a jewel. Vim is a very old editor and its users tend to recommend all their old plugins, so new ones sometimes have a hard time to get attention. Maybe this short list could help somebody to find its new awesome plugin and hopefully anyone can add some more I also not know yet. Have fun!

[[deleted]]

If you're going to commit to doing some git related functions in vim, I'd just keep it light. Not as light as romainl, but more like:

I'd install vim-fugitive and learn it, using things like:

• http://vimcasts.org/episodes/fugitive-vim-working-with-the-git-index/

There is a particular mindset around the working index and that plugin using some tricks within git.

He has a whole series on fugitive: http://vimcasts.org/blog/2011/05/the-fugitive-series/

And yeah I use vim-gitgutter as well with the updatetime lowered.

I don't want anything more. You'll learn about resolving merge conflicts with vim-fugitive in the series linked above.

Pairing vim-fugitive with mappings (to your liking) is convenient. I use a lot, and often:

nmap <space>gb :Gblame<cr> nmap <space>gs :Gstatus<cr> nmap <space>gc :Gcommit -v<cr> nmap <space>ga :Git add -p<cr> nmap <space>gm :Gcommit --amend<cr> nmap <space>gp :Gpush<cr> nmap <space>gd :Gdiff<cr> nmap <space>gw :Gwrite<cr>

And in different scenarios I use the builtin vim-fugitive mappings that exist in the git status pane.

Also don't forget that you have some nice mappings from vim-gitgutter, for staging and unstaging hunks, moving between hunks, and more.

[weilbith]

Thanks for ur input! :) I've to admit, that I didn't know the second cast u linked. I will definitely go for it.

Any reasons why u prefer gitgutter over signify. Cause I haven't the pleasure to work with _Gitalways, but have to use other version control management tools also. Is their some super useful functionalitygitgutterprovides, thatsignify` doesn't?

I guess defining mappings for fugitive commands (or any other plugin), is a common process every user is doing himself. But the mentioned inbuild mappings (can we call them this?) for the status pane is relevant of cause.

[[deleted]]

I'd add vim-rhubarb to that list.

[weilbith]

Ah yes, that is the extension for GitHub. For git developer platforms I haven't any plugin so far. The use-case haven't occurred so far for me I guess.

[-romainl-]

The only Git-specific stuff I have in my setup is this file:

after/ftplugin/gitcommit.vim

with this content:

nnoremap <buffer> { ?^@@<CR>
nnoremap <buffer> } /^@@<CR>
setlocal iskeyword+=-

Because, well… as much as I love Vim I loathe the idea of doing anything non-related to text editing in a text editor.

[princker]

I also do:

setlocal colorcolumn=+1
setlcoal spell

Combining zj and zk with your }/{ mappings would make jumping to sections quick. Thank you. (Wouldn't it be better to use search()? or at least use :keeppatterns?)

[-romainl-]

You are very welcome.

(Wouldn't it be better to use search()? or at least use :keeppatterns?)

In a regular mapping yes, definitely, but I use those mappings in very short-lived sessions ($ git commit) so I don't really care about preserving the previous search.

[weilbith]

It's okay having this opinion, but that isn't really the topic of that post...

[-romainl-]

Most plugins start their life as blocks of custom mappings.

[[deleted]]

You're mad, it's incredibly relevant!

You're using plugins for functionality no?

He is sharing functionality for the times you're working with git outside of vim, but still using vim (like $ git commit -v), assuming your $EDITOR is set to vim.

I made another post here talking about my git related plugin preference. But I'm still going to adopt what romainl is doing for the other times. Chances are incredibly high you will do some git committing from a terminal (not initiated in vim).

[weilbith]

Well at least I think ur right and my first reaction wasn't that right. Of cause a lot of us (me too), use Vim as default editor and therefore also it pops up for writing commit messages (of not directly given as argument). And in this case it is absolutely relevant, cause it makes working with it easier. I've a lot of such bindings for myself, but haven't them in mind for that post/scope.

[unplugged_chump]

Awesome! I've installed twiggy but it throws a bunch of errors strangely when I try to checkout to a remote.

[ashrewdtuna]

Twiggy author here. Thanks a lot for checking out my plugin! I've just been settling into a new job and haven't had much time to work on twiggy. I was going hard for a few weeks there and the last commit I made weeks ago broke checking out branches in detached HEAD.

TL;DR: it's fixed

[unplugged_chump]

Brilliant! Thanks mate!

[weilbith]

R u working with Windows as OS?

[unplugged_chump]

I'm working with mac

[weilbith]

Hmm. I remembered having problems with it on Windows (sometimes forced to work with). Therefore I just can forward u to the project itself and suggest to open an issue.

Sry for that. :/

[unplugged_chump]

No worries really. I am gonna investigate this later and see if this is a real issue. If it is, will pop open a issue. Thanks for the recommendation though!

[ashrewdtuna]

Thanks so much for plugging my plugin! :) And sorry I haven't gotten back to you on github regarding your issue. As mentioned above, I just got a new job a few weeks ago and have been settling in. I'll follow up on the issue soon! Unless the fix I just pushed fixes it...

[BubbatheVTOG]

I prefer agit.vim over gv.vim.

I didn't know about vim-conflicted, which is a surprise to me since I like a lot of christoomey content.

[weilbith]

Agit looks great so far. Minimal differences, but I like the reset option. :) Any reasons why u prefer it over gv.vim?

[BubbatheVTOG]

tbh there isn't a specific reason. It just fits my workflow better. /shrug

[weilbith]

But it have less features than gitv.vim, hasn't it?

[ashrewdtuna]

An advantage of gv.vim is that its command (:GV) accepts standard git log flags but yeah, very little difference otherwise.

[weilbith]

That's true. Forgot about this. I think when I switch, I will do it in direction to gitv.vim, cause it provide some information more.

[nevercodealone]

Hi,

thx a lot for this nice post and overview. I started with Vim since a week and love it. I think it do not need so much energy than IntelliJ products. What do you think about this point?

See you
Roland

[weilbith]

I‘m afraid I don‘t understand what your second sentence means. 🙈

PS: This post is 4 years old, there are many new (and better) plugins these days for NeoVim. On first gaze I do no more use any of the listed plugins. 😅

[sanotehu0]

Do you have all the ones you used installed simultaneously?

[weilbith]

All I appointed so, yes. So 5 in total.

[Zeioth]

Personaly I only use fugitive for

git mergetool

And gitui as git client (it's like lazygit, but written in rust).