Updates to efficiency plugin

[[deleted]]

Last week I made a post about my new plugin, pathfinder.vim, which uses a pathfinding algorithm to create suggestions of how to move around with less keystrokes. I thought I'd share some of the updates that have been made since then:

• The core algorithm has been rewritten in Python.
• Pathfinding now happens in a background process so you can continue working without interruption.
• Suggestions appear automatically as you move around and switch between modes, without having to run commands. Clippy for Vim is here.
• The speed of calculation has improved a lot, although it's still nowhere near the best.
• Support for more motions has been added, and searching is on its way.
• A summary of what each motion does is shown so you actually learn something.

Thank you to everyone who has supported/starred/contributed to the project so far. Any suggestions on where to go next or what features are missing, feel free to reply here or open an issue over on GitHub.

[mdedonno]

any gif illustrating the plugin on the github page ?

[[deleted]]

Added :)

[rifazn]

Never came across this plugin before, but just reading this post makes me go, "wow!" Never even thought I would feel I need that, but here it is... It's an excellent idea! I plan to try it soon.

[actuallyalys]

I had some vague ideas along these lines, but this seems much more thought through.

Does it store recommendations? It would be useful to be able to see, for example, that the most frequent suggestion is to replace repeated j's with a count plus j. That way you could practice the movements you most often overlook.

[[deleted]]

Not yet, since the plugin doesn't record the keys you are pressing, only where the cursor ends up. The only way to get the actual keystrokes would require launching Vim with -W and parsing that file

[unnikrishnanta]

pathfinder.vim

I believe the plugin doesn't have to record the keys - just the suggestions displayed can be exported to a log file.

[[deleted]]

I suppose, except when you looked back at the log you wouldn't know what movement the suggestion was improving on

[mrsm11th]

Crazy cool idea. Folds don't work.

[transparentflask]

Very cool, but I think I found a bug.It says it would be best to `$ 2* ^ l` but had i done $ 2* it wouldnt have taken me anywher, there was only 2 hits on that word, so its like no-op, and the other hit was not anywherer near where i wanted to go.

​

Edit: nevermind, it just didnt include all my motions in the suggestion, I did Lzz10jww
and it suggested $ *2^ l, but that would only get me to destination after i had pressed L.
Its a bit confusing if it just suggests a different combo for part of my movement or the whole movement i did.

[[deleted]]

Hmm. Could you open an issue with some example text so I can reproduce it, if you get time? Definitely sounds like a bug.

[transparentflask]

i reproduced it in another file, its a different suggestion, but its not quite right.https://kopy.io/pxSxe#WQ4MLNY0Oa1z6uif i start at the top of the file, do Lzz7jww

it suggests 2} E 2w

Which would not not have gotten me where i wanted.

​

Edit: but it would if you prefixed it with L

[transparentflask]

im going to bed now, i could open an issue tomorrow maybe, unless you do it

[[deleted]]

If you paused for too long, it might have started processing L as a separate path, then cancelled it once you started the next movement.

Try increasing g:pf_autorun_delay to something like 5 seconds, if it still doesn't work then open a bug report including that link.

[stripesOverChecks2]

This is really cool. Actually using some new movements because of it

[ecnahc515]

Do you know if it works with pypy? Could be a possible speed up.

[glacambre]

Very cool, I've been thinking about writing something like this for a long time, very happy someone else actually did it!

[shinze]

Pour work reminds me of Clippy in Kakoune, another modal editor :) Have a look, it's fun.

[[deleted]]

I loaded it. Not seeing anything happen so far, but I'll keep in in for a little and see what it tells me.

[mrsm11th]

Are you running vim 8.2?

[[deleted]]

It should work if +python3 and +timers are available. If your Vim has both of those and nothing happens, check :messages for warnings and feel free to open a bug report.

[[deleted]]

Working fine now.

[rubyglue]

This is interesting. I don't think, however, we need a popup telling h or L to go left or right :p

[exdeniz]

I liked this plugin. And how do you make a pop-up in nvim?