IdeaVim Configuration Guide

This document explains how the current .ideavimrc works, what plugins are enabled, and the most important shortcuts/combos.

Overview

• Leader key: Space
• Main goals:
  • Faster navigation between files, tabs, methods, and splits
  • Quick access to IntelliJ/Android Studio actions from Vim mode
  • Better editing workflow with EasyMotion, multi-cursor, and refactor shortcuts

Plugins Enabled

• easymotion/vim-easymotion
• preservim/nerdtree
• machakann/vim-highlightedyank

Also enabled through set options:

• surround
• multiple-cursors
• argtextobj
• commentary
• which-key

Core Editor Behavior

• Relative + absolute line numbers: set number relativenumber
• Search behavior:
  • ignorecase + smartcase
  • incremental search (incsearch)
  • highlight results (hlsearch)
• Clipboard integration: set clipboard+=unnamed
• IDE-aware line join: set ideajoin
• No key timeout: set notimeout

Mode / Quality-of-Life Mappings

• Exit insert mode quickly: jk → <Esc>
• Clear search highlight: <leader>/
• Reformat code: \r
• Firebender accept completion: <Tab>

Word Motion Improvements

These remap word motions to better handle camelCase/snake_case navigation:

• w → [w
• e → ]w
• b → [b
• ge → [b

EasyMotion

• <leader>f → EasyMotion s
• <leader>e → EasyMotion f

Go To / Code Navigation

• gd → Go to declaration
• gy → Go to type declaration
• gI → Go to implementation
• gn → Next method
• gp → Previous method

Tab + Split Navigation

Tabs

• <leader>j → Previous tab
• <leader>k → Next tab

Split focus movement

• Ctrl + Left/Right/Down/Up → move focus between splits
• Alt + j/k/l/; (normal mode):
  • Alt+j → left split
  • Alt+k → bottom split
  • Alt+l → top split
  • Alt+; → right split
• Same Alt mappings also work from insert mode (auto-exit insert first)

Split management

• <leader>sv → Vertical split
• <leader>sh → Horizontal split
• <leader>sw → Close current split/editor tab
• <leader>sa → Close all other splits/editors

Which-Key Groups (Leader Menus)

Actions

• <leader>a → Quick Fix / Intentions

Search (<leader>s)

• <leader>se → Search Everywhere
• <leader>sr → Recent Files
• <leader>su → Find Usages
• <leader>sp → Recent Projects

Navigation (<leader>n)

• <leader>ne → Next Error
• <leader>no → Next Occurrence
• <leader>ns → Switcher
• <leader>nn → Go to Line
• <leader>n, → Back
• <leader>n. → Forward

Git (<leader>g)

• <leader>gg → Commit/Checkin
• <leader>gc → Branches
• <leader>gp → Commit & Push
• <leader>gP → Push
• <leader>gm → Git menu
• <leader>gf → Fetch
• <leader>ga → Annotate / blame
• <leader>gl → Version Control tool window
• <leader>gt → Commit tool window

Gradle / Build (<leader>G)

• <leader>Gg → Android sync project
• <leader>Gs → Sync all external projects
• <leader>Gc → Execute Gradle task
• <leader>Gb → Compile dirty
• <leader>GB → Make project
• <leader>Gr → Refresh dependencies
• <leader>GC → Compile project
• <leader>GR → Rebuild project
• <leader>Gt → Gradle tool window
• <leader>Gv → Build variants
• <leader>Gl → Show Gradle daemons

Run (<leader>r)

• <leader>rn → Run
• <leader>rc → Choose run configuration
• <leader>rs → Stop
• <leader>rr → Rerun
• <leader>rd → Debug class
• <leader>rh → Test history/import tests
• <leader>rm → Run menu
• <leader>rf → Rerun failed tests

Debug (<leader>d)

• <leader>dt → Toggle breakpoint
• <leader>ds → Start listening
• <leader>do → Step over
• <leader>di → Step into
• <leader>dr → Evaluate expression
• <leader>dC → Run to cursor
• <leader>dc → Resume

Multi-cursor (<leader>m)

• <leader>mj → Add cursor below
• <leader>mk → Add cursor above
• <leader>mn → Select next occurrence
• <leader>mN → Unselect previous occurrence
• <leader>ma → Select all occurrences
• <leader>ml (visual) → Cursor per selected line
• <leader>ms → Skip occurrence
• <leader>mr → Remove all extra cursors

Visual multi-cursor (<leader>v)

• <leader>vj (visual) → Add cursor down
• <leader>vk (visual) → Add cursor up
• <leader>vn → Select next match
• <leader>va → Select all matches

Language / Refactor (<leader>l)

• <leader>lm → Refactor menu
• <leader>lr → Rename
• <leader>lc → Change signature
• <leader>lv → Introduce variable
• <leader>lR (visual) → Extract method/function
• <leader>lf → Reformat code
• <leader>oi → Optimize imports
• <leader>ls → File structure popup

Tool windows (<leader>t)

• <leader>tr → Run window
• <leader>td → Debug window
• <leader>tg → Version control window
• <leader>tt → Terminal window
• <leader>tl → Logcat window

NERDTree

• Ctrl+n → Open NERDTree
• Inside NERDTree:
  • j → Activate/open node
  • k → Jump parent

Useful commands (manual):

• :NERDTreeFocus
• :NERDTreeToggle
• :NERDTreeClose
• :NERDTreeFind
• :NERDTreeRefreshRoot

Notes

• If a mapping does not work, check if the target IDE action exists in your IDE version.
• To discover action IDs, use :actionlist or Ctrl+Shift+A and inspect action names.
• This setup is optimized for JetBrains IDEs + IdeaVim plugin.